The great Fire Temple at Udavada on the western coast of India, north of Mumbai, known as the Iranshah Atash Bahram, housing the oldest sacred fire consecreted in India. The "Alaat" sacred implements needed for consecretion were brought from Iran by the migrating Iranians, in the 10th century A.D. This sacred Fire burns continuously since then, never allowed to go out, symbol of God's Creation.
Ruins of an outdoor stepped fire alter in Tajikistan; the ancient Zoroastrians worshiped in the open.
Unlike the Eygptians and the Sumerians, who share a very old civilization that grew along those great rivers, the Nile and Euphrates, with centers of learning, and those huge structures, the pyramids and the ziggurats, that clearly speak of great wealth and an advanced knowledge of engineering and mathematics, the Indo-Europeans first, then the Indo-Iranians in the east, and the proto-European peoples in the west, were still searching for lands to settle, or more probably reluctant to give up their 'lust for wandering.'
The gods of these peoples, unlike the stylised animal motif gods of the Eygyptians and Sumerians (the latter less fearful of nature except for the flooding of their rivers), the gods of the wandering peoples of the Eurasian steppes were related to thunder and lightening, war and victory. We have Thor, god of thunder in the later Germanic peoples, we have the Greek Zeus, a father of gods, and Perkunas, again a god of war, amongst the Lithuanians; and Indra, god of war, in the east. (Again, refer to this LINK.)
Specifically, the Indo-Iranian gods, mainly related to natural forces were, for the obvious reasons, that gods fashioned man, also related with human attributes and relationship.
We have Mithra (Indian-Mitra) who is god that accompanies the sun across the sky, who has a thousand ears and eyes and watches over the deeds of men, but who is witness at all human contracts. When a man gives his word, Mithra is present and records the event.
Very early, the Indo-Iranian gods were thus seen to use intelligence and wisdom, as without these qualities it is not possible to judge human actions.
There is also the tendency to group the gods, collectively called Ahuras by the Iranians and Asuras by the Vedic Indians, this a reflection of the need to remain in strong groups on the vast plains and high mountains of the regions through which these peoples were migrating, eventually towards India and Iran-Afghanistan-Tajikistan-Uzbekistan.
Zarathustra was born in turbulent times, he was a Zoatar, a priest, whose vocation then included the memorized recitation of sacred hymns, and the performing of rituals that ensure, not just the appeasement of the gods, but which also replicate the myths of creation, played out in front of a group of worshipers.
One such grand ritual still practised today is called the Jashan, where the officiating priest, now represents/stands for Ahura Mazda, the Creator, and which in the pre-Zoroastrian eras represented Mazda, one of the gods, the main god of creation. The other priest/s who assist the officiating priest represent/stand for humanity.
So we have a ceremony where, the officiating priest as representative of the god of creation, lights the sacred fire, the first act of creation, then consecrates the other great creation elements represented by a stone pestle (the sky), fruits and milk (the vegetation and animal kingdom), water (water kingdom), and symbolically blesses these and hands some of these to the assisting priest, god entrusting his creation to man.
Perhaps, as Prof Mary Boyce postulates in her brilliant book , Zarathustra, whilst performing these rituals and pondering on it's meaning and symbolism, must have, through his keen intellect and as a high spiritual soul, come to the very new and startling conclusion that, with this richness of creation, there has to be one source at the very beginning of time, one Creator!
This far, no one had postulated a One God concept, an uncreated Creator. Zarathustra declares Ahura Mazda, Lord Wisdom, the very embodiment of wisdom, a Supreme Intellect, the source of all creation.
(Early Judaism, considered by most as the first monotheistic religion, it is suggested was, in it's early stage polytheistic/henotiestic-acknowledging one God with a rejection of false gods (that do exist!) SEE LINK , very interesting read.
Zarathustra then ponders, this Wise Lord has to have a Pure Mind (Vohu Manah) with the Best Righteousness (Vahista Asa), with Omnipotence-Victorious (Xshathra Vairya), and Immense /Bountiful-(Spenta) Devotion (Armaity.) to create and sustain His beautiful creation. And to do all this, the Wise Lord is the very embodiment of Well Being-Perfection (Haurvatat), and Eternal (Ameretat). Thus is born the Zoroastrian concept of a Supreme God, the Wise Lord with Six Great Attributes accompanying Supreme Wisdom, the Great Heptad.
At another level, it seems, Zarathustra is implying, man needs to be pure in mind and righteous, which will gain him strength and devotion in all things he does, leading to well being and fullness in life, qualities he will carry with him to eternal life!
But where does all the suffering, pain, decay and death arise? Zarathustra ponders on the full pure loving devoted nature of Ahura Mazda, and is convinced He, Ahura Mazda, cannot be the author of suffering, decay, pain and death. God cannot be revengeful and place His creation in a state contrary to His Wise and loving nature.
Zarathustra comprehends that a malevolent force, he calls Angra Mainyu (the Ignorant Mind) is the author in all and every circumstance, event, attribute, that negates God's good creation. The great prophet declares, Ahura Mazda "creates Life" and Angra Mainyu "creates Not-Life."
By it's very destructive nature, Angra Mainyu cannot be eternal, and at a point, in the distant future, this evil force will be utterly destroyed, all creation will be restored to it's pristine pure nature.
To fulfill His divine plan, Ahura Mazda manifests Himself as Spenta Mainyu (the Benevolent Bountiful Spirit) to continue His creation of everything good, and to oppose and eventually obliterate Angra Mainyu. Ahura Mazda creates the heavens and all the angels. Finally, He creates Man, who will play their role in a divine plan, for the total obliteration of Evil and the eternal perpetuation of Good.
Besides the six Amesha Spentas (Eternal Bountiful Spirits), (these are -Asa Vahista(Righteousness Best/Supreme), Vohu Manah (Pure Mind/Love), Xshathra Vairya (Omnipotent Victorious), Spenta Armaity (Bountiful Devotion), Haurvatat (Well Being) and Ameretat (Eternal),) Ahura Mazda creates Sarosh, Angel of Obedience, and who, in later religious development, watches over God's good creation through the night, when the forces of darkness and evil are most doing their mischief.
Zoroastrianism evolves as all religions do, so more angels are added to the hierarchy, as well as the calendar, and to preside over several of God's creation; and invoked in rituals- (Presumably, on the basis that the six Amesha Spentas and Sarosh, mentioned above, only figure in the Gathas, the other angels that begin to figure in the angelic world are later additions-but some postulate, the full group of angels are in fact the gods of earlier beliefs, 'converted' to angels, after Zoroaster's reform to monotheism.)
Angels are called Yazatas-Heavenly Beings (modern term-Yazads) in Zoroastrianism. Zarathustra is considered an Yazata, descended on earth to fulfill God's Will.
Yazatas are roughly in two groups, those that personify good human attributes, and those that are embodiments of some heavenly creation.
Thus, Yazatas include Verethrghna/Vahran, or later, Bahram, the Yazata of Victory; any human or divine victory over any wrong or evil is said to have been fulfilled with this angel's intervention or presence.
Mithra or Meher Yazata is the angel that accompanies the Sun's movement through the sky, thus witness to all the goings on, and ever watchful of evil doers!
The angel Rashnu embodies the spiritual office where all justice is meted out to ensure the good are rewarded; the angel Manthra Spenta is entrusted the task of guarding the Holy Word!
The angel Hvare Kshaeta-(Speeding Light) is the spiritual embodiment of the Sun; Mah Bokhtar represents the Moon, and Ava Ardivisura is the spiritual embodiment of all the good waters.
The great angel Atar (Fire) is most noteworthy, as the principal icon of worship is the sacred Fire, son of Ahura Mazda, His first creation; so Atar Yazata has a special place in all religious worship. No ritual takes place without the presence of the Sacred Fire.
Ahura Mazda and the 6 Archangels, the Heptad, and 27 angels comprise the Zoroastrian calendar, as names of each day in the Zoroastrian month. Hence, every day of each month, starting with the first day dedicated to Ahura Mazda Himself, is a reminder to worship Ahura Mazda, and then the heavenly archangels or angels to whom the day is dedicated.
Likewise,each of the 12 months of the year are dedicated in the same fashion, the 10th month to Ahura Mazda Himself, six months to six Archangels, and the remaining months to five angels. Where this dedication, of a day and month, coincides with the same Spiritual Being, the day is considered even more spiritually relevant. (For example, the second day of each month dedicated to Vohu Manah-Bahman, when coinciding with the 11th month to Vohu Manah, this day is considered very auspicious.)
For a full understanding of the Spiritual Heirachy see THIS LINK
Thus, to a pious and observant Zoroastrian, the whole of Ahura Mazda's creation has a very vibrant spiritual nature, with an angelic hierarchy that, on the face of things are seen to preside over each element or human attribute, but the real meaning of it being, each element of creation has an inner divine quality. Days of the religious calendar placing all this in an organised form, for veneration and worship, individually, or by rituals performed by the priests,or some by the laity.
Never far away from the natural elements, and dependent on pastures, and later, on agriculture, the beginning of each season is inaugurated by a great festival, called Gahambar, when people of all classes, from the king to commoner, sit together at a Jashan ceremony, and partake of a simple meal, now of rice and lentils, fruit and nuts. see LINK for more details. (Pictures are from Iranian Zoroastrian festivals, and one picture from a Parsi (Zoroastrians settled in India) festival-third picture from the bottom.)
Zoroastrians celebrate two New Year days. A "New Year," in line with the beginning of the Earth's journey around the Sun, is celebrated on the Spring Equinox, March 21st each year. This is an ancient event, called Jamshedi Navroze, after the ancient king of the Aryans, Kshaeta Yima (the Shining Yima-Jamshed in later times) who first laid down that his people celebrate events in tune with nature.
The second "New Year" - Now Ruz - is the first day of the Zoroastrian religious calendar. This calendar, comprising of 12 months of 30 days each , as explained a few paragraphs above, with five days added at the end, called the five Gatha days, to commemorate the Five Gathas, the five sections of Zarathustra's own compositions. Traditionally, the calendar, in Zoroastrian Iran, marked the beginning of each new reign, beginning with the new king's coronation. The present calendar marks the beginning of the reign of the last Zoroastrian monarch of Iran, Yezdegird the III.
The Zoroastrian calendar has no leap year, hence in ancient Sassanian times (Sassanian were the last Zoroastrian dynasty to rule Iran) a month was added every 120 years to 'update' the calendar. Calendar disputes arose when it was found the Zoroastrian in India had added a month to bring the calendar in line with missed leap years, this they did in 1125 or 1150 A.D. for full details see LINK
THERE IS SO MUCH MORE, ON ZOROASTRIAN TRADITIONS-SOME HAD NECESSARILY TO BE COVERED HERE, TO UNDERSTAND THE LINK BETWEEN THE ZOROASTRIAN VIEW OF ALL CREATION, AND HOW THIS HAS BEEN INTERWOVEN INTO THE ZOROASTRIAN'S DAILY LIFE, BY THE CALENDAR TRADITIONS DETAILED ABOVE.
OTHER PRACTICES AND TRADITIONS, INITIATION INTO THE RELIGION, MARRIAGE AND DEATH, WILL BE COVERED IN LATER POSTS.
WHAT DID ZARATHUSTRA DECLARE? WHAT, TO A PRACTISING ZOROASTRAIN, ARE THE CENTRAL BELIEFS TAUGHT BY THIS GREAT PROPHET........IN THE NEXT POST.
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