English/Language Arts: The study of creation myths from around the world can be an incredibly engaging and meaningful activity. It was considered invincible and was only finally defeated by the great Persian hero Thraetaona who captured and imprisoned him, keeping him in chains until the end of the world at which time he will be killed by the resurrected Karsasp, slayer of Kamak. Followers who now live in India are called Parsis, or Parsees. Ameretat goddess of immortality whose name means life or living. Books She is sometimes referenced as the daughter of Ahura Mazda and Armaiti, combining wisdom and devotion, and so symbolizes the heart of religious belief. Archenemy of the Amesha Spenta Haurvatat, goddess of wholeness. Overall, they were regarded with suspicion, and amulets were carried for protection from their influence. Shahriyar adopts a policy of marrying a virgin, spending a night with her, and executing her the next morning. Related Content They were invisible unless they wanted to be seen. Dogs dogs feature prominently in Persian mythology as forces for good. On the other side of the fence is Zahhak, a symbol of despotism who was, finally, defeated by Kve, who led a popular uprising against him. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology identifies a number of traditional narratives as "Islamic myths". Aesma was thought to be responsible for attacks on livestock, especially cows. Chamrosh and Kamak are also giant birds; Chamrosh a force for good and Kamak for evil. Az demon of lust and greed, one of the more dangerous (female) drujs. The oldest Persian deity was Mithra, who was identified with the sun. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Author's Note: Grateful acknowledgement to Dr. Ezat Heydari for suggestions on this article. They were later elevated to benevolent spirits by the Muslim Arabs and served the same purpose as angels in bringing messages from the divine. 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. There were four levels ascending upwards from the Chinvat Bridge, where judgment was given, each brighter and lovelier than the last until one reached the highest heaven where the soul would live in the direct light of Ahura Mazda. The long tradition of telling these tales attests to the popularity of their rich imagery and dramatic tension as they were repeated orally for centuries before they found written form. The most prominent and unique feature of ancient Iranian religion was the development of dualism, primarily expressed in the opposition of truth ( arta) and falsehood ( drug, drauga ). Persian mythology - Wikipedia 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 . Both assist the newly dead in their crossing from life to death. Thus, in the first three centuries, a number of ideas from the ancient Middle East, from Hellenistic and especially from Jewish and Christian traditions . Main Carving, Rock-Cut Tombs of QizqapanOsama Shukir Muhammed Amin (Copyright). Azhi Dahaka the great three-headed dragon created from the lies of Angra Mainyu to corrupt order and thwart the best impulses of the world. 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. Barmayeh the great cow of the Alburz Mountains who nurses the hero Fereydun and cares for him. Hara Berezaiti (Alburz, Mount Hara, Haburz) - the first mountain whose name means "high watchtower", in the Vendidad, it is the mountain on the far side of the crossing between the land of the living and the dead, the Chinvat Bridge. 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. The dog was considered the best protection against these demons and also warded off cats. Owing to the first couple's acceptance of the lie, however, paradise has been lost and humans will now live in strife with the natural world and each other. Dogs would welcome a justified soul and reject those who had been condemned. The sky element rose high above the earth and passed beneath it. In some passages, he is the twin brother of Angra Mainyu. Their enemies are the daevas, evil spirits of darkness. Last modified January 16, 2020. Sam is the grandfather of the great champion Rustum. The Huma Bird is a later version of Simurgh, who was said to fly eternally over the earth, never landing, and if its shadow should fall upon an individual, that person would be blessed and happy all the days of their lives. Rapithwin god of the midday sun, guardian of the south, warm winds, and summer. World History Encyclopedia is a non-profit organization. Please support World History Encyclopedia. Neriosang an angel, messenger of the gods. Like Simurgh and the later Phoenix, the Huma was thought to live an immensely long life, die in its own flames, and give birth to itself afterwards. Ahurani wife or daughter of Ahura Mazda, goddess of waters, health, healing energies, wealth, and personal growth/development. They were thought to inhabit lonely places outside of towns such as caves or hills and had power to influence human thought and action. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1488/ancient-persian-gods-heroes-and-creatures---the-co/. Only Rustum was able to ride Rakhsh as Rustum's superior strength and power would have killed any other horse, although Rakhsh would not allow any other rider through devotion to Rustum. After Ahura Mazda created the world and Gavaevodta and set all in motion, the Primordial Bull was killed by Angra Mainyu for no reason other than that he could. According to Herodotus, a 5th-Century Greek writer and geographer often credited with being the first historian, the Amazons maintained an idyllic all-female existence in modern-day Turkey. Thank you! Eventually, tales of a great hero of the mountains reached Sam who went to seek out his son and they were reconciled. Chamrosh has a dog's body with the head and wings of an eagle. Associated with, and possibly the same demon, as Vizaresha. These include a creation myth and a vision of afterlife, which Islam shares with the other Abrahamic . Armaiti (Spenta Armaiti) goddess of devotion, daughter of Ahura Mazda, one of the seven Amesha Spentas. War in Europe fuels geopolitical tensions . Her name means offering and she presided over and encouraged sacrifice to the gods. CAT I. In Mythology and Folklore - Encyclopaedia Iranica The latter process, in particular, requires the presence of writing in order that . Simurgh was thought to possess great wisdom and features prominently in the story of the hero Zal whom she raised and the birth of his son Rustum (also given as Rostom and Rustam), the greatest Persian hero. Faravahar at PersepolisNapishtim (CC BY-SA). He is associated with light, righteousness, and purity. When someone in the community went missing, and there was no clue as to what happened to them, it was judged to be the work of a manticore. 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. Simurgh the dog bird who cares for the hero Zal after he is abandoned by his father Sam in the Shahnameh. This page was last edited on 25 March 2023, at 20:33. Other information on pre-Zoroastrian religion comes from later works known as the Bundahisn and the Denkard and, to a lesser extent, the Vendidad. Vayu (Vayu-Vatu, Vata) god of the wind who lived between worlds, in the interface between the good of Ahura Mazda and the evil of Angra Mainyu and so could be a powerful force for either side. Mark, Joshua J.. "Twelve Ancient Persian Mythological Creatures." 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. Associated with the great dog-bird Simurgh, although some scholars claim they are two distinct entities. Persian Mythology - Myth Encyclopedia - Greek, god, legend, names Robert Alter in the Art of Biblical Narrative, recognizes that the Persian creation story of Genesis is utterly dualist. Rustum is the greatest and best-known Persian champion, invincible in battle, who fights to maintain order and justice against the Kingdom of Turan. They bring messages from the gods but might as easily fail to deliver them, or misspeak, as perform their task correctly. Cista - an early goddess of health and well-being who presided over one's path in life and also one's spiritual walk of faith. He was later replaced by Mithra. Rudaabeh (Rudaba, Rudabeh) a beautiful princess of Kabul in the Shahnameh, wife of the hero Zal, mother of the champion Rustum. Verethragna warrior god whose sole responsibility is to fight against evil. 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. 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. List of creation myths - Wikipedia The term 'mythology' comes from the Greek mythos (story-of-the-people) and logos (word or speech), meaning the spoken story of a people. A minor god originally, who later became the Supreme Deity as Lord of the universe embodying Time. 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. Governed the autumnal equinox; known as Watcher of the West. 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. Garshasp another name for the monster-slaying hero Karsasp/Keresaspa. They were considered so important that their role as guardians was preserved once the early religion of the Persians was reimagined by the prophet Zoroaster (c. 1500-1000 BCE) who kept them as the keepers of the Chinvat Bridge, the span across the abyss between the world of the living and the dead. The dog features prominently in one of the most popular and enduring figures from Persian mythology, Simurgh, the so-called dog-bird. Mashya and Mashyana - Wikipedia Bahram god of victory in life and after death, associated with the warrior god Verethragna. Kara Fish fish that protect the Tree of Seeds and the plant Gaokerena in the middle of the Vourukasha Sea. Then Ahura Mazd created Gaymart . Azhi Dahaka was the great three-headed dragon created out of the lies of Angra Mainyu to thwart any positive impulse in the world and create chaos. Once animals were created, Ahura Mazda then created human beings and then fire, but Gavaevodata was the first unique entity on earth and establishes the high value the Persians placed on animals. Please donate to our server cost fundraiser 2023, so that we can produce more history articles, videos and translations. Zorvan (Zurvan) the god of time. Myth - Myth and history | Britannica Islamic mythology - Wikipedia Please note that some of these recommendations are listed under our old name, Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient Persian Gods, Heroes, and Creatures - The Complete List Haurvatat goddess of wholeness, completeness, perfection and so associated with prosperity, wealth, and health. Ahriman ( Angra Mainyu ), the Spirit of Evil that dwelt in the Absolute Darkness, sought to destroy all that Ohrmuzd had created, and sent the demoness Jeh ( Jahi . Zam the earth, home of the mortals, which should be cared for as one cares for one's own house. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. 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. Jinn (Djinn) supernatural entities, neither immortal nor human spirits, who are better known as genies. These include the Zoroastrianism creation myth and the tale of King Yama and the salvation of the earth. Interpreting this as an evil omen, Sam abandons the newborn in the Alburz Mountains and leaves him to die. The list attempts to be complete but will omit some minor deities and even some heroes whose qualities are represented by others more famous. 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. Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! 30 Apr 2023. The central vision of ancient Persian religion was of a universal struggle between the forces of good & evil, order & chaos. The biblical flood story is a composite of two flood stories spliced together (commonly called Yahwistic and Priestly), [1] and most biblical scholars agree that it is ultimately dependent on a Mesopotamian flood story.