Daylamite Warrior
“… Verethraghna, made by Ahura, came to him the fifth time, running in the shape of a boar, opposing the foes, a sharp-toothed he-boar, a sharp-jawed boar, that kills at one stroke, pursuing, wrathful, with a dripping face, strong, and swift to run, and rushing all around…”
Daylamites were an Iranian people inhabiting the mountainous region of Daylam (Deylaman) in northern Iran. They were known for providing high quality light and heavy infantrymen during the time of the Sassanid Empire and early Islamic era. Daylamites were a fiercely independent people who went on to establish a number of noteworthy dynasties and kingdoms throughout the region.
In this artwork, I tried to depict authentic equipment and clothing based on the available historical and artistic evidence. Unfortunately, there is a frustrating lack of detailed texts describing (and images depicting) the Daylamites. Therefore I decided to go with the second best option: To portray the "Daylamite Warrior" in the way modern historians believe them to look like during the later Sassanid era, with arms and armour readily available to other elements of the Sassanid military:
"Daylamite warrior, challenging the Romans to a duel"
Here is a short timelapse of the creation process behind the "Daylamite Warrior":
Timelapse of the creation process
