persian creation myth

Chamrosh a giant bird with a dog's body and the head and wings of an eagle. Hvar Ksata (Hvare Khshaeta) god of the full sun, the many-horsed god who drives his chariot across the sky throughout the day. English/Language Arts: The study of creation myths from around the world can be an incredibly engaging and meaningful activity. The great bird Chamrosh (with a dog's body and eagle's head and wings) assists in distributing seeds from the Great Tree and also protects Persians against threats by non-Persians while, on the opposing side, is the enormous bird Kamak who seeks to thwart whatever good Chamrosh intends. When she flaps her wings, the seeds are scattered and carried away by the winds, with the help of the bird Chamrosh, to land in the earth. They were later elevated to benevolent spirits by the Muslim Arabs and served the same purpose as angels in bringing messages from the divine. The mythology of any civilization reflects its core values, greatest fears, and highest hopes and so it is with the mythology of ancient Persia.The great heroes like Karsasp, Thraetaona, and Rustum express particularly Persian values but, as with all mythical figures, are recognizable to people of any culture as role models whose best qualities are worth emulating. In this view, Angra Mainyu takes on sentience and power from the act of creation but is himself a created being and, ultimately, will fail against the greater power of the creator. They bring messages from the gods but might as easily fail to deliver them, or misspeak, as perform their task correctly. Simurgh known as the dog-bird was an enormous winged creature with the head of a dog, body of a peacock, and claws of a lion, sometimes also imagined with a human face. 30 Apr 2023. Peri (Avestan Pairika), a beautiful albeit evil woman in early mythology, gradually became less evil and more beautiful. After Zoroastrianism's development, he became the only god of the new faith; later known as Ormuzd and Hormuzd. The Chinvat Bridge is the span between the world of the living Shadows in the Desert: Ancient Persia at War. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/Ancient_Persian_Mythology/. World History Encyclopedia, 10 Dec 2019. was Ahura Mazda She continues this pattern for one thousand and one nights and so saves herself. Along with the demon Aesma Daeva, he waits to catch souls with a rope and pull them from the bridge, but justified souls are protected by the angel Suroosh and comforted by the Holy Maiden, Daena. They were invisible unless they wanted to be seen. Indra the demon of apostasy who encouraged the abandonment of religious practice and true faith. The couple cannot conceive for 50 years after their fall and, when Mashyanag finally does give birth, she and Mashya eat the children because they have lost any sense of balance and reason. The god Mithra might still be invoked and his battle with the dragon Azhi Dahaka still be told, but it was understood that Mithra was now simply Ahura Mazda fighting the forces of evil. They were the first seven emanations of Ahura Mazda in his act of creation. We care about our planet! Ahura Mazd, (Avestan: "Wise Lord") also spelled Ormizd or Ormazd, supreme god in ancient Iranian religion, especially Zoroastrianism, the religious system of the Iranian prophet Zarathustra (c. 6th century bce; Greek name Zoroaster). Ariana possibly a mother goddess, personification of the ancient land of Iran, though poorly attested. She is scared off by a dog, especially the four-eyed dog (one with a spot above each eye), who is led into the room between three and nine times for this purpose. A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U W Y Z. Aeshma a demon of cruelty who inspires brutality; later re-imagined as one of the archangels. Also associated with the demon Nasu who contaminates dead bodies, flying from the north (location of hell) when it hears someone has died. Zoroastrianism was developed from this earlier Persian mythology by a prophet called Zarathustra, also known by the Greeks as Zoroaster. Souls were protected from demonic attack by the angel Suroosh and were threatened by the demons Asto Vidatu and Aesma Daeva. The Vendidad text provides insight on how one should practice Zoroastrianism and mentions various entities and rituals which predate the founding of the religion. He is depicted with a helmet, shield, and spear and is associated with metal and metallurgy, especially with molten brass, thus linking him with transformation. Haug's answer seems to fit with Zoroaster's original vision but whether it would apply to pre-Zoroastrian understanding is unknown. Peri a small, beautiful, winged female spirit better known as a faerie. They were generally regarded with suspicion, and amulets were carried by merchants and travelers for protection against them. Originally confined to ideas of social and . World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. The great heroes like Thraetaona or Karsasp or Rustum who defeated the forces of chaos served the same purpose, standing for the principles of goodness, justice, and order in an uncertain world and giving people hope that these ideals would triumph over selfishness, cruelty, and chaos. Both assist the newly dead in their crossing from life to death. Karmak continuously fed on human beings and livestock until killed by the hero Karsasp who showered it with arrows. [4][5] The Encyclopdia Iranica uses the term Iranian Cultural Continent for this region.[6][7]. According to some interpretations, she is the later version of Saena; according to others, a distinct entity. Silver Coin of Bahram IIOsama Shukir Muhammed Amin (Copyright). Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. The dog was considered the best protection against these demons and also warded off cats. The Avesta gives no origin for this entity and seems to assume a prior knowledge among its audience of Angra Mainyu's existence and beginnings. They are Armaiti (Devotion), Asha Vahishta (Truth/Righteousness), Haurvatat (Wholeness), Khshathra Vairya (Desirable Dominion), Vohu Manah (Good Purpose), Spenta Mainyu (Holy Spirit), Ameretat (Immortality). They were also, like the Peri, adopted by the Muslim Arabs as neutral, though potentially dangerous, supernatural forces. Sam longed for a son and was overjoyed when Zal was born but that moment vanished quickly when he looked at the boy and saw he had bright white hair. He was also associated with the haoma plant, as its protector, linking him with enlightenment and guided the faithful toward Truth (Asha) while defending them against the wiles of the forces of darkness. Jinn were thought to inhabit lonely places outside of established communities and were especially to be feared when crossing the desert and in stops at oases. Dogs dogs feature prominently in Persian mythology as forces for good. Iran's army said two Iranian crew members were missing and several others injured after a collision Thursday in the Gulf involving an oil tanker which was later seized by its forces. Aesma (Aesma-Daeva) demon of lust and rage whose name means 'Fury'. The Al (Hal) is the most feared of these demons as it preyed upon newborns and sleeping mothers and their children. The Al were part of a larger body of evil and dangerous spirits known as khrafstra who troubled, disrupted and, at times, ended human lives. These systems only became designated as mythological after they had been replaced by others which, even so, continued to express the same values emphasizing the forces of good and order over those of evil and chaos. Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! This Persian marvel was lost for millennia Only one ancient account mentions the existence of Xerxes Canal, long thought to be a tall tale. The early Iranian deities were almost completely reimagined by Zoroaster but many retained their original function to greater or lesser degrees. Garshasp another name for the monster-slaying hero Karsasp/Keresaspa. Simurgh originally appears as the Great Falcon known as Saena who sits high in the branches of the Tree of All Seeds at the center of the world and, by flapping her wings, sends seeds scattering through the air which find their place in the earth through wind and rain. The god Vouru-Kasa watches over, and embodies, the sea and his son, Apam-Natat, is responsible for dispersing the waters around the world. Persian Hero RustumMaksim (Public Domain). Cultural Trends. Gather a variety of cultures' creation myths and create a jigsaw activity where each student reads one and then shares key points about it with a small group. He also oversaw the orderly change of the seasons, maintained cosmic order, and was responsible for bestowing divine grace on kings, legitimizing their rule and, as a protector of the faithful, was also invoked by warriors before battle and so became known as a . Followers who now live in India are called Parsis, or Parsees. Many creation myths draw on trees as symbols of life. Asto Vidatu the demon of death who, not content with killing a person, then tries to snatch their souls into hell as they cross the Chinvat Bridge after their passing. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1484/twelve-ancient-persian-mythological-creatures/. He was associated with Anahita, the goddess of water and of fertility. It restored health when eaten and its juice granted vision and immortality to the resurrected dead. Huma Bird a mystical bird who lived an exceptionally long life before dying in its own flames and rising again like the Phoenix. Thank you! The stories which had once made up the religious understanding of the people now became fables myths which entertained while also encouraging the same cultural values they always had, only now in a monotheistic context. (2019, December 10). Tishtrya is represented as a white horse with golden ears, ornamented with gold trim, who battles the demons Apaosha (drought) and Duzhyairya (bad harvest), rising from the Vourukasha Sea, the source of all waters, to fly across the sky or dive into the waters to defeat his enemies. The gods, creatures, and heroes who made up these early stories of ancient Persian mythology are therefore scattered amongst the various works of Zoroastrianism and later collections of myth and fable. Submitted by Joshua J. Overall, they were regarded with suspicion, and amulets were carried for protection from their influence. Righteous Ass the white donkey with a golden horn protruding from its forehead with three legs, nine mouths, and six eyes who guards the Tree of All Seeds and the great haoma plant, Gaokerena, in the midst of the Vourukasha Sea. New Year's Image, PersepolisGinolerhino (CC BY). If their purpose was atonement, they seem to have been collectively bad at their jobs since tales concerning them show them causing trouble as often as resolving it. Geus-Urvani god of cattle and their protector. Iran almanac and book of facts 19641965. Robert Alter in the Art of Biblical Narrative, recognizes that the Persian creation story of Genesis is utterly dualist. His son, the great Kay Kosrow, later avenged him. Khurshid an angel of the sun, associated with light. Karmak the giant bird of evil so large that its wings blot out the sky and prevent rain from falling, thereby bringing drought to the land. Upon the earth, Ahura Mazda spread all different kinds of vegetation and imbued it with its own life and then created Gavaevodta, the Primordial Bull (also given as the uniquely created bull, Primordial Bovine, and Primordial Ox) who would give life to all other animals which would feed on, and fertilize, the vegetation. In both Persian and Arabic sources it is said that by eating the flesh of a black cat one is protected against magic (Je, II, p. 207; IV, p. 42; V, p. 341; Damr, II, p. 37; Qazvn, p. 417). The following is a list of the various entities of pre-Zoroastrian Persia who appear in some of the most famous myths and legends. Books When republishing on the web a hyperlink back to the original content source URL must be included. At the end of the bridge, the angel Rashnu would judge the soul based on its deeds in life and assign it a fitting home in the afterlife, either the House of Song (paradise) or the House of Lies (hell). There is little notice of the Persian god in the Roman world until the beginning of the 2nd century, but, from the year 136 ce onward, there are hundreds of dedicatory inscriptions to Mithra. Vohu Manah encourages people to do the right thing under any circumstance. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. They are best known from the Persian work One Thousand Nights and a Night (also known as The Arabian Nights) where Jinn play a pivotal role. The central vision of ancient Persian religion was of a universal struggle between the forces of good and evil, order and chaos. Like the unicorn, the karkadann could be tamed by a virgin. Umm-Naush nocturnal demonic predators who threatened human lives and cosmic order. He has a magic cup used in divination which was thought to contain the elixir of immortality. This is also true for many creatures of ancient Persian mythology, the forces for good as well as evil, in that they touch upon universal concerns of the human condition through the specific details of their characters symbolizing various apprehensions and possibilities. To prove his innocence, he rode his great horse Shabrang Behzed through a towering fire and emerged unscathed. Historically, these were regions long ruled by dynasties of various Iranian empires,[note 1][1][2][3] that incorporated considerable aspects of Persian culture through extensive contact with them,[note 2] or where sufficient Iranian peoples settled to still maintain communities who patronize their respective cultures. In their time, however, they would have served the same basic purpose as the scripture of any religion does in modern times: to teach important spiritual and cultural values and assure people of order and meaning in the face of an often chaotic and frightening world. Humans were granted the gift of free will by Ahura Mazda, & the meaning of human existence comes down to choosing good over evil. This exact theme is the foundation of virtually every ancient world religion to one degree or another, but for the Persians, it amounted to the meaning of existence. C ., Indo-European peoples migrated south from the steppes into the regions now known as Turkey, Iran, and northern India. Known as the Watcher of the East. Mithra's heroic qualities formed the basis for the central figure of the Roman mystery religion known as the Cult of Mithras, but the two deities are not the same. World History Encyclopedia. Although this last concept of two possible final destinations is most closely associated with Christianity and Islam in the modern day, it is actually an ancient Persian creation which, along with influences from other cultures, contributed to the visions of both faiths. With your support millions of people learn about history entirely for free, every month. They were depicted as old women with long, stringy hair, sharp teeth, and talons. In a story which some scholars cite as a direct influence on the later biblical Noah's Ark tale, Yima also saves the world from destruction. License. His second flood creates the Vourukasha Sea, source of all waters. If someone saw or even thought they saw the bird flying overhead, however, it was a great blessing. It originated in Persia but most followers today live in India and some still live in Iran. Dogs warded off evil spirits, comforted and guided, and watched over one's most valuable possessions. Ancient Persian Mythology is the term now referencing ancient Iranian religion prior to the rise of Zoroastrianism between c. 1500-1000 BCE. Spenta Mainyu Holy Spirit, one of the seven Amesha Spentas, the embodiment of the light and goodness of Ahura Mazda. Shahriyar (Shahryar) the king in the One Thousand Nights and a Night who, upon finding out his wife was unfaithful, has her executed and then marries only virginal women, killing them the morning after the wedding night, before they have a chance to betray him. The other major sources for Persian mythology are the Shahnameh ("The Book of Kings") written by the Persian poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi (l. 940-1020 CE) . The force equated with fortune or destiny which defined a person's role in life. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. African mythology commonly depicts the cosmos anthropomorphically. Souls sentenced to the House of Lies were those who had followed and worked for the forces of darkness but, even so, they would not remain there eternally and would eventually be reunited with Ahura Mazda. Suroosh is the angel who stands on the Chinvat Bridge and Daena is the Holy Maiden who works beside him. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Mythology: An A-Z Guide to the Myths and Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike, Rashnu an angel; the righteous judge of the dead, Verethragna the warrior god who fights against evil, Vayu god of the wind who chases away evil spirits, Atar god of the divine element of fire; personification of fire, Haoma god of the harvest, health, strength, vitality; personification of the plant of the same name whose juices brought enlightenment. Yima (Yama) the first mortal king to have ruled. Ancient Persian Mythology. Kamak plays precisely the opposite role, feeding on Persians and their livestock and bringing destruction. The four stars were Tascheter (Aldebaran), Venant (Regulus), Satevis (Antares), and Haftorang (Fomalhaut). The ancient Persian religious tradition was passed down orally, and the only written texts relating to it come from after the prophet Zoroaster (c. 1500-1000 BCE) initiated the reforms which would become Zoroastrianism. He is eventually defeated and destroyed by Ahura Mazda at the end of the world. Sign up for our free weekly email newsletter! Mark, published on 09 December 2019. The resultant discord mirrors the nationalistic ideals of the early Islamic era as well as the moral and ethical perceptions of the Zoroastrian period, in which the world was perceived to be locked in a battle between the destructive Ahriman and his hordes of demonic Divs and their Aneran supporters, versus the Creator Ormuzd, who although not participating in the day-to-day affairs of mankind, was represented in the world by the izads and the righteous ahlav Iranians. Related Content The trunk separated into a man and a woman, Mashya and Mashyane, and the fruit of the tree became the various races of humankind. They were thought to be spirits imprisoned in the fairy-form to atone for a past sin or sins but were not considered immortal and were certainly not human souls. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Zal is raised by the dog-bird Simurgh and is later reconciled with his father. License. Thraetaona then installed Iraj's grandson Manuchehr in the throne of Iran. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1488/ancient-persian-gods-heroes-and-creatures---the-co/. But archaeology is confirming that Persia's engineering . Other information on pre-Zoroastrian religion comes from later works known as the Bundahisn and the Denkard and, to a lesser extent, the Vendidad. Gavaevodata is the Primordial Bull (also known as the Uniquely Created Bull, Primordial Bovine, Primordial Ox) who was among the earliest creations of Ahura Mazda. The stories of these creatures, gods, and spirits as well as the heroes who contended with them were passed down in a long oral tradition until they were included in parts of the Avesta and, more fully, in the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi written between 977-1010 CE. The stories were passed down orally over the centuries until they were written down as part of the religious tradition of Zoroastrianism in the Avesta (Zoroastrian scripture) during the Sassanian Period (224-651 CE) in the reigns of the kings Shapur II (309-379 CE) and Kosrau I (531-579 CE) and then were fully addressed by the Persian poet Abolqasem Ferdowsi (l. 940-1020 CE) in his epic work Shahnameh (The Book of Kings) written between 977-1010 CE. Aka Manah daeva (evil spirit) of sensuality and desire; tempter of the prophet Zoroaster who tried to seduce him away from devotion to Ahura Mazda. Daevas the mostly male demons in the service of Angra Mainyu who spread lies and disorder in the world. House of Lies the dark abode of the dead, a hell in which the condemned soul was tormented while simultaneously feeling completely alone. Mark, Joshua J.. "Ancient Persian Mythology." The Persians were initially part of a migratory people who referred to themselves as Aryan, meaning noble or free and having nothing to do with race. Mark, J. J. In some passages, he is the twin brother of Angra Mainyu. Arash the archer, great hero who fired his arrow to mark the boundary between Iran and Turan. After some time, news comes to Sam's court of a great hero living in the mountains and, at the same time, Sam dreams of his son alive again and is encouraged to go find him. In some versions, Rashnu reads from the scrolls relating the good and bad deeds done by the soul in life, in others he holds golden scales which weigh these deeds against each other to determine the soul's destination in the afterlife. She is one of the seven Amesha Spentas and is also the patron goddess of plants and flowers. Faravahar the famous Persian symbol of a royal figure seated on a solar disc in the center of outstretched wings, usually interpreted as representing divine grace and higher powers. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. Once animals and plant life were in place, Ahura Mazda created the first man, Gayomartan (also given as Gayomard, Kiyumars) who is beautiful and bright as the sun and so attracts the attention of Angra Mainyu who kills him. Ahura Mazda thereby sets the paradigm, repeated in many other instances, of turning Angra Mainyu's efforts at destruction to positive ends. Satevis one of the Four Royal Stars (modern designation Antares) who worked for the good on the part of Ahura Mazda. With your support millions of people learn about history entirely for free, every month. Mark, published on 10 December 2019. When she found it produced pleasing sensations, she brought the rest to Jamshid who reinstated her and decreed that grapes should be used in making wine. A comprehensive list, or at least an attempt at one, should therefore prove useful to anyone interested in the subject of Persian mythology and religion specifically or the study of myth . Please donate to our server cost fundraiser 2023, so that we can produce more history articles, videos and translations. For every good that Ahura Mazda brings into the world, Angra Mainyu finds some way to corrupt or destroy it, and yet Ahura Mazda turns his efforts to positive ends, constantly thwarting his attempts to subvert order and establish chaos. He was a god of courage and enlightenment, and led the chariot of the sun across the sky on its daily journey. The first three Fargards contained Zoroastrianism's most ancient tales, some of which date back to the 8th century BC. Rakhsh the great stallion of the hero Rustum, mightier and more intelligent than any other horse, and of amazing strength and speed. Ancient Persian Gods, Heroes, and Creatures - The Complete List. Most characters in Persian mythology are either good, or they are evil. Khvarenah divine glory the force which enables a person to perform the function they are supposed to in life, synonymous with farr (divine grace) which legitimized the reign of a king.

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