Kyomarz or Gil-shah – First man
Paschal Beverly Randolph provides an account of Kyomarz (also spelled Kyomurz) in "Pre-Adamite Man" as part of his exploration of ancient Persian traditions.
"When all this was done, God called into existence a being named Kyomarz, or Gil-Shah; and he was the father of all the present human race—that is to say, of the Persians.
Creation of Kyomarz: Randolph describes Kyomarz, or Gil-Shah, as a primordial being created by God to be the progenitor of the Persian people.
Kyomarz is equated with the concept of the "First Man" and is described as the first king, emphasizing his foundational role in human history according to Persian tradition.
Etymology: The names "Gil-Shah" and "Kyomurz" are explained, with "Gil" meaning "clay" and "Shah" meaning "king," which Randolph interprets as denoting Kyomarz as the "First Man" or "earth-king."
Timeline: The text asserts that Kyomarz lived at least 100,000 years ago, placing him in a much more ancient timeline than traditionally accepted historical figures.
Battles with Deeves: Randolph recounts legends of Kyomarz engaging in battles with the Deeves, disembodied entities that built cities in Mazunduran.
Randolph uses the figure of Kyomarz to illustrate the deep antiquity and mythological richness of Persian traditions, aligning with his broader argument for the existence of pre-Adamite civilizations.