# Who were the Aryans? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [October 31, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385 "2008-10-31T04:30:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385/1 "2008-10-31T04:30:04Z")
> **[Who were the Aryans?](https://www.straightdope.com/21342322/who-were-the-aryans)** Good column. Not long before WW2, J.R.R. Tolkien was asked by a German publisher if he was Aryan. Bet they wish they hadn’t asked: [One Eternal Day: Tolkien on anti-Semitism](http://www.one-eternal-day.com/2008/04/tolkien-on-anti-semitism.html) ---
**Author:** ![amirrad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@amirrad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amirrad)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385/2 "2008-10-31T06:16:09Z")
What about Iran/Iranians? Doesn’t Iran mean Land of the Aryans? ---
**Author:** ![John\_W.Kennedy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_w.kennedy/32/1031_2.png) [@John\_W.Kennedy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_W.Kennedy)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2008, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385/3 "2008-10-31T19:53:33Z")
Yes, “Iran” means “Land of the Aryans”. “Aryan” also survived in Sanskrit as the name of the top-drawer Hindus. ---
**Author:** ![SomeBodyUK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@SomeBodyUK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SomeBodyUK)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2008, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385/4 "2008-11-01T23:56:53Z")
Aryan is a big deal in India. My father went to an [Arya Samaj](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arya_Samaj) (Aryan people) school in India ---
**Author:** ![jeet1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jeet1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeet1977)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385/5 "2009-05-18T06:52:10Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > [Who were the Aryans? - The Straight Dope](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/1174/who-were-the-aryans) > > Good column. Not long before WW2, J.R.R. Tolkien was asked by a German publisher if he was Aryan. Bet they wish they hadn’t asked: [One Eternal Day: Tolkien on anti-Semitism](http://www.one-eternal-day.com/2008/04/tolkien-on-anti-semitism.html) There were Aryans …long back in past …the greatest of all races …the greatest of all religions …n sciences..!! ---
**Author:** ![jeet1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jeet1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jeet1977)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385/6 "2009-05-18T06:56:09Z")
Its true that once upon a time the great Aryan race was present in its original state and super-conscious awareness and infinite knowledge. You want to know more, do write me up - i will explain by history, by religion, by induction…!! ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2009, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-were-the-aryans/470385/7 "2009-05-18T14:00:37Z")
We don’t normally object to bumping old threads in the Comments forums, provided something substantive and relevant to the previous posts is added. I’ll close this thread and direct further comment on the gr8ness of Aryans to other forums. bibliophage moderator CCC