The House of Strength

by Stephen Aryan

Although The Judas Blossom is historical fantasy, it does contain a fair amount of facts. One element that is real, and a true part of Persian culture is the zurkhaneh, or House of Strength. 

This is an ancient athletic system of exercise and martial art that combines wrestling, music, philosophy, ethics, and spirituality. In many countries including Iran, wrestling – in various forms -, in many countries including Iran goes back centuries. 

Originally, the Houses of Strength were used to train men as warriors, and to create a space that fostered patriotism in Persian men. They didn’t charge athletes any money to join, relying instead on public donations. In return, the members served their community, carrying out various services and raising money for the poor. Being a member wasn’t just about being strong and getting physically fit, it was about service. Pick any martial art and you’ll soon learn it’s never just about how to protect yourself, and it’s never about learning how to hurt people. There is an ethos, spirituality and they encompass a certain way of thinking about the world and how you fit into it. The House is Strength is no different. 

Indeed, Houses of Strength still exist today and the traditional sport is practised in several countries around the world. But, what you may not know is that it has a strange connection to the WWE. Yes, that WWE: the World Wrestling Entertainment, where large men and women in colourful costumes wrestle to entertain crowds.

In the 1980s, American wrestling was both different and yet also not too dissimilar from what is available today. Back then, it was almost exclusively male but it still had larger than life characters with weird names and all of them had a gimmick. One wrestler, The Iron Sheik, was a villain – or “heel” as it’s called in the wrestling business – who had epic matches with the likes of Hulk Hogan. He was loud; he knew exactly how to manipulate the crowds; and his character was really hated by the fans. He even went on to become the WWE World Heavyweight champion and was booed by crowds around the world.

The Sheik was often seen wielding a pair of peculiar long clubs to demonstrate his raw strength. They were wide at one end, and narrow at the other with long handles. He would carry them to the ring before matches and spin them about his shoulders. The wooden clubs, or mil, are one of the main tools used by men who train in the House of Strength. The Sheik’s real name was Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, and he was a former Iranian wrestler, Olympic coach, and eventually,a professional wrestler. The Iron Sheik was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2005, and sadly he died aged 81 in June 2023.

The core of the story in The Judas Blossom is about rebellion. It’s about ordinary men and women rising up to fight back against the Mongol invaders. It’s about serving something greater than yourself and that in itself ties into the principles of the House of Strength.

I’ve barely scratched the surface and I could keep writing about this subject, basically, forever. This is just one facet of Persian culture that I want to show readers, so that they get a better understanding of a country that has thousands of years of history, architecture, poetry, music, art, and literature.

Stephen Aryan is the author of The Coward and The Warrior (the Quest for Heroes Duology), as well as the Age of Darkness and Age of Dread trilogies. His first novel, Battlemage, was a finalist for the David Gemmell Morningstar Award for best debut fantasy novel. It also won the inaugural Hellfest Inferno Award in France. He has previously written a comic book column and reviews for Tor.com. In addition, he has self-published and kickstarted his own comics. You can find out more about Stephen and his books on his website: Stephen-Aryan.com

The Judas Blossom is available now from Angry Robot.

You can pick up your copy on Bookshop.org