Mastodawn

Ahura Mazda

Also known as Ormaz or Horomazes. Ahura means “lord.” Mazda means “wisdom.”

Ahura Mazda is the main god & sky deity in Zoroastrianism. He’s the 1st, & most commonly invoked, in the Yasna. The Yasna is the Avestan name of both a text within the Avesta collection & of the Yasna liturgy, Zoroastrianism’s principal act of worship.

The 1st worthwhile invocation of Ahura Mazda happened during the Achaemenid period (circa 550-330 BC) with the Behistun Inscription of Darius the Great.

Until the reign of Artaxerxes II (circa 405/404-358 BC), Ahura Mazda was worshipped & invoke alone in all extant royal inscriptions. With Artaxerxes II, Ahura Mazda was gathered into a triad of deities with Mithra & Anahita.

In the Achaemenid period, the only known depiction of Ahura Mazda at the royal court was an empty chariot drawn by white horses. This was to invite Ahura Mazda to accompany the Persian army into battle.

Ahura Mazda was pictured in images starting from the 5th century BC. But during the Sassanid period, these depictions were replaced by stone-carved figures, & eventually removed entirely due to an iconoclastic movement supported by the Sasanian dynasty.

The worship of Ahura Mazda didn’t originate with Zoroaster. But it existed before the prophet’s message. Unlike other deities of the ancient world, who were capricious or vengeful, Ahura Mazda is known for his omniscience, absolute goodness, & immateriality (he has no physical form).

According to Zoroastrian tradition, Zoroaster (at the age of 30) received a revelation: while gathering water, at dawn, for a sacred ritual, he saw the shining figure of an Amesha Spenta, Vohu Manah, who led Zoroaster to the presence of Ahura Mazda. This is where he was taught the cardinal principles of the “Good Religion,” later known as Zoroastrianism.

As a result of this vision, Zoroaster felt that he was chosen to spread & preach the religion. He stated that this source of all goodness was the Ahura, worthy of the highest worship.

Zoroastrianism is famous for its ethical dualism. According to the Gathas (the oldest hymns of the faith), Ahura Mazda created 2 “Twin Spirits”:

Spenta Mainyu
- The “Bounteous Spirit” who chose light & truth.
Angra Mainyu (Ahriman)
- The “Destructive Spirit” who chose darkness & the Lie.

This struggle is the engine of history. Ahura Mazda created the material world as a “trap” for Angra Mainyu, where evil could be engaged, limited, & eventually defeated through the collective “good thoughts, good works, & good deeds” of humanity.

In some Zurvanist narratives, it’s mentioned that Zurvan had a wife who gave birth to Ahura Mazda & Ahriman. Later, Ahura Mazda married his mom & had kids with her, including the sun, dogs, pigs, donkeys, & cattle.

Zurvanism was a fatalistic religious movement of Zoroastrianism in which the divinity Zurvan is a 1st principle who engendered equal but opposite twins, Ahura Mazda & Angra Mainyu. But in non-Zurvanist Zoroastrian traditions, it’s said that Ahura Mazda married his daughter Spenta Armaiti & she gave birth to Keyumars.

Later, she gave birth to Mashya & Mashyana. These traditions are considered to be that Mashya & Mashyana are the kids of Keyumars.

Zoroaster stated that Ahura Mazda created spirits known as yazatas to aid him. Zoroaster proclaimed that some Iranian gods were daevas who deserved no worship. These “bad” deities were created by Angra Mainyu, the destructive spirit.

Angra Mainyu was the source of all sin & misery in the universe. Zoroaster claimed that Ahura Mazda used the aid of humans in the cosmic struggle against Angra Mainyu. However, Ahura Mazda is Angra Mainyu’s superior, not his equal. Angra Mainyu & his daevas (which attempted to attract humans away from the Path of Asha) would eventually be defeated.

Ahura Mazda is often pictured surrounded by 6 (sometimes 7) divine beings called the Amesha Spentas. They’re not separate gods. But rather emanations, or “archangels,” that represent aspects of his own nature:

Vohu Manah (Good Mind)
- Divine wisdom & the protector of animals.
Asha Vahishta (Best Righteousness)
- The order of the universe & protector of fire.
Khshathra Vairya (Desirable Dominion)
- Divine power & the protector of the Earth.
Spenta Armaiti (Holy Devotion)
- Religious piety & the protector of the Earth.
Haurvatat (Wholeness/Health)
- Perfection & the protector of water.
Ameretat (Immortality)
- Eternal life & the protector of plants

Many scholars of religious studies note that several key ideas were either introduced (or solidified) in Judaism (& later Christianity & Islam) through this contact:

Heaven & Hell
- The idea of a place of reward & punishment.
The Devil
- The evolution of “Satan” from a heavenly prosecutor to a cosmic adversary (Angra Mainyu).
The Messiah
- The Zoroastrian concept of the Saoshyant, a Savior who brings about the end of the world & the resurrection of the dead.
The Final Judgement
- The belief that every individual will cross a bridge (the Chinvat Bridge) after death to be judged for their deeds.

Today, the followers of Ahura Mazda are primarily the Parsis, with pockets of communities around the world. The most famous modern Parsi is Freddie Mercury (of Queen fame). The modern Parsis are mainly in India & pockets in Iran & the United States (mainly in California & Texas).

They continue to keep the “Ever-Burning Fire” (or Eternal Flame) alive in their temples as a symbol of Ahura Mazda’s eternal light & purity.

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Spirituality & Religious Studies Feb 8

Medea

Her name literally means ‘planner, schemer.’ (This becomes relevant later, trust us!)

In Greek mythology, Medea is the daughter of King Aeetes of Colchis (modern-day Georgia, the country). She was also the granddaughter of the sun god, Helios. She was a niece of Circe, an enchantress goddess. Her mom may have been Idyia. This divine lineage gave her “golden eyes” & a terrifying intellectual capacity. She was wicked smart.

In most stories, Medea is known as a sorceress, an accomplished pharmakis, a worker in pharmakeia (medicinal magic), & is often depicted as a high-priestess of the goddess Hecate.

To the Athenians, Colchis was the edge of the known world. Medea represented the “Eastern” woman: dangerous, knowledgeable in “pharmaka” (drugs/magic), & unbound by Greek social norms. Medea was a priestess of Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft, crossroads, & the underworld.

She first appears in Hesiod’s Theogony around 700 BC. But is best known from Euripides’ 431 BCE Medea & Apollonius of Rhodes’ 3rd century BC epic Argonautica.

In the myth of the Argonauts, she helps Jason in his search for the Golden Fleece. She was struck by Eros (often pictured as the interference of Hera & Aphrodite), Medea betrays her dad, & kills her brother, to help Jason. To ensure Jason’s (& the Argonauts) escape, she unalives her own brother, Apsyrtus, scattering his remains in the sea so her dad would have to slow down to collect the remains for burial.

This act marked her transition from a domestic princess to a woman who’s “burned her bridges” to the world of men. ONce Jason finishes his quest, she abandons her homeland of Colchis & flees westward with Jason. Medea then marries Jason. She & Jason have at least 2 sons together.

They live in Corinth. Jason abandons Medea to marry the daughter of King Creon of Corinth, named Creusa/Glauce. He did this for political gain, after 10 years of marriage to Medea. Medea is then exiled from Corinth by King Creon.

She was offered asylum in Athens by King Aegeus. This asylum is given after Medea offers the king to give him an heir by using her magic. In some stories, it’s Medea who’s King Aegeus’ baby mama. But Medea wasn’t happy at being rejected by Jason after he made a vow to Hera to love Medea, & be only hers, forever.

This is where Medea’s divine lineage comes into play. Her “Sophia” (wisdom/cleverness) turns deadly. Medea decides the only way to truly destroy/hurt Jason is to unalive their 2 sons & his new bride (who is unalived by a poisoned crown/robes/dress).

Medea weighs her “thymos” (passion/rage) against her “bouleumata” (plans), & the rage wins. She did this so Jason would be without heirs or a legacy for the rest of his life. She didn’t even let Jason hold the bodies of their 2 dead sons, so that he could properly grieve.

Medea wasn’t punished for her actions. Her grandpa, the sun god Helios, sent a chariot pulled by dragons to rescue her. She escaped Athens, carrying the bodies of her children, leaving Jason a broken man.

Or according to Herodotus (in his Histories) mentions that she ended up leaving Athens & settling among the Aryans, who ended up changing their name to the Medes.