Editing Bahram V (section)

== In Persian literature ==
[[File:Khalili Collection Islamic Art mss 0994.3.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Bahram Gur sends his brother Narsi as Viceroy to Khurasan, from the [[Great Mongol Shahnameh|Great Mongol Shanameh]]]]
Bahram is in Islamic-era literature often known by the epithet of ''Gur/Gōr'' (''Jur'' in Arabic sources), meaning "[[onager]]/wild ass", seemingly due to his fondness of hunting the animal.{{sfn|Daryaee|Rezakhani|2016|p=36}}{{sfn|Frye|1983|p=144}}{{sfn|Traina|2011|p=119}} The onager was the fastest animal in the deserts of [[Central Asia]], even causing difficulties for a experienced rider to catch it.{{sfn|Traina|2011|p=119}} The legend of Bahram "the Wild ass" is based on lost Middle Persian records, such as the ''[[Khwaday-Namag]]'' ("Book of Lords").{{sfn|Traina|2011|p=119}} The story of Bahram portrays that of a classic hunter king in Iranian literature, which is associated with the namesake god, known in Avestan as [[Verethragna]]. This type of ancient folklore goes back to at least the epic story of ancient [[Ancient Mesopotamian religion|Mesopotamian]] hero [[Gilgamesh]].{{sfn|Traina|2011|p=119}} Later court poets often compared their overlord with ancient figures, such as [[Rostam]] or Bahram. In the ''Tarikh-i Akbari'', Arif Qandahari compares the hunting skills of the [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] emperor [[Akbar]] ({{reign|1556|1605}}) with that of Bahram.{{sfn|Melville|van den Berg|2012|pp=204–205}} He states that "Akbar emptied the land of wild asses and deer, which brought amazement and joy to the soul of Bahram Gur."{{sfn|Melville|van den Berg|2012|p=205}}

=== ''Haft Peykar'' ===
[[File:Nizami Gəncəvinin Xəmsəsindən "Yeddi Gözəl" poemasına çəkilmiş minyatür, Behzad məktəbi, 1479.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Bahram sees the portraits of the seven beauties. [[Kamāl ud-Dīn Behzād|Behzad]] School, 1479. [[Nizami Museum of Azerbaijani Literature]], [[Baku]].]]

''[[Haft Peykar]]'' ({{langx|fa|هفت پیکر}}) also known as ''Bahramnameh'' ({{lang|fa|بهرام‌نامه}}, ''The Book of Bahram'') is a famous romantic epic written in 1197 by the Persian poet [[Nizami Ganjavi]]. A pre-Islamic story of Persian origin, it was dedicated to the ruler of [[Maragha]], 'Ala' Al-Din korp Arslan. It is a romanticized biography of Bahram, who is born to Yazdegerd I after twenty years of childlessness and supplication to Ahura Mazda for a child.{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}} His adventurous life is already mentioned in the ''[[Shahnameh]]'' ("Book of Kings") of Ferdowsi, which Nizami regularly implies. Nizami primarily overlooks the adventures of Bahram in the ''Shahnameh'', or only mentions them briefly, while focusing on composing new information. He introduces the story by giving a description of the birth of Bahram and his upbringing in the court of the Lakhmid king al-Nu'man and his fabled palace [[Khawarnaq]]. Bahram, whose upbringing is entrusted to al-Nu'man, becomes a formidable huntsman.{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}}

While wandering through the fabled palace, he discovers a locked room which contains a depiction of seven princesses; hence the name ''Haft Paykar'' (seven beauties). Each of these princesses is from the seven different climes (the traditional [[Zoroastrian]] division of the Earth) and he falls in love with them. His father Yazdegerd I passes away and Bahram returns to Iran to claim his throne from pretenders. After some episodes he is recognized as shah and rescues the Iranians from a famine. Once the country is stable, the shah searches for the seven princesses and wins them as his brides. His architect is ordered to construct seven domes for each of his new brides. The architect tells him that each of the seven climes is ruled by one of the seven planets (the classical planetary system of the Zoroastrian world) and advises him to assure good fortune by adorning each dome with the color that is associated with each clime and planet. Bahram is skeptical but follows the advice of the architect. Each of the princesses reside in luxurious pavilions. On each visit, the shah visits the princesses on successive days of the week.{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}} 

Each princess relates to the shah a story matching the mood of her respective color.{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}} These seven stories comprise roughly half of the whole poem.{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}} While the shah is busy with the seven brides, his evil minister takes over his kingdom. Bahram finds out that his realm is in turmoil, the royal treasury has been depleted and the neighboring kingdoms are posed to invade. He clears his mind first by going hunting. After returning from the hunt, he sees a suspended dog from a tree. The owner of the dog, who was a shepherd, tells the story of how his loyal guard dog had gained sexual favours by a she-wolf in exchange for betraying his flock.{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}} He starts investigating the corrupt minister and from the multitude of complaints, he selects seven who tell him the injustice they have suffered. The minister is subsequently put to death and Bahram restores order and orders the seven domes to be converted to Zoroastrian [[fire temple]]s.{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}} Bahram then goes hunting, but in an obscure manner disappears. As a pun on words, while trying to hunt the wild ass (''gūr'') he instead finds his tomb (''gūr'').{{sfn|de Blois|2002|pp=522–524}}

=== Bahram and Azadeh ===
[[Image:Bowl Bahram Gur Azadeh Met 57.36.14 n02.jpg|thumb|12th–13th century bowl of Bahram and [[Azadeh (Shahnameh)|Azadeh]]]]
[[Azadeh (Shahnameh)|Azadeh]] (meaning free) was a Roman-slave girl in al-Hira, known for her singing and harpist skills (she played the [[Chang (instrument)|chang]]). The young Bahram, during his time at the city, became her owner, and would take her with him whenever he went hunting.{{sfn|Khaleghi-Motlagh|1987|p=174}}{{sfn|Lukonin|Ivanov|2012|p=57}} During one incident, Bahram bragged to Azadeh about his hunting skills and asked her to choose which [[gazelle]] he should shoot. Azadeh replied to him that true skill would be to transform a female gazelle into a male and a male into a female. 

Bahram accomplished this by shooting two arrows into the head of a female gazelle, thus giving her "antlers". He then shoot at a male, cutting off his antlers. Azadeh, horrified by this, cried out: "This art of yours is from the ''[[daeva]]s'' [evil deities]". Bahram, enraged, threw her to the ground, and trampled her with his camel.{{sfn|Lukonin|Ivanov|2012|p=57}} The medieval historian [[al-Tha'labi]] (d. 1035/6) reports that al-Mundhir had the incident painted in the Khawarnaq palace at al-Hira.{{sfn|Khaleghi-Motlagh|1987|p=174}} Nizami Ganjavi included the story in his ''Haft Peykar'' and had it slightly altered; Bahram orders one of his men to kill Fitna (her new name), but she persuades the officer to spare her and lie to Bahram of her death.{{sfn|Melville|van den Berg|2012|p=188}}

The story is likewise mentioned in an altered version in the ''[[Hasht-Bihisht (poem)|Hasht-Behest]]'', where Azadeh's name has been changed to Dilaram (heart's ease). In this version Bahram abandons her after she makes him enraged. After days of walking, she finds a skilled musician, who teaches her his craft. One day, word of a skilled female musician reaches Bahram, which leads him to search for her. Bahram eventually finds Dilaram, and asks for her forgiveness. She accepts, and they return to the Khawarnaq palace.{{sfn|Melville|van den Berg|2012|p=196}}{{sfn|Brend|2013|pp=23–24}}