persian creation myth
Amesha Spentas also known as yazatas, the Amesha Spentas are seven immortal beings worthy of worship who personify the highest values and greatest goods. When he marries Shahrazad, she preserves her life by telling him a story the night of their wedding but not finishing it; to hear the conclusion, he lets her live, and so she continues telling her stories in the same way and escapes execution. Since ancient Iran/Persia maintained an oral tradition until the Sassanian Period (224-651 CE), there is no ancient text along the lines of Hesiod's Theogony or Homer's Iliad and Odyssey (both c. 8th century BCE) describing and defining the old gods at the time they were being worshipped. The gods tell Yima that a hard winter is coming and he should gather a man, woman, the seeds of all kinds of vegetation, and two of each kind of animal in a large three-tiered barn. C ., Indo-European peoples migrated south from the steppes into the regions now known as Turkey, Iran, and northern India. Drvaspa goddess of cattle, children, and friendship, who promotes harmony. Gandareva (Gandarewa) a water demon in the form of a great dragon who churned the seas, sank ships, and came ashore to devour people, cattle, and homes. Tushnamatay goddess of thought and meditation. Traditional legends and stories originally told by ancient Persians and other Iranian peoples, For example, those regions and peoples in the, Indogermanisches etymologisches Wrterbuch, Learn how and when to remove this template message, List of articles related to Persian mythology, Dialect, Culture, and Society in Eastern Arabia: Glossary, Ferdowsi millennial celebration in Berlin, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Persian_mythology&oldid=1146589156, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from September 2021, All articles needing additional references, Articles containing Avestan-language text, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. 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 . One of the most potent invisible spirits was the Jinn (also known as Djinn and best known as Genies) who, unlike any other entity, were collectively neutral in the war between good and evil. Iraj's portion was thought the best and so his brothers killed him for it. The Huma bird, similar to Simurgh in many respects, conferred kingship and held all the wisdom of the ages while the giant bird of prey known as the Roc (or Rukh) dispensed justice upon those who thought they could escape it. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. Her name means evil eye. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology identifies a number of traditional narratives as "Islamic myths". He is best known as the spirit of light who delivered the revelation of divine truth to Zoroaster on the banks of a river. 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. Simurgh was an enormous bird with the head of a dog, body of a peacock, and claws of a lion, large enough to lift an elephant with ease, who lived in cycles of 1,700 years before plunging into a fire of its own making to die and be reborn (precursor to the later myth of the Phoenix). With your support millions of people learn about history entirely for free, every month. The sun purifies Gayomartan's seed in the ground, and 40 years later, a rhubarb plant comes from it and grows into the first mortal couple Mashya and Mashyanag into whom Ahura Mazda breathes the spirit of life which becomes their souls. They are thought to be spirits imprisoned to atone for past sins but are neither immortal nor human souls. Zal Taken by the Simurgh (Public Domain). It was said to be so large it could easily stride the seven regions of the earth and people could climb on its back to travel from one place to another. Web. The copyright holder has published this content under the following license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike. 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. The stars worked for good on the side of Ahura Mazda; the planets were controlled by Angra Mainyu and attempted to corrupt or block the good influence of the stars. Haoshyangha (Hushang) the grandson of the first mortal king, Gaya Maretan, and known as the great lawgiver who established civilization including agriculture. Gavaevodata, an androgyne, was so beautiful that Angra Mainyu killed it but Ahura Mazda purified the bull's seed and, from this, came all other animals on earth. The Shahnameh is an enormous epic spanning generations but, roughly speaking, tells the story of the forces of good, symbolized by the kingdom of Iran, battling those of chaos and evil personified by the kingdom of Turan. The ahuras were good spirits and the daivas were evil; both influenced human life and thought. The most plausible hypothesis seems to be that Roman Mithraism was practically a new creation, wrought by a religious genius who may have lived as late as . Afterwards, justified souls went on to paradise where they were reunited with those who had gone before; evil souls were dropped into a dark hell of torment. We want people all over the world to learn about history. He was the supreme creator, maker of heaven, earth, animals, humans, and the sacred elements of air, water, earth, and fire which allowed creation to function. Chamrosh is also a protective entity who defends Persians against outside invaders, especially raiders, swooping down upon them and carrying them off. 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). Two dogs guard the Chinvat Bridge and welcome justified souls while rebuking those who lived according to lies. 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. The mythology of ancient Persia originally developed in the region known as Greater Iran (the Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia, and West Asia). He reigned for 300 years and then divided his kingdom between his sons Salm (West Asia, roughly), Tur (Central Asia, Kingdom of Turan), and Iraj (who received Iran). Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Its horn was said to have healing powers. The Avesta (Zoroastrian scriptures) is the primary source in the section known as the Yasht which deals with pre-Zoroastrian deities, spirits, and other entities. Gayomartan the first man created by Ahura Mazda who, like Gavaevodata, was so beautiful he was killed by Angra Mainyu. 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. The list will also include religious concepts and places considered important in ancient Persian religion, such as the Chinvat Bridge which souls crossed from life to death or the House of Song, the Persian vision of paradise. Bahram god of victory in life and after death, associated with the warrior god Verethragna. Ariana possibly a mother goddess, personification of the ancient land of Iran, though poorly attested. Every civilization of the ancient world developed a belief system, which is characterized as 'mythology' in the present day but which, for them, was religious belief, and this was as true for ancient Persia as for any other. Tistar came to earth three times bringing rain in such quantity it flooded the earth. He also carries daggers, throwing-axes, and his famous mace which is his most powerful weapon. 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. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Please support World History Encyclopedia. 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. Dogs warded off evil spirits, comforted and guided, and watched over one's most valuable possessions. He has taught history, writing, literature, and philosophy at the college level. It lives beneath the Tree of All Seeds, gathers up those which fall when Saena-Simurgh flaps her wings, and scatters them into the wind and rain clouds which deposit the seeds all over the earth. Jamshid (Jam, Yima Kshaeta) the fourth king of the world who brought civilization to its greatest height, initiated the construction of cities, established social hierarchy, and introduced winemaking. Another great threat to order and human happiness was the dragon (known as azhi) and the most fearsome of these was Azhi Dahaka who is described as three-mouthed, the three-headed, the six-eyed, who has a thousand sensesmost powerful, to destroy the world of the good principle (Yasht 9.14; Curtis, 23). 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. Mark, J. J. These include the Zoroastrianism creation myth and the tale of King Yama and the salvation of the earth. Airyaman god of friendship, healing, reconciliation. Zarich the demon of ageing and decrepitude. Hadhayans - the celestial bull. It lurked in the long, uncultivated grasses away from towns and cities and struck without warning except, sometimes, seems to have announced itself with a growl which sounded like a loud trumpet. Cite This Work She spends a night with Rustum who gives her an armband to give their child. They were depicted as old women with long, stringy hair, sharp teeth, and talons. This renewal of interest is not easily explained. In time, the Huma would come to symbolize the concept of elevation and enlightenment. Fravashis guardian angels, an aspect of one's higher self. It was also believed that, because cats at times attack enemies much larger than themselves, a diet of cat's flesh would (by sympathetic . Cats although there is myth associating the creation of the cat with the hero Rustum, cats were generally regarded with suspicion or outright fear because they were associated with the physical manifestation of the demons known as khrafstra who appeared as frogs, lizards, wasps, but also as animals such as lions and tigers. Thraetaona then installed Iraj's grandson Manuchehr in the throne of Iran. It restored health when eaten and its juice granted vision and immortality to the resurrected dead. Saurva demon of chaos and one of the central Daevas, archenemy of the Amesha Spenta Khshathra Vairya, protector of the desirable dominion of paradise. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. Zorvan (Zurvan) the god of time. 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) . Apaosha demon of drought who rides a black horse, he is the enemy of the rain god Tishtrya who eventually defeats him. World History Encyclopedia, 10 Dec 2019. Hushedar the first of three saviors to appear before the end of the world. Even so, for his virtuous service, he was made Lord of the Dead, and the afterlife was initially known as Yima's Realm. Afterwards, he voluntarily exiled himself to the land of Turan where he was killed by the king Afragiab. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1488/ancient-persian-gods-heroes-and-creatures---the-co/.