Mythologies of the Lur Tribe

The Lurs, Lors or Luris (Persian: لر) are an Iranian people living in western and southern Ira. The four Luri branches are the Bakhtiari, Mamasani, Kohgiluyeh and Lur proper, who are principally linked by the Luri language. Lorestan province is named after the Lurs, but not all Lurs live in Lorestan, nor are all the inhabitants of Lorestan ethnic Lurs. Many Lurs live in other provinces of Iran including Fars, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Khuzestan, Hamadan, Isfahan, Tehran southern Ilam province, and Genaveh county in Bushehr province. There are several disputes over the origin of the Lurs, but they are believed to be of Elamite and Kassite origin. Iranist and historian Walther Hinz described the Elamites as possible “Proto-Lurs,” while The Cambridge Ancient History suggests that the Lurs may have preserved the ancient name of the Lullubi. The term "Lur" was first mentioned after the Islamic conquest of Iran. In early Islamic sources, "Lūr", or "Bilād al-Lūr" (ﺑﻼد اﻟﻠﻮر), was a region between Khuzestan province and Isfahan city. Thus, it was believed that the name Lur originally derived from the name of the region and later came to be the name of the tribes living in the region. While the term Lur was first used in a geographic context in the 4th Islamic century, it was first used in an ethnic context in the 5th century. The first mention of the Luri tribes was in Vis and Rāmin, a famous Persian story, specifically a line stating "the world was saved from thieves and pickpockets, from the Kurds and the Lurs, and from bandits and Ayyārs." It was agreed that the term "Lur" was originally regional and later came to refer to the local tribes, and that "Luri" was a demonym, meaning "attributed to Lur", with Lur being the region from Khuzestan to Isfahan mentioned in early Islamic sources. Lurs are a mixture of Iranian tribes, originating from Central Asia and the pre-Iranic tribes of western Iran, such as the Kassites (whose homeland appears to have been in what is now Lorestan) and Gutians. In accordance with geographical and archaeological matching, some historians argue that the Elamites were the Proto-Lurs, whose language became Iranian only in the Middle Ages. The distinctive characteristics of the Lur dialects imply that they were Iranized by Persis rather than Media.

Lur, any member of a mountain Shīʿite Muslim people of western Iran numbering more than two million. The Lurs live mainly in the provinces of Lorestān, Bakhtīārī, and Kohgīlūyeh va Būyer Aḥmad. Their main languages are Luri and Laki. Luri, which has northern and southern variants, is closely related to Persian, while Laki is more nearly related to Kurdish. Still other Lurs speak Bakhtyārī, which is mutually intelligible with Luri. The Lurs are thought to be of aboriginal stock, with strong Iranian, Arabic, and other admixtures. The Lurs and their neighbours, the Bakhtyārī, are partly agricultural and partly pastoral tribes. Lush grazing pastures between the mountain ranges enabled the Lurs to maintain themselves as pastoral nomads until the 20th century, when they developed agriculture largely in response to economic and political pressures from outside. Lurs on the western frontier, south of Kermānshāh, Iran, were once almost independent under their own vālīs (viceroys) until Reza Shah Pahlavi brought them under control of the central government and deported some segments of the Lurs to Khorāsān. The economic and political life of the Lurs resembles that of their northern Kurdish neighbours. The traditional authority of the tribal chiefs remains a more viable force among nomadic groups than among those who are more fully settled. As with the Kurds and Bakhtyārī, women among the Lurs have traditionally had greater freedom than other Arab or Iranian women. Luristan Bronze, any of the horse trappings, utensils, weapons, jewelry, belt buckles, and ritual and votive objects of bronze probably dating from roughly 1500–500 bce that have been excavated since the late 1920s in the Harsin, Khorramābād, and Alishtar valleys of the Zagros Mountains in the Lorestān region of western Iran. Their precise origin is unknown. Scholars believe that they were created either by the Cimmerians, a nomadic people from southern Russia who may have invaded Iran in the 8th century bce, or by such related Indo-European peoples as the early Medes and Persians.

The Lur or Lor are an Iranian people living mainly in southwest and south Iran. Their exact population is not known, but they number over two million. The territories occupied by Lurs include three provinces: Luristan (the land of Lors), Bakhtiari and Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed. In addition, Lurs constitute a significant proportion of the population in several provinces including Khuzistan, Fars, Ilam, Hamadan and Bushehr. Most Lurs speak an Iranian dialect known as Luri; however, nearly half the Lurs of Luristan province speak Laki, another Iranian dialect. The Luri dialect is closer to Persian while Laki is closer to Kurdish. Generally speaking, Luri is divided into northern and southern dialects. The northern dialect is spoken in Luristan, several districts of Hamadan (Nahavand, Towisarkan) and by the inhabitants of south and southwest Ilam and northern part of Khuzistan province. The southern dialect is spoken by the inhabitants of Bakhtiari, Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed and also in the north and east of Khuzistan, in the Mamasani district of Fars, and also in most areas of Bushehr province. The territories presently occupied by the Lurs have been inhabited by man for some 40,000 years (Hole 1978). Thus far, archaeological investigations in Luristan have unearthed tools and artifacts from the middle paleolithic, upper paleolithic, mesolithic and bronze age. However, the earliest known people to inhabit the territories presently occupied by the Lurs were the Elamites, who settled in the area as early as 3000 BC. Later, the Kassites, who are well known for their bronze artifacts, lived in Luristan as early as second millennium BC, while the Elamites continued to hold the rest of their territories. The Kassites formed a dynasty, conquered Babylonia in 1747 BC and dominated Mesopotamia for 576 years (Ghirshman 1978). The Elamite and the Kassite dynasties were overtaken by the Indo-Iranians during the first millennium BC. Thus, the ancestors of the Lurs, as a segment of the Persian population, settled in their present territories and dominated the native inhabitants in the later part of the first millennium BC (Cameron 1936). Unfortunately, little information is available on the history of the Lurs during the Greek (331-192 BC), Parthian (129 BC-AD 226) and Sassanid (AD 226-641) periods. During the Arab invasion of the seventh century, the Lurs, along with other Iranians, unsuccessfully fought against the Arabs. The Arabs' absolute domination of Iran, including Lur territory, lasted over two centuries. In the beginning of the ninth century, however, revolts took place in different parts of Iran and local dynasties were established in several areas of the country. One such local dynasty was that of the Buyids, who originated in northern Iran and conquered most areas of the country, including the Lur territory, in the tenth century. By the middle of the tenth century, the areas inhabited by the Lurs were collectively known as Luristan. Later on, Luristan was divided into two parts: Lur-i-kuchek (Luristan Minor) and Lur-i-bozorg (Luristan Major). The former corresponded to modern Luristan and Ilam provinces while the latter included modern Bakhtiari, Kuh-Gilu-Boir Ahmed and Mamasani.

Lurs live in west and southwest of Iran in Lorestan, Kohkiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Khuzestan, Fars, Bushehr, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Hamadan, Ilam, and Isfahan provinces. During the Sasanian Empire, the kings paid special attention to Lurestan, which is one of their main locations. That’s why a lot of the buildings of this era are built in western parts of Iran. According to history, Lurs are originally Kurds who separated from them as Lur ethnic about a thousand years ago. They were tribes of Kurds and were called Akrâds. But Lur women have more freedom than Kurd women. After Islam during the Seljuq dynasty, Loretran was separated into two parts. Big Lur (Kohkiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad) and Small Lur (Ilam and Today Lorestan). Nowadays Lurs are two groups one who is living a sedentary life and those who are nomads, Bakhtiari People. Lurs speak the Luri language. Luri is the closest living language to Archaic and Middle Persian. The language has three dialects; Luri, Laki, and Bakhtiari. Bakhtiari dialect is popular in Big Lor and some parts of the Small Lor. Dialect variation of the language has brought about differences among these three tribes. The differences mainly appear in their folklore music and classic dance. However, in all three women keep up with men in singing their traditional songs, playing instruments, and dancing. In the current of Lurs religion we can see firstly they were polytheism in the Kassite dynasty, then they joined Mithraism. After that, they tended to Zoroastrianism. And Finally after the Islamization of Iran, They became Shia Muslims. Some of Lurs believe in Yarsanism. These people have special theosophical traditions and folklore which have Zoroastrian and also Islamic colors. Bakhtiari people are lurs who have a nomadic life. These nomadic people are one of the most known in Iran. 200,000 Bakhtiari people migrate a distance of 300 kilometers twice a year. In The past, they made the tough journey through the Zagros Mountains with their flocks. Nowadays technology even has its influences on the nomads’ lifestyle, too. Still, the people make the journey as before but for very long distances they transfer their flocks with trucks or anything.

The Lur may have migrated from Syria into the western Zagros Mountains some time after the Arab invasion of Iran in the seventh century A . D . Another theory suggests that the Lur were indigenous nomadic herders who inhabited the area since early times and spoke an Indo-Iranian language. Adherents of the latter theory believe that the Lur were the descendants of the Parsua, who inhabited what is now Lorestān and Bakhtīarī in 800 B . C . The Parsua established the Persian Empire (550-330 B . C .) and are thus considered among the indigenous Persians. The traditional homeland of the Lur is the Zagros Mountains, but there are Lur communities scattered in many parts of Iran. The Lur are believed to constitute about half of the population of Īlām and the entire population of Lorestān, Bakhtīarī, Kohkīlūyeh, and Boyer Ahmadī. In addition, they occupy almost one half of Khūzestān, one third of Hamadān and Bushehr, and a significant portion of Fārs. There are also Lur communities elsewhere in Iran, and a significant population living in Iraq. The traditional territory of the Lur was divided in the tenth century into what has become known as the Lorestān-e-Bozorg (the large Lorestān), which is now the Bakhtiari territory, and the Lorestān-e-Kuchak (the small Lorestān), which is now the governorship of Lorestān. Probably because of conflict between different tribes within the areas, each of the two Lorestāns was further subdivided into smaller political units. The Lorestān-e-Kuchak consists of two ecological and cultural zones: Pusht Kuh ("behind the mountain") and Peesh Kuh ("in front of the mountain"). Pusht Kuh is actually a transitional zone between Lorestān proper and central Kurdistan. The Bakhtiari of Lorestān-e-Bozorg were also split into two tribal blocs, Haft Lang and Char Lang. Kohkīlūyeh is an administrative district in southwest Iran covering an area of about 15,000 square kilometers. This region lies within the southwestern segments of the Zagros arc. The inhabitants of Pusht Kuh include Kurds, Lur, and Arabs, who have strong cultural and linguistic affinities with the more dominant Kurdish populations to the north. This segment of the population numbers about 120,000 (Fazel 1984) and has a greater degree of religious diversity than the other Lur populations. The major religious groups here include the Shia Ithna Ashari (to which most Lur belong), Ali Allahi, the Sunnis, and Christian Assyrians. The population of the Lur of Peesh Kuh, or Lorestān proper, is estimated at 230,000 (Fazel 1984). The Peesh Kuh Lur are much more homogeneous than the Pusht Kuh Lur, and are very similar to the Bakhtiari, especially the Chahar Lang Bakhtiari. The Haft Lang Bakhtiari have more in common with Kohkīlūyeh Lur. The Lur of Bakhtīarī numbered approximately 680,000 in 1982 (Grimes 1988) and those of Kohkīlūyeh approximately 270,000 (Fazel 1984). The total population of Lur in Iran was estimated at about 3,000,000 in 1982 (Grimes 1988). The reigns of Reza Shah (1925-1942) and Mohammad Reza Shah (1942-1979) brought drastic changes to the lives of the Lur and the other tribal groups in Iran. For the most part, the policies of both leaders included the elimination, pacification, or settlement of the tribes. During Reza Shah's reign, tribal leaders were executed, and migrations between summer and winter camps were banned. The resulting loss of 90 percent of the livestock inflicted extreme hardship on the tribes. The land reforms of the Pahlavi regime, intended in part to settle the tribes, created ecological disasters as impoverished nomads began a frantic conversion of steep mountain pastures into farmlands in order to qualify for individualized ownership of land. Similarly, the introduction of a national system of education undermined the normative foundation of the traditional socioeconomic systems; thus, literacy also brought alienation from the only life-style that was available. The Revolution of 1978-1979 ended the Pahlavi regime and some of the problems it had created for the tribes. Postrevolutionary changes are proceeding in the context of the Islamization of society, enforced by strict guidelines from the central government. As a result, tribal religious leaders have been given a critical role in supervising and implementing Islamic guidelines in education, commerce, and aspects of social behavior. Lack of reliable information from Iran prevents an assessment of what effect these changes are having on the Lur and the other tribes of Iran.

Present in the South and Southwest regions of Iran, the Lurs are an Iranian people who have a rich history and culture. Loresstan, a region named after the Lurs, is one of the many places the Lur people inhabit, along with Ilam, Hamadan, and Bakhtiari. These territories, where the Lurs currently live, have been found to have a history of human occupation going back about 40,000 years (Hole, 1978). It is most likely that the Lur people are descendants of a mixture of Iranian and pre-Iranian tribes, with notable distinctions made between the Lurs and the historical Elamites and Kassites (the latter inhabiting what is now Lorestan). Despite being an ethnic minority, the Lurs are a part of the religious majority of Iran — Shia Muslims. Although it has been shown that the Lur people have an unconventional interpretation of Shia Islam, and Islam as a whole. This has led to the Lurs being the target of jokes, labeling them as “irreligious” or “stupid” for their distinctive lifestyles (Esfahani, 2022). These jokes have been used to both a resistance against majority groups by minority groups (in an act of reclamation) and a resistance against the overall regime of Iran, among a plethora of reasons that are not as kind towards the Lur people. There are also Christian Lurs, and a subsect of the population that resembles the Zoroastrian culture. Most Lurs speak Luri, which is further divided into regional dialects. Luri and its dialects are thought to be similar to Persian, and thought to be descended from the latter language. The most distinctive aspect of Luri is that it has retained traditional Iranian grammar, vocabulary, and structure, relatively less affected by Arab and Turkic influence. However, the dialects are affected by their geography: the Northern dialects show the influence of Kurdish language structure, and the Southern dialects show the same influence of Persian language structure. Bibi Maryam Bakhtiari, one of the most renowned Lurs in history, was an activist in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and a military commander. She was betrothed while just 40 days old, and despite the efforts of her family, was married off at 15. As a skilled rider and archer, she led men into battle in the Constitutional Revolution. This was concurrent with the First World War, and the Allied Powers had begun to pursue German officials via Iran. Bakhtiari and other women forced the retreat of troops in Tiran and Karavan. As recognition for her aid, Wilhelm II, then German Emperor, awarded Bakhtiari the highest German military honor. To this day, Bibi Maryam Bakhtiari is the only woman in history to have this accolade.

The Lurs are an Iranian ethnic group primarily residing in the Zagros Mountains of western and southwestern Iran, including the provinces of Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, and adjacent regions such as parts of Ilam, Khuzestan, Fars, and Hamadan.[1][2] With an estimated population exceeding four million, they form a significant minority comprising roughly 6% of Iran's populace.[3] The Lurs speak varieties of the Luri language, a Southwestern Iranian linguistic continuum closely related to Persian and distinct from Northwestern Iranian languages like Kurdish, encompassing dialects such as Northern Luri, Bakhtiari, and Southern Luri. Historically, the Lur-inhabited regions show evidence of continuous settlement dating back tens of thousands of years, with associations to ancient peoples including the Elamites around 3000 BCE and the Kassites in the second millennium BCE, though direct ethnic continuity remains unproven. The group maintained semi-nomadic pastoral lifestyles centered on sheep and goat herding, supplemented by agriculture, until mid-20th-century sedentarization policies under the Pahlavi regime shifted many to settled farming of crops like wheat and barley. Socially organized into patrilineal tribes and confederacies, such as the Bakhtiari, the Lurs feature a stratified structure with elite landowners and lower-class sharecroppers, known for producing high-quality mules historically exported across Persia. Culturally, the Lurs adhere predominantly to Shia Islam, incorporating pragmatic rituals alongside rich folklore, traditional crafts like rug-weaving and bronze work, and distinctive attire recently recognized as national heritage. Their traditions include energetic group dances such as Dastmal Bazi (handkerchief play) and a reputation for martial prowess, reflected in tribal autonomy and resistance to central authority in the past. While integrated into modern Iran, the Lurs preserve a distinct identity through their language and customs, with subgroups like the Bakhtiari maintaining semi-nomadic elements amid broader urbanization.