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. Zahak was a prince who was corrupted by the lies of Angra Mainyu, killed his father, and took the throne. Tahmineh mother of the hero Sohrab in the Shahnameh. 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. 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. The four stars were Tascheter (Aldebaran), Venant (Regulus), Satevis (Antares), and Haftorang (Fomalhaut). . We care about our planet! Neriosang an angel, messenger of the gods. According to some interpretations, she is the later version of Saena; according to others, a distinct entity. Persian Hero GarshaspBaloo1000 (Public Domain). Islamic legends is the body of legends associated with Islam and the Quran.Islam is a religion that is more concerned with social order and law than with religious ritual or myths. Creation & the Problem of Evil. House of Lies the dark abode of the dead, a hell in which the condemned soul was tormented while simultaneously feeling completely alone. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. Zal albino, the white-haired hero born to the king Sam and father of the champion Rustum. Tistar god of rain, possibly another form of Tishtyra but most likely a separate deity. Persian Mythology - Myth Encyclopedia - Greek, god, legend, names The later sect of Zorvanism made Angra Mainyu the twin brother of Ahura Mazda, but this dualism was (and is) rejected by traditional Zoroastrians. 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. Gaymart | Zoroastrianism | Britannica Gaymart, Avestan Gay Maretan ("Mortal Life"), in later Zoroastrian creation literature, the first man, and the progenitor of mankind. The Catholic concept of Purgatory was also earlier imagined by the Persians in their Hamistakan, a place for the souls of . Arash the archer, great hero who fired his arrow to mark the boundary between Iran and Turan. Please support World History Encyclopedia. A creation myth (or creation story) is a cultural, religious or traditional myth which describes the earliest beginnings of the present world. 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). Cite This Work She comes from the darkness of hell as soon as she hears someone has died and tries to contaminate the corpse before funerary rites are completed. 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. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. The following are all drawn from the sources listed below in the bibliography. Zal Taken by the Simurgh (Public Domain). Please donate to our server cost fundraiser 2023, so that we can produce more history articles, videos and translations. The supernatural entities who decided one's fate, and also kept the universe functioning, came into being through the emanations of Ahura Mazda. Nairyosangha an angel associated with fire and, therefore, purity; Ahura Mazda's messenger who also carries the prayers of people from earth to heaven. Zoroastruanism is the ancient pre-Islamic religion. One notable example of this is the creature not yet mentioned here known as the Karakadann/Koresk better known as the unicorn a shy and elusive animal who kept to itself in remote places. No matter how many times they were beheaded, new heads grew on them to guard him. He is a shapeshifter and can appear as a bull with yellow ears and golden horns, a white horse with gold trappings, a mighty camel, a strong boar, a young man in fighting form at the age of 15 (considered the ideal age when a boy became a man), as a huge ram, an agile deer, a warrior wielding a golden sword, a strong wind, or a great bird. 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. We want people all over the world to learn about history. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. Please support World History Encyclopedia. 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. Last modified December 09, 2019. Iran Army Says 2 Iranians Missing After Gulf Collision 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. He derives strength from the proper worship of the people; fighting well when offerings are made in the right spirit and faltering when his worshipers neglect him. The oldest Persian deity was Mithra, who was identified with the sun. Her name is translated to mean "to understand" or "to notice" and she inspired people to recognize the path they were on, change it if they were going wrong, and continue on with strength and perseverance if they were doing right (essentially, the personification of one's conscience). The central vision of ancient Persian religion was of a universal struggle between the forces of good and evil, order and chaos. The greatest Persian hero is Rustum (also given as Rostom and Rustam) who is the grandson of the hero Sam and son of the equally heroic Zal. Numerous educational institutions recommend us, including Oxford University. The Manticore (man-eater) is a fearsome beast with the head of a man, body of a lion, and tail of a scorpion (or, alternately, a tail ending in venomous quills which it shot at prey). Ahura Mazda was uncreated and eternal and, by his goodness, made all that was known in seven steps: Sky was an orb suspended in the midst of nothingness and, within it, Ahura Mazda released waters and then separated the waters from each other by earth. Suroosh is the angel who stands on the Chinvat Bridge and Daena is the Holy Maiden who works beside him. Please support World History Encyclopedia. Mithra is depicted riding in a great chariot drawn by white horses, armed with a silver spear, bow, and arrows of gold. Persian mythology or Iranian mythology (Persian: ) is the body of the myths originally told by ancient Persians and other Iranian peoples, and a genre of Ancient Persian folklore. Twelve Gods of Persian Mythology - World History Encyclopedia Even if one never actually saw a Koresk, one could still have hope one would someday and all one's problems would be solved in a sudden streak of supernatural good fortune. Chinvat Bridge the span between the world of the living and the land of the dead. 1) The Bundahishn, which means 'the Creation', is one of the great Pahlavi texts, Zoroastrian sacred literature written in the middle-Persian language. The Al (Hal) is the most feared of these demons as it preyed upon newborns and sleeping mothers and their children. 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. Rustum is the greatest and best-known Persian champion, invincible in battle, who fights to maintain order and justice against the Kingdom of Turan. Iran almanac and book of facts 19641965. Thought to be the inspiration for the Judeo-Christian demon Asmodaeus featured in the biblical Book of Tobit. Az demon of lust and greed, one of the more dangerous (female) drujs. Norse* mythology says that the first man and woman . This was a polytheistic faith with a pantheon led by the supreme god Ahura Mazda ("Lord of Wisdom"), champion of order, against the dark forces of Angra Mainyu ("Destructive Spirit") and his legions of chaos. War in Europe fuels geopolitical tensions . When Hushedar-mar appeared, people would stop drinking milk and the sun would stand still for twenty days. New Year's Image, PersepolisGinolerhino (CC BY). Saena Tree (Tree of All Remedies, Tree of All Seeds) the great tree and mother of all trees, mother of all plants which grows in the middle of the Vourukasha Sea and sends the seeds of all vegetation out into the world when the Saena Bird, who lives in its branches, flaps its wings. This world, and the next, was thought to be inhabited by invisible spirits who, just like humans, were engaged in the cosmic struggle between good and evil. Bibliography To prove his innocence, he rode his great horse Shabrang Behzed through a towering fire and emerged unscathed. 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. 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. The Roman Mithras was an astrological deity while the Persian Mithra was considerably more complex. Peris are tiny, beautiful, winged creatures usually female who can deliver important messages from the gods or, just as easily, steal and hide some important object or misdirect a person. She was a companion of Mithra. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. Yazatas beneficial spirits worthy of worship. Aesma was thought to be responsible for attacks on livestock, especially cows. Author's Note: Grateful acknowledgement to Dr. Ezat Heydari for suggestions on this article. One branch of these Aryans settled in and around the region now known as Iran (originally known as Ariana the land of the Aryans) prior to the 3rd millennium BCE and are referred to as Indo-Iranians; another branch settled in the Indus Valley and are known as Indo-Aryans. Suroosh would guard the soul against demonic attack as it crossed the bridge to meet the angel Rashnu, judge of the dead, who would decide whether the soul went to the paradise of the House of Song or the hell of the House of Lies. This hiking route explores an untouched wilderness in the Western Balkans The soul then approached the Chinvat Bridge which was guarded by two dogs who would welcome the justified soul and rebuff those who were evil. Gavaevodata the Primordial Bull (also known as the Uniquely Created Bull, Primordial Bovine, Primordial Ox), the first unique creature made by Ahura Mazda after the creation of sky, water, earth, and vegetation. Some Rights Reserved (2009-2023) under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike license unless otherwise noted. He was later replaced by Mithra. Persian Creation Myth (Zoroastianiam) by Hannah Ness - Prezi But archaeology is confirming that Persia's engineering . Many years after this, another set of twins is born who will become the progenitors of humanity. Persian mythology - Wikipedia Its horn was thought to be a powerful antidote to poison and seeing one was thought to bring good luck. At this point, Ahura Mazda's supernatural enemy enters the narrative Angra Mainyu (also known as Ahriman) who embodies chaos, darkness, and evil. Ahurani wife or daughter of Ahura Mazda, goddess of waters, health, healing energies, wealth, and personal growth/development. Zal becomes a great prince and marries the princess Rudabeh who has a difficult time giving birth to their son. Peri (Avestan Pairika), a beautiful albeit evil woman in early mythology, gradually became less evil and more beautiful. If one chose to follow Ahura Mazda, one would live a good and productive life in harmony with others and one's environment; if one chose Angra Mainyu, one lived in opposition to the truth and became a source of confusion and strife. Garshasp another name for the monster-slaying hero Karsasp/Keresaspa. Associated with, but not the same as, the Huma Bird. Many of the other gods of the original Early Iranian Religion were forgotten, however, and are only known through brief reference in Zoroastrian scripture, religious literature, and the tales collected and written down in works such as the Shahnameh and One Thousand Nights and a Night. 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 tale of King Yama is of particular interest to religious historians, as it can be seen as a potential inspiration . Yima (Yama) the first mortal king to have ruled. Cite This Work Last modified January 16, 2020. his approval rating hitting 89 percent at the end of the Persian Gulf War. 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) . Azhdaha dragons, generally; large snakes who prey on people and livestock and are the regular adversaries of the great heroes. [4][5] The Encyclopdia Iranica uses the term Iranian Cultural Continent for this region.[6][7]. Karmak is the evil counterpart of the bird Chamrosh who spreads seeds, encourages fertility, and protects the people of the land. 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. From the shadows of a global pandemic has emerged an economic hangover. Azhi Dahaka. The Huma was considered the most sacred bird and injuring or even attempting to injure it brought great misfortune. Zahak (Zohak) the embodiment of the evil Azhi Dahaka. 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. When the population grew too large, he enlarged the world and also saved the world when the gods informed him a bitter winter was coming and he enclosed animals, vegetation, and seeds in a giant barn (a tale preceding the biblical narrative of Noah and his Ark) to preserve life. Sam great king and father of the hero Zal who abandons him in the Alburz mountains because he considers his fair hair a bad omen. Souls were protected from demonic attack by the angel Suroosh and were threatened by the demons Asto Vidatu and Aesma Daeva. Fereydun (Feridun) another name for the great Persian hero-king Thraetaona, who defeats the evil dragon Azhi Dahaka, liberates the people from Zahak (the dragon's embodiment), and was father of the princes who wage the Iranian-Tauranian War in the Shahnameh. Modern scholars study the myths to shed light on the religious and political institutions of not only modern-day Iran but the Greater Iran, which includes regions of West Asia, Central Asia, South Asia and Transcaucasia where Iranian culture has had significant influence. Twinship is a predominant theme in much West African myth and ritual, because the human body is conceived as the twin of the cosmic body. Other information on pre-Zoroastrian religion comes from later works known as the Bundahisn and the Denkard and, to a lesser extent, the Vendidad. Their name means immortal spirits. One refers to these and similar stories from any culture as mythology in the present day only because the theological paradigm has changed and a universe of many gods, spirits, angels, and demons has been replaced either by the monotheistic or atheistic model. List of creation myths - Wikipedia Mark, J. J. His seed was purified by the sun and engendered a rhubarb plant which later gave birth to the first mortal couple Mashya and Mashyanag, progenitors of all other humans.