ZOROASTRIANISM: ORIGIN, BELIEFS, RITES AND PRINCIPLES - CULTURE VOCABULARY - 2025

The Zoroastrianism is a religion and philosophy is influenced by Zoroastrianism and follow the teachings of the Iranian prophet Zoroaster (or Zarathustra). The divinity that Zoroaster worshiped is called Ahura Mazda, an entity considered by the prophet as the only creator who has not been created, which makes him the origin of everything.

In terms of terminology, the word "Zoroastrianism" was a modern construction because the first time it appeared was in 1874 in a book called Principles of Comparative Philology, written by Archibald Sayce. As for Zoroaster, the first reference in the West was in the book Religio Medici (1642) by Thomas Browne.

The highest divinity of Zoroastrianism is Ahura Mazda. Source: Ziegler175

On the other hand, the use of the word "Mazdeism" is older. It is probable that it derives from two expressions of the Avestan language: mazdayasna, composed of the last element of the name Ahura Mazda; and the word yasna, which means devotion. Some sources assure that the Persian governor Ciro the Great followed this religion.

According to some texts, Zarathustra was at odds with the religion practiced by the ancient Persians (similar to Hinduism today), so the eastern prophet condemned this religious inclination and promulgated that the only god to be worshiped was Ahura Mazda, also known as the Lord of Wisdom.

Likewise, some sources consider that Zoroaster introduced humanity to the world's first monotheistic faith. In fact, this religion is attributed the first signs of what was later the Catholic religion. For example, the idea of ​​Judgment Day and the belief in angels and demons are considered to come from Zoroastrianism.

Although it does not have many believers today, the Zoroastrian religion has influenced many Western creations. This can be seen in texts such as The East and West Divan by the German writer Goethe or the poem Lalla Rookh by Thomas Moore.

Nuances of this philosophy have also been found in some famous musical pieces, as for example in the composition Thus Spoke Zarathustra, by Richard Strauss. In turn, the renowned composer Mozart also dedicated a musical episode to Zoroastrianism in the libretto of the work The Magic Flute.

Origin

In its beginnings the religion of Zoroaster began as a religious reform of the beliefs of some Iranian tribes that were installed in western Turkestan during the 1st and 2nd centuries BC. C.

These tribes were closely linked with the Indo-Aryans, which allowed the introduction of Sanskrit and other derived languages ​​in this region; consequently, these peoples formed the Indo-Aryan families. This phenomenon occurred from 1700 BC. C.

To understand the birth of Zoroastrianism it is necessary to make a comparison between the Indian religion and this new spiritual philosophy. Both religious leanings had a god in common called Mitra (Mithra according to the Indians and Mithra according to the Iranians), which meant "the God of the Sun."

-Hindu and Iranian peoples

Depending on the location, this religion took different paths. For example, for the Hindu culture the original sun god was divided into three other gods: Váruna, Ariamán and Mitra.

On the contrary, for the Iranian culture this first deity preserved unity. According to some records Mithras was the son of Ahura Mazda, who is supposed to have been Heaven.

Peoples with Zoroastrian intentions tried to eliminate the cult of Mithra in order to take advantage of the all-powerful figure of Ahura Mazda, which introduced the nomination of Mazdeism.

As for the villages of ancient Persia, these were not properly considered Mazdean as they revered both Ahura Mazda and Mithra.

-Perception of the Greeks

Within Western culture, the Greeks considered Ahura Mazda to be the equivalent of the god Zeus due to his creative capacity and his father figure.

In the text The Nine Books of History written by the Greek historian Herodotus, the writer made a description of the Iranian community in which some elements of Zoroastrianism can be recognized, especially in the passage that talks about the exposition of the deceased.

According to this historian, there was an Iranian tribe nicknamed with the name of the Magi, who followed some currents of this religion.

-Other historical data

The term "Ahura" was also known to the Indians; however, they pronounced it as Asura. Consequently, it was the Iranians who decided to transform the "s" into an "h", slightly modifying the original pronunciation.

This can be verified because in the Rig-veda (one of the oldest texts in India) the term “Asura” appears used to designate the supreme being.

Cyrus II and Zoroastrianism

As for the fact that Cyrus II was a Zoroastrian, some historians still question this claim.

However, what can be assured is that this belief notably influenced his thinking, since Cyrus decided not to impose any religion on his territory and allowed the Jews who were captives to return to the Canaan region.

As for Darius I, his successor, it is unknown if he was a follower of religion. However, what is known is that this ruler was a faithful believer in Ahura Mazda.

The Achaemenid period and introduction into China

During the Achaemenid period Zoroastrianism took on greater relevance. Even a large part of the texts of this religious inclination were written at that time. However, most of these rites and beliefs were kept as oral accounts.

When the Achaemenid dynasty ended, other deities and religious concepts began to be integrated that were notoriously distant from the Zoroastrian approaches. In fact, the status of the religion during the invasions of Alexander the Great is unknown.

An important fact is that Zoroastrianism managed to reach China through the famous Silk Road, which is why it obtained a certain status in some regions of the Asian country.

Zoroastrian temples have been found in some areas of China, specifically in the Zhenjiang and Kaifeng regions. Some intellectuals assure that Buddhism had a lot of influence from Zoroastrianism, especially in the perception of light and good.

Zoroastrianism today

During the 7th century the current dynasty (known as the Sassanid) was defeated by the Arab army. From this moment on, the population slowly began to practice Islam, beginning with the nobles and then spreading through the peasant community.

A large part of the Zoroastrists left these territories to settle in India, where they were accepted. This group of Zoroastrists in India is known by the name of Parsis and today there are more than one hundred thousand people.

Over the centuries, Zoroastrianism resumed its monotheistic roots since the polytheistic influence of other religions was eliminated.

In recent decades the number of practitioners of Zoroastrianism has declined dramatically; however, religion remains active and dynamic. Most of these believers are located in some areas of Iran and India.

They are generally people dedicated to trade, although they can practice any profession. One of the most famous people who practiced this belief was the rock singer Freddie Mercury, whose family was of Parsi origin.

Main beliefs

Ahura Mazda and Daena

For the Zoroastrists, the only spiritual entity is Ahura Mazda, who is not only the creator of everything that exists but is also the beginning and the end; furthermore, it is pure, eternal, and the only possible truth. Ahura Mazda cannot be seen by any mortal.

The eternal law of the Zoroastrists is known as Daena and means faith, religion, and dharma (which translates as pious conduct). This law must be followed by all humanity and represents the correct order not only of the world, but of the entire universe.

Moral choice and free will

Moral choice carries considerable weight in Zoroastrianism, since human life can be defined as a continuous battle between good and evil.

As for predestination, it is strongly rejected because people are free and responsible for their lives, so if they want to change any situation, they must act.

Consequently, happiness or punishment is entirely up to the individual. The fundamental principle of the Zoroastrians is based on three principles: pendar-e nik, goftar-e nik, kerdar-e nik, which mean "good thoughts, good words and good deeds."

Like Catholics, Zoroastrians await a savior whom they call Saosyant. Likewise, they estimate that when the end of everything comes, the dead will rise again. After this the souls will cross a bridge, where they will be judged for their actions, words and thoughts.

However, this judgment is not final since the evil will be eliminated, so all souls will be saved.

Zoroastrian principles

The main precepts of the Zoroastrian believers are the following:

Equality

Within this religion all human beings are considered equal, so that no one is discriminated against because of their race, sex or religion.

Respect for the life

The Zoroastrists affirm that all living things must be respected, so they abhor oppression and cruelty. Likewise, they do not agree with the sacrifice of animals.

Environmentalism

Within the practice of Zoroastrianism, nature plays a fundamental role. In fact, many of the festivals of this religion are celebrated outdoors.

This occurs during the new year and during the water festival, the first day of spring festival, the fire festival and the autumn festival, events always linked to the seasons and climatic changes.

Hard work

Zoroastrians appeal to hard work because it brings many rewards and avoids idleness. They also uphold honest charity and other values ​​such as family, patriotism, and community.

Religious texts

Yama

The most important liturgical book of the Parsi culture is known by that name. According to Hinduism, Yama (or Iama) is the god of death, so he is the master and lord of all the spirits who left the physical plane.

Vispered

In this book those texts where a minor liturgy is manifested are preserved. This means that the Vispered talks about death as in the Yama, but it is not as important.

Sale

In this text you can find the priestly code of the Parsis.

Yashts

In this book are recorded all the hymns and songs dedicated to the supreme being.

Khordah

All the prayers of the Zoroastrian religion are recorded in the Kordah.

Zarathustra and the

This is one of the most important texts that have been preserved, since very old passages can be seen in it. It is believed that the manuscripts that are preserved today were made during the mandate of Sapor II; that is, between 309 and 397 of our era.

Despite the fact that these specimens were found, many of these passages were lost during the fall of the Persian Empire because at that time Zoroastrianism was replaced by Islam. The oldest copy that was preserved dates from 1288.

Rites and festivals

The rites of the Zoroastrists are based mainly on prayer activities, which have the objective of "watching over the heart" so that it does not lose the path traced by Ahura Mazda. The prayers of this culture are called gahs and have the following classification:

Hawan gah

They are those prayers that are made from sunrise in the morning until noon.

Rapithwin gah

These prayers are practiced from noon to afternoon.

Aiwiseruthrem Gah

This gah is practiced from evening to twilight.

Uzerin Gah

The Uzarin Gah are the last prayers of the day, so they are usually the most important. They are practiced from midnight until the beginning of the next day.

As for the festivals, these were briefly mentioned in previous paragraphs. They are generally related to the arrival of the seasons, such as the water festival held in summer, the fire festival held in mid-winter, and the first day of spring. They also celebrate the fall festival at the end of the season.

References

1. Bekhrad, J. (2017) Zoroastrianism, the mysterious religion that changed the West. Retrieved on June 19, 2019 from BBC: bbc.com
2. Cooper, M. (2017) Zoroastrianism is the religion of the good life. Retrieved on June 19 from La Vanguardia: láguardia.com
3. A. (sf) Zoroastrianism. Retrieved on June 19, 2019 from Ecu Red: ecured.cu
4. A. (sf) Zoroastrianism. Retrieved on June 19, 2019 from Wikipedia: es.wikipedia.org
5. Sancler, V. (sf) Retrieved on June 19, 2019 from Euston: euston96.com