Kai Khosrow - Cup of Kai Khosrow

Cup of Kai Khosrow

The Cup of Jamshid or, in reality, the Cup of Kai Khosrow (Cup of Djemscheed or Jaam-e Jam, or cup of Kai Khosrow in Persian: جام جم) is a cup of divination which, in Persian mythology, was long possessed by the rulers of ancient Persia. The cup has also been called Jam-e Jahan nama, Jam-e Jahan Ara, Jam-e Giti nama, and Jam-e Kei-khosrow. The latter refers to Kaei Husravah in the Avesta, and Sushravas in the Vedas. This Cup was used just once and by Kai Khosrow in his reign to find were Bizhan was, who had gone to the Turan border as an ambassador. Bizhan had become romantically involved with Manizheh, the daughter of Turanian king Afrasiab. Manizhe clandestinely brought him to her bedroom, and when Afrasiab found out he threw Bizhan into a pit and expelled Manizheh from the castle. Everyone in Iran thought that Bizhan was dead except for Kai Khosrow who saw him alive in the Cup. Kai Khosrow then sent Rostam to rescue Bijan. And this became another beautiful example of Rostam's adventures and victories.

The cup ("Jām") was said to be filled with an elixir of immortality and was used in scrying. As mentioned by Ali-Akbar Dehkhoda, it was believed that one could observe all the seven heavens of the universe by looking into it (از هفت فلک در او مشاهده و معاینه کردی). It was believed to have been discovered in Persepolis in ancient times. The whole world was said to be reflected in it, and divinations within the Cup were said to reveal deep truths. Sometimes, especially in popular depictions such as The Heroic Legend of Arslan, the cup is visualized as a crystal ball. Helen Zimmern's English translation of the Shahnameh uses the term "crystal globe".