Ahura mazda ahura mazda later hormazd ohrmazd lord wisdom is the name of the god or the supreme uncreated force according to the zoroastrian religion. Zoroastrianism was the religion of the persians, who allowed the. In the zoroastrian religion, ahura mazda was associated with light and fire, the emblems of truth, goodness, and wisdom. Ahura mazda appears in persian art and texts as a bearded man wearing a robe covered with stars. He is also known as ahriman, and his name means fiendish spirit. To me it seems like they both represent, at least fundamentally, the same concepts, but please correct me if im wrong. Ahriman definition is ahura mazdas antagonist who is a spirit of darkness and evil in zoroastrianism. In some works ahriman, rather than the snake of biblical lore, is pictured as an old man offering adam and eve the fatal fruit.
Modern zoroastrian priest wearing mouth cover while tending a temple fire. Ahura mazda is featured in the book kushiels avatar, the third novel in jacqueline careys kushiels legacy series. In zoroasters g a th a s, ahura mazda, the wise lord the ancient name of ohrmazd, and used by darius and his successors, was the father of the twin spirits the holy one spenta mainyu and the destructive one anra mainyu, hence ahriman, who at the origin of the world made a. Ahuramazda wonder woman wiki fandom powered by wikia. The zoroastrian religion saw angra mainyu, or ahriman, as the evil adversary of the one true god, ahura mazda. Spenta mainyu the holy spirit opposes angra mainyu or ahriman. How is the christian god viewed in reference to ahura mazda. In our times, ahriman killed ahuramazda and fled to earth with his.
In some zoroastrian thought, the amesha spentas are heavenly beings created by ahura mazda and, combined, represent the sevenfold character of god. Ahura mazda s counterpart is angra mainyu, the evil spirit and the creator of evil who will be destroyed before frashokereti the destruction of evil. This was the highest god in zoroastrian religion, upholding truth and cosmic order. Evidently he was so eager to rule the world that he ripped open his mother and burst forth from her womb before his benevolent twin had a chance to react. Zurvanism a historical branch of zoroastrianism that sought to theologically resolve a dilemma found in a mention of antithetical twin spirits in yasna 30. In the beginning there was endless light in which the supreme divine energy dwelled in a static form. Ahura mazda myth encyclopedia mythology, god, ancient.
The process of zarathushtras elevation to prophethood reflects. Zoroaster and the history of ahura mazda, ahriman and mithras. And the evil spirit, ahriman, who lived in the absolute darkness. Ahura mazda also known as ahuramazda, harzoo, hormazd, hourmazd, hurmuz, ohrmazd, lord or spirit is the highest spirit worshipped in zoroastrianism, the old mede and ancient persian mythology which spread across asia predating christianity. The good god and the evil spirit in zoroastrianism. This story is taken from the book of creation, the bundahishn, which dates from the 6 th century ad. It centers on the words of the prophet zarathushtra, called zoroaster by the ancient greeks, and focuses worship upon ahura mazda, the lord of wisdom. Zoroastrianism, zoroaster, zarathustra, ahura mazda crystalinks. Ahura mazda was also known as auramazda, aramazd and hormazda.
He is the powerful god of evil, destruction, and darkness and the brother of the benevolent zoroastrian god ahura mazda, who created the universe. Ahriman is identified with iblis, the devil in islamic mythology. O thou allknowing ahuramazda, should i urge upon the godly man, should i urge upon the godly woman, should i urge upon the wicked daevaworshipper who lives in sin, that they have once to leave behind them the earth made by ahura, that they have to leave the water that runs, the corn that grows, and all the. At the dawn of creation, twin primal spirits manifested themselves. The two attributes of vohu mana and asha often appear together in association with ahura mazda. Destructive spiritmiddle persian ahriman, the evil, destructive spirit in the dualistic doctrine of zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism the religion of ancient persia taught that the world was torn between two deities. Ahuramazda encyclopedia of the bible bible gateway. Ahura mazda is in conflict with the evil spirit ahriman or angra mainyu, who is the prince of evil, destruction, and lies. He created the twin spirits spenta mainyu and angra mainyu ahriman the.
At the end, ahriman will be defeated, and every human will be judged, and continue living either in paradise or in hell. Zoroastrianism, the ancient pre islamic religion of iran that survives there in isolated areas and, more prosperously, in india, where the descendants of zoroastrian iranian persian immigrants are known as parsis, or parsees. Ahuramazda, the creator god who is full of light and good, and ahriman, the god. In the final renovation, all of creation even the souls of the dead that were initially banished to darkness will be reunited in ahura mazda, returning to life in the undead form. Book iv says, and even wikipedia calls ahura mazda the holy spirit. The avesta, also known as the holy book or the prayer book of the zoroastrians, was committed to writing in the midfirst millennium ce common era. Ahura mazda will ultimately prevail over the evil angra mainyu or ahriman, at which point the universe will undergo a cosmic renovation and time will end. Names appears in the avesta, the gathas, the book of arda viraf. Although constantly at odds with his brother ahriman, ahuramazda will one day be victorious, and with the help of the amesha spentas the holy immortals, roughly equal to an angel or a minor deity and the saoshyant the saviour, he will raise the dead and purify the world. Abulfazl ahriman ahura mazda akbar anjuman anquetil duperron azar kaivan banians behdin beliefs bombay bombay samachar british broker bundahishn calendar cama oriental institute caste controversy conversion dabistan dasatir dastur darab dastur kaikobad dhanjibhai dispute doctrines dutch east india company eighteenth century elites. From himself he individualized a host of destructive creatures to injure ormuzd. Ahura mazda the zoroastrian god of light zoroastrian. Ahriman or angra mainyu was the malicious twin of either spenta mainyu or the creator ahura mazda, the lord of light.
No more philosophically profound, no grander or more graphic and suggestive type exists among the allegories of the worldreligions than that of the two brotherpowers of the mazdean religion, called ahura mazda and angra mainyu, better known in their modernized form of ormuzd and ahriman. Ahura mazda was the persian name for the sole creator the universe, maintainer of the cosmic order the epitome of the true order of the universe. Zoroaster, first instituter of philosophy by fire and. He is worshiped as the creator of the cosmos and the archenemy and totally other of the evil spirit, ahriman. Zarathustra and ahuramazda, the bible of persia dr. Zoroaster proclaimed that ahura mazda was the supreme creator, the. Xsaora vairya which is holy devotion and guardian over metals and minerals. My name is the one of whom questions are asked, o holy zarathushtra.
Zoroastrian devil, archenemy of ahura mazda and chief perpetrator of all the evil in the world. May 02, 2018 one school of thought promotes a cosmic dualism between the all powerful god ahura mazda who is the only deity worthy of being worshipped, and the evil spirit of violence and death, ahriman angra mainyu, who opposes ahura mazda. Ahura mazda makes a firm promise to protect all those from evil who profess themselves as mazda worshippers, who pledge themselves to mazdayasnian religion and follow his teachings in letter and spirit. Wise lordalso spelled ormizd or ormazd, supreme god in ancient iranian religion, especially zoroastrianism, the religious system of the. In the mythological legends of the zoroaster, there was a devil named ahriman, with a twin brother who was considered holy, named ahura mazda. Wise lord supreme god in ancient iranian religion, especially zoroastrianism, the religious system of the iranian prophet zarathustra c. Ahriman were twin brothers, with the former being the epitome of good and the latter being the epitome of evil. Evidently, he was so eager to rule the world that he ripped open his mother and burst forth from her womb before his benevolent twin had a chance to react. Ahura mazda is an omniscient, but not an omnipotent god, however ahura mazda would eventually destroy evil. Godchecker guide to ahriman also known as akuman, the zoroastrian demon from zoroastrian mythology.
Ahura mazda h, wise lord, the great overseeing principle of good, the divine spirit in the teachings of the pers. According to the earliest version of the myth, he is the twin brother of spenta mainyu, the holy spirit, and both were the sons of ahura mazda ormizd or ormazd, the wise lord and supreme deity of zoroastrianism. Zoroaster, first instituter of philosophy by fire and magic. He assures to protect them from the evil ahirman, daevas, drujs, sorcerers, sinners, kayags, karbs, tyrants, wrongdoers, heretics, sinners and witches. The two forces were evenly matched, and each in turn gained supremacy.
Oct 05, 2015 it is unusual in itself, because ahura mazdas subtle body is the universe and 6 aspects of him guard over physical reality because ahura mazda knew evil would enter the material world upon its creation. In the beginning, there was nothing in the world except ahura mazda, the wise lord, who lived in the endless light. Ahriman was stunned and fell into the void for a period of time. Ahura mazda is the first and most frequently invoked spirit in the yasna. Atar is the holy fire of judgement and purification which leads to salvation and blessing. Zoroastrianism the phenomenon of death, or nonlife as it is called in the zoroastrian holy scripture the gathas, is a concept accompanying the advent of creation. Zoroastrianism is a religion, one of the oldest according to tradition, it was founded by zoroaster after he received a vision in which he was introduced to ahura mazda, and told of the great god and his adversary.
He saw other radiant figures too, but could not see his shadow on the ground, a sign which convince zoroaster his vision was authentic. Zurvan akarana father of ahura mazda and ahriman, he is the god of infinite time, of boundless time, of time that lasts, but exists only among the zurvanists as such. Zoroastrianism, zoroaster, zarathustra, ahura mazda. When ahura mazda created the heavens, azi dahaka sprung into the sky like a snake, and in opposition to the stars formed the planets. When he awakened, he engaged in war with ahura mazda, which ahura mazda won and finally destroyed ahriman. Similar to the stories of the fallen angels and lucifer in the zorastrian holy book, the avesta. Obviously ahura mazda is the embodiment of good and ahriman evil, and one question i have involves this. God appears to man only in his attributes and zarathushtra defines the ineffable god in ethical terms. Vohu manah and asa vahista aka asa has also already been discussed. The enemy ahura mazda church of ahriman dakhma of angra. Ahriman the zoroastrian demon zoroastrian mythology. Ahriman myth encyclopedia mythology, god, world, life. Because of his jealousy and rebellion, ahriman became the spirit of evil. Ahura mazda offered ahriman peace if ahriman would worship the good things ahura mazda created, but ahriman refused, and ahura mazda showed ahriman his inevitable fate.
Angra mainyu free definition results from over 1700 online dictionaries. Some of the words spoken of ahura mazda in the avesta have echoes in vedic celebrations of mitra and varu. Zoroastrianism worship is based on this holy fire concept and is. To me it seems like they both represent, at least fundamentally, the same concepts, but. Ahriman is believed to bring destruction, evil and lies to the world and is the adver. Zoroastrians later came to view ahura mazda as the supreme ruler who would one day achieve final victory over ahriman. In zoroasters g a th a s, ahura mazda, the wise lord the ancient name of ohrmazd, and used by darius and his successors, was the father of the twin spirits the holy one spenta mainyu and the destructive one anra mainyu, hence ahriman, who at the origin of the world made a choice, respectively. He lives in the darkness of the north, home to all the forces of evil. He is also known as angra mainyu evil spirit or dark spirit and exists in opposition to spenta mainyu good spirit or bright spirit also known as ahura mazda and ormuzd. Ahura mazda was the name of a late 1960s, early 1970s psychedelic and fusion progrock band from the netherlands.
Thus, ahura mazda was not allpowerful in quite the same way as the jewish and later christian and muslim god was believed to be. Satanic demonolgy ahriman the persian devil spiritual. Ahriman introduced the frost in winter, heat in summer, all manner of diseases and other ills, to thwart ahura mazda, and he also created the dragon azi dahaka, who. Et bien avant eux, dans le bon vieux temps du vendidad, ahura mazda. The modern persian forms of anromainyus and ahura mazda, the evil spirit and the good spirit, respectively, of the avestic or zoroastrian religion of the ancient iranians and modern parsees. In the mmorpg final fantasy xiv, ahura mazda is the ultimate move of the third god of the warring triad, zurvan. Ahura mazda is the creator of the universe and all the things in it, being at the same time wise and good. In the dualistic beliefs of early zoroastrianism, good and evil fought for control of the world ahura mazda from the heavens and ahriman from the underworld. It stands second in the hierarchy of attributes and was created in ahura mazdas good mind. Ahura mazda is the creator and upholder of asha truth. Ahriman introduced the frost in winter, heat in summer, all manner of diseases and other ills, to thwart ahura mazda, and he also created the dragon azi dahaka, who brought ruin to the earth. Ahriman means destructive spirit and is the middle persian name for the zoroastrian devil. It is considered the biggest evil was corrupt the pure fire was created by ahura mazda, which gave added color and smoke, giving it.
The avestan language name for the zoroastrian devil is angra mainyu. Ahriman, the evil spirit whose essence was falsehood and death. Ahriman is the evil spirit in early iranian religion, zoroastrianism, and zorvanism, lord of darkness and chaos, and the source of human confusion, disappointment, and strife. Ahura mazda then created the heavens and the earth and all beautiful things, but ahriman created demons, snakes, and all evil. Ahura mazdas counterpart is angra mainyu, the evil spirit and the creator of evil who will be destroyed before frashokereti the destruction of evil. Learn vocabulary, terms, and more with flashcards, games, and other study tools. With the holy amesha spenta and also his sons atar and mithra providing backup, ahura mazda wages permanent war with ahriman, a deity of unspeakable repulsiveness. In many religions, texts are deemed to have scriptural status, and people are. Dwelling high in heaven, he had the sun for an eye. Zoroaster claimed that ahura mazda was the primary god and would ultimately triumph in the battle against evil, but explained the existence of evil in the world as a result of the struggle against ahriman. Vohu manah led zoroaster to the presence of ahura mazda god and five other radiant beings, which are called the amesha spentas holy. Apr 23, 2019 zoroastrianism is arguably the worlds oldest monotheistic religion. He is seen as the personification of evil, he leading the dark forces against the hosts of spenta mainyu, the holy spirit, who assisted ahura mazda, the wise lord, and final victor of the cosmic conflict. The beautiful thing about ahriman the devil, he gains power to shift the tides of reality so long as the ashaatar looses it power in any way, shape, or form.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. In his incessant fight against ahura mazda and his creations, he is helped by other demonic beings. Ahriman aims to devastate the universe by filling it with pure evil. The avesta is the holy book of the adherents of zarathustra, the. Ahriman chose evil consciously, created disease to hasten death. My second name is the herdgiver my third name is the strong one my fourth name is perfect holiness. This includes the original words of their founder zarathushtra, preserved in a series of five hymns, called the. The most important texts of the religion are those of the avesta, which includes as. Ahura mazda was worshipped by the persian king darius i. A middle east political conspiracy and espionage thriller the ahriman legacy book 1 kindle edition by guha, puja. Every human is free to follow either ahura mazda or ahriman. Ahura mazda ohrmazd and ahriman the good god and the evil. The religious philosophy of zoroaster divided the early iranian gods of the. Zoroastrianism or mazdayasna is one of the worlds oldest continuously practiced religions.
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