RELIGIOUS ENCYCLOPEDIA
Zoroaster
he formed the holy heptad, his servitors with the attributes of immortality, invisibility, beneficence. These are the personifications of virtues or abstract qualities, and are perhaps the most remarkable evidences of the founder’s thought. Their names are: Vohu Manah, ‘Good Thought ”’; Asha Vahishta, “ Best Righteousness’; Khshathra Vairya, ‘ Desired Kingdom”; Spenta Armaiti, “‘ Holy Harmony ’”’; Haurvatat, “Saving Health,” and Ameretat, “ Immortality.” The first three are male, the others female. They are assigned to the protection of specific departments or elements in the world: thus the first cares for domestic animals, Khshathra for metals, Asha Vahishta for fire, Armaiti for the earth, Haurvatat for water, Ameretat for vegetation. To each a month was dedicated in special honor, also a holy day and a special flower. Their place in the heavenly hierarchy corresponds in some degree to the Jewish and Christian archangels. Yet the name “‘ Amshashpands ”’ later took in other beings than the six named, such as Sraosha, Atar, Gosurvan (see below, § 4). To offset these Angra Mainyu created six archdemons, Aka Manah, “Evil Mind,” Indra, Sauru, Naonhaithya, Tauru, and Zairi (Vendidad, x. 9-10; Yasht, xix. 96). Then as he had introduced into the good world of animals created by Ahura evil creations such as serpents and vermin, so he created hordes of lesser demons and “ drujes,”’ as well as the evils of disease and deformity and death and all sorts of loathsomeness among men. Indeed, during his day, while not omnipotent (even Ahura had not that attribute), he had ability to work all the evils which Zoroaster found in this world. It is to be remarked here, as illustrating one of the limitations of thought in the system in common with like ethical religions, the powers of evil have far less sharpness of definition than the beings who work for good. This speaks well for the minds that created and developed the system.
Besides the Amesha Spentas there were in the religion a number of beings named in the Avesta (and of course in the later writings) as receiving special honor. Theoretically these were not divinities to whom worship was paid, but were beneficent
spirits active under the direction of
4. Other Ahura Mazda. Notable are the Yaza-
Celestial tas, abstractions or personifications of
Spirits. natural elements, bodies, or qualities,
of whom Mithra, celebrated in Yasht, x. (see Mirra, Mrruratiso for later developments), was of Indo-Iranian derivation, originally a solar deity of light, knower of truth and a witness to it, guardian of oaths, and a judge of the dead. Atar, or fire, the purest of the elements, was next in importance, if he were second even to Mithra. He was the messenger of Ahura, the holiest spirit against whose defilement in his material form most stringent regulations were drawn. As with Agni in India, the conception varies from material to spiritual, from personal to impersonal. The cult associated with this element gave one of the names to the Zoroastrians by which they were long and widely though erroneously known, “ Fire Worshipers.’ Anahita, celebrated in Yasht, v., was the spirit of the waters. Her Avesta name is Ardvi Sura Anahita, ‘high, powerful, immaculate being.” She
was the heavenly spring and source of all terrestrial waters, located on the summit of a mythical mountain in the region of the stars. She was the assistant of many holy heroes before and after the prophet, as well as of himself. Having power to fertilize the earth, she used this power beneficently for the good of animals and mankind, and was the good genius of marriageable girls and parturient women. Her cult came to have a great independent vogue, like that of Mithra, spread widely in Armenia (Pliny v. 83) and through Asia Minor (Strabo xi. 512), where she became fused with the ‘‘ Great, Mother Goddess.” Greeks identified her with both Athene and Aphrodite. The ‘‘ Star Yazatas ”’ were also of high importance, these being the fixed stars, not the planets, which were regarded as creations of Angra Mainyu. Tistriya, Sirtus, celebrated in Yasht, viii., was the
‘leader of the stars, who seems to have been the
counterpart of Indra, fighting the dragon of drought and precipitating the rains. In later writings (e.g., Bundahish, vii.) transfer is made to the cosmology, and this being forms lakes and seas. Other figures not Yazatas are Sraosha, “ obedience,’ angel of worship (Yasht, xi.; Yasna, lvii.), the incarnate word, protector of the poor, mediator between heaven and earth, and a judge and conductor of the dead. Rashnu Razista, “ genius of truth” (Yasht, Xii.), was especially concerned with the dead, holding the balance in which their deeds are weighed, and with Mithra and Sraosha forming the triad of judges. Gosurun (Gos, Drvaspa) is the soul of the cow or bull, the abstract representative of the animal kingdom, an important figure in the mythology, celebrated in Yasht, ix. Kavaem Hvareno, “ kingly majesty,” or “royal glory,”’ was perhaps the abstraction of the principle of divine right of kings; possibly because of this the title of deity appears among the titles of the Sassanide. Ashi Vanguhi was the personification of piety, the genius of fortune and wealth, health, and intellectual vigor. Other figures celebrated are Arstat or truthfulness (Yasht, xviii.); Verethragma (Yasht, xiv.), genius of victory, who appeared to Zoroaster in ten incarnations and bestowed on him various gifts; Rama Hvastra (Yasht, xv.), Daena or Din (Yasht, xvi.), the personification of the religion; and the Fravashis (Yasht, xili.), corresponding in some degree to the Manes of the Romans, though specialized and philosophized after the peculiar Zoroastrian fashion. The notion was extended in the later thinking, and not only spirits and men have fravashis, but the sky, the earth, and other things. The notion seems to be in part an abstraction including the vigor by which the object it possesses grows and develops. Especially significant is the doctrine of the Saoshyant, usually rendered ‘savior,’ who is to come, having been foreshadowed by prophets in the line of Zoroaster who were virgin-born. He is to end the battle with evil, preside over the resurrection, and accomplish the rejuvenation of the world. The parallelism with messianism is at once discerned.
Thus the angelology of the system is seen to be highly developed. Equally noticeable is the ethical foundation of the entire hierarchy on which the structure is built. The demonology is less definite, and the evil spirits are far less individualized,
Zoroaster