The beautiful legend of “Chaharshanbeh Khatoon” is a folk belief in the Gilan province and some other regions of Iran. This legend is associated with ancient Iranian Nowruz customs.
According to the folk beliefs in Gilan, an old, wise woman with a rough face (symbolizing winter) emerges on the last Wednesday of the year from a mysterious well, whose location is unknown to anyone. She visits every house to determine whether it is clean and tidy. This woman, known as “Chaharshanbeh Khatoon,” writes a good fate for the family if the house is clean, but if the house is messy and dirty, she writes a bad fate for them. In this way, the family’s destiny for the coming year is decided. Chaharshanbeh Khatoon returns to the place she came from at dawn the following day, only to return again in the next year’s final Wednesday.
The people of Gilan are very much attached to Chaharshanbeh Khatoon. Therefore, before the last Wednesday of the year, they clean their homes and wear new, clean clothes, believing that this will win Chaharshanbeh Khatoon’s favor and ensure a good fate for the coming year. Preparing a delicious dish on this last Wednesday night is another tradition in Gilan. A special table is set up in the corner of the living room, which remains untouched until dawn the next day. This table is dedicated to Chaharshanbeh Khatoon. It is also said that the dish for Chaharshanbeh Khatoon is often yogurt, fish, and herbs.
As mentioned, Chaharshanbeh Khatoon comes out of a well. The legend says that at the time of her emergence, the sound of bubbling water can be heard from the well. This is why, in the past, young women looking for marriage would sometimes go to a well, unlock a closed lock, and believe that by doing so, Chaharshanbeh Khatoon would open their luck.
It is believed by the people that Chaharshanbeh Khatoon knows the location of hidden treasures. The well from which she emerges is said to contain treasures. However, seeing Chaharshanbeh Khatoon and learning the location of the treasure is not an easy task! Those who desire treasure must stay awake all night, listening carefully in hopes of catching sight of the legendary old woman—Chaharshanbeh Khatoon—who might show them where the treasure is hidden.
The people of Gilan sometimes give Chaharshanbeh Khatoon beautiful and memorable names. For example, the Talesh people call her “Golabatoon Gisooboland,” showing their respect for her in this way.
Chaharshanbeh Khatoon is a legend born from ancient Iranian beliefs and myths. This is another version of ancient myths. Because of this, some people associate her with Anahita, the goddess of water, and believe that this myth has roots in that ancient belief.
The traces of the Chaharshanbeh Khatoon legend can also be found in other regions of Iran. In Behbahan, in the Khuzestan province, there is a similar figure called “Pirezane Eid,” who resembles Chaharshanbeh Khatoon. In the people of Takab in Azerbaijan, this myth is also present. Among the Kurds, there is mention of the “Housekeeper of the Spring’s Beginning.” In Hormozgan, traces of this legendary tale can also be found, as well as in other parts of Iran.
