"Persian Mythology, Gods and Goddesses" (Part II)

Part II 

 

Original text by Iranian author: ,Ahreeman X'*

7.  Devolution of Gender in Persia

 

Multi Genderism was a norm in Ancient Persia. Multi Genderism and Various Verity of Genders, were a fact of life since The Ancient Civilizations (Pre Vedai) Era (6000 BC - 2000 BC). As I have stated before, in ancient times, Iranians did not have the present moral taboos! In Iranian society, had existed: Male, Female, Both Female and Male (Bi Gender), Neither Female nor Male (Neuter), Gay, Lesbian, Transgender, Transvestite and various other types of Gender Identities.

So were the Gods and Goddesses. We had:

Male Masculine Gods (Ahreeman)
Female Feminine Goddesses (Anahita)  -- Interesting text about: Here*
Bi Gender Goddesses (Mitra)
Neuter Gods (Zurvan)
Male Feminine Gods (Indira)
Female Masculine Goddesses (Allatum), etc.

So you see issues such as gender bigotry, sexism, racism and slavery did not exist in the Pre Islamic Iran. All of these issues had entered Iran with... Islam!

Iranian Gods and Goddesses were a representation of the Non Gender Bias Iranian Society. There was no Gender Discrimination in Iran. Iranians were free of Gender issues; furthermore, Iranians believed in endless variety of Gender Forms. Women were the most valuable in the Iranian society. Ancient Iranian society did not see the gender issue as Black and White, Male or Female! Iranians believed in freedom of All Genders, including Male, Female, In Between, Bi Gender, No Gender, Feminine, Masculine, Hetero, Homo, Transgender, Transvestite and various other forms. In ancient Iranian civilization, Aryans were living beyond the petty gender issues.

Morality and Gender in Ancient Persia

Ancient Iranians saw morality as a state of mind, and not as a state of genitalia (Under Belly)! A person's state of soul and mentality was the determining factor for his morality and the person's gender and sexual preference had nothing to do with his level of morality. Ancient Iranians were beyond Gender issues.

Once Islam hit Iran, then everything became Black and White, Male or Female! Once Islam hit Iran, morality was determined by the condition of people's sexual organ and sexual orientation! Heterosexuality became the only allowed form of sex and lifestyle, while everything else became outlawed and taboo. This is how the enslavement of half the population (women) started. This is how people's sexual preference or nature, became a factor to measure their morality! This is how Islamic "Dual Life" started to form and as we know it. Islamic Clerics, themselves lead two lives: They preach Heterosexual Family Values on surface, while they openly believe in up to 4 permanent wives (Aqdi) and unlimited Temporary Wives (Siqeh) and Concubines (Female Slaves) for each man (Legal Islamic Prostitution)! But then again Majority of Islamic Clerics are also occupied with Homosexual activities with young religious students, in backrooms of the mosques, of course in hiding! This is Islam in a nutshell and this is how Islamic fake, superficial, baseless and corrupt system of values had entered the Iranian Culture and as the rest of the Islamic Doctrine, it has infected the Iranian Body!

Certain Persian Gods and Goddesses have common roots with Indian equivalents, because during the Vedai Era, Persian and Indian Aryans lived together. Also certain Persian Gods and Goddesses have common roots with Greeks and Roman equivalents, simply because these entities originated from Iran; however, in later decades and centuries, Greeks and Romans adopted these beings from Iranians and they cherished and flourished them to very high standards.

Ahura Mazda the representation of the Universal Intelligence

Original Statue of Ahura
Curiosity: 7 Zoroastrian divinities are identified with the waters: All three Ahuras (Mazda, Mithra, Apam Napat),

8. Persian Gods

Aban
God of fertility. Named also Apas (āpas) is the Avestan language term for "the waters", which, in its innumerable aggregate states, is represented by the Apas, the hypostases of the waters. Avestan apas (from singular āpō) is grammatically feminine, and the Apas are female. The Middle Persian equivalents are ābān/Ābān (alt: āvān/Āvān), from which Parsi Gujarati āvā/Āvā (in religious usage only) derive. The Avestan common noun āpas corresponds exactly to Vedic Sanskrit āpas, and both derive from the same proto-Indo-Iranian word, stem *ap- "water", cognate with the British river Avon. Abans, a crater on Ariel, one of the moons of Uranus, is named after aban.

Ada
Female goddess of generosity and rewards, considered as having her origin from the Eastern Heaven.

Ahura Mazda
God and Master of Intelligence. "Ahura" equates to "divinity" and "Mazda" to "wisdom". Ahura Mazda Lord of Wisdom is the Persian Supreme God.

The Behistun Inscription (also Bisotun, Bistun or Bisutun; Persian: بیستون‎‎, Old Persian: Bagastana, meaning "the place of god") is a multilingual inscription and large rock relief on a cliff at Mount Behistun in the Kermanshah Province of Iran.

Bistun is the site of the Persian royal proclamation carved by Darius I The Great on a grand cliff known as "Mountain of the Gods." The Inscription celebrates various victories of Darius over Gaumata, pretender to the Achaemenid throne. The inscription includes three versions of the same text, written in three different cuneiform script languages: Old Persian, Elamite, and Babylonian (a variety of Akkadian). The inscription is to cuneiform what the Rosetta Stone is to Egyptian hieroglyphs: the document most crucial in the decipherment of a previously lost script. Darius the Great proclaimed himself victorious in all battles during the period of upheaval, attributing his success to the "grace of Ahura Mazda".

As Ahura Mazda created this Earth, he turned it over to me ….
(Darius The Great - Inscription at Bistun says)

"At that glorious moment, when Ahura touched my soul; I felt the presence of All past and present Aryan Gods on top of the Mountain of Gods!" ~ Darius salutes (Ancient Persian Aryan Slaute) Ahura Mazda at Mountain of The Gods, Bistun

Faravahar representation of Ahura Mazda (cosmis/universal wisdom)

As you can see, Darius was pupil of Ahura Mazda, just as Arjuna of Krishna in Vedas
Compare with this picture*

Ahura Mazda and Persian Ring of Power

According to ancient Persian Mythology, Shahanshahs (Emperors) of Persia would only become legitimate after Ahura granted them The Ring of Power. So at the beginning of their reign, they had to officially receive The Ring of Power (symbol of power to legitimize it) from Ahura or in certain occasions from Goddess Anahita.

Ardeshir I Sassanid (180–242 AD, left) receives the Ring of Power from Ahura (right)

Ardeshir II (the eleventh Sassanid King of Persia from 379 to 383, center) receiving Ring of Power from Ahura (right). Mitra is wearing a crown of sun-rays, holding a priest's barsam, and standing on a sacred lotus (left)

Ahreeman

Originally his name was Angra Mainyu (Avestan) and later Ahreeman (Middle Persian), he is the Persian Lord of Darkness.

Ancient representation of Ahreeman

Now you know how the Mephisto character arrived through Middle Eastern culture to the West?

Ahreeman = Angry-mind (masculine animal part of the God Ahura's mind) was also pictured like this:

And like this...

... you fallow me...? (Picture above you can see the scene from Aliens, Alien trilogy, but for some unknown to me reason - I can only guess - R. Scott decided to show Ahreeman as ... a female Mother Queen, very angry bitch! But in the end, as not many knows, in the place of Ahura (the cosmic-universal wisdom) he put a warrior Lady (Ripley). So maybe after all he's right, huh? Cuz isn't a Woman (Bright Lady) who will destroy Evil in judeochristian mythology?

Angra Mainyu (Avestan)
Angra (Angry) + Mainyu (Mind) = Angry Mind
Angra Mainyu = Angry Mind = Destructive Spirit = Evil God = God of Darkness

Ahreeman Or Ahriman is The Dark Lord. Ahreeman is The Ancient Persian God of Evil. Ahreeman is The Evil Spirit of the one true god, Ahura Mazda. In the Avesta (Ancient Persian Zoroastrian Book) he is called the twin-brother of the Holy Spirit. In original Avestan texts, Ahriman and Ahura Mazda are two faces of the same entity and two sides of the same coin. This is the ancient "Persian Duality" or two faces of one god. Faravahar the Zoroastrian winged symbol's lower half beast-like bird body represents Ahriman and his upper half-human body represents Ahura Mazda. Ahreeman is the dark side of Ahura. Also: Ahreeman is the Best Protector of Ahura Mazda!

Andarva

 
God of Air

Apam-Napat

 
God who resides in the water.

Anzu

 
A massive Persian bird-god that can breathe fire and water. He has a lion head and an eagle body similar to the griffin.

Asheh

 
God of settling down

Asman

 
God of the Sky

Atar or Azar Goshasb the Persian God of Fire

Atar
Or Azar Goshasb is The God of Fire who owns a heavy powerful horse. Atar is Son of Ahura Mazda. He battles Azhi-Dahak, the great dragon of the sky. Atar is conceived of as a spirit of fire. In Avestan texts, his name means "Fire". He symbolically represents the life-animating force, which is radiating from the spirit of Ahura Mazda.

Zoroastrians celebrate Sadeh (Celebration of Winter Fire)

Zoroastrian village comes to life for ancient winter festival
(Read more about: Text and photos)

Zoroastrian Celebrations versus Islamic Mourning

Zoroastrianism is philosophy of life, love, joy and celebrations. Zoroastrians always celebrate various celebrations. Islam is a cult/ideology of death, hate, fear and mourning. Muslims always mourn various death anniversaries of muslim prophet, saints and imams!

Persian Celebrations

Chahar Shanbe Suri (Celebration of Fire)
Nowruz (Persian New Year)
Sizdah Be Dar (Celebration of the 13th Day)
Tirgan (Celebration of the Rain)
Mehregan (Celebration of the Sun)
Yalda (Celebration of the Longest Night)
Sadeh (Celebration of the Winter Fire)
and other Persian events...

Avar Zaman
God of Time ("Prince of Persia" Clip)

Aryaman
The Persian God of friendship and healing. A philosophical concept personified as an Aryan God.

Baga
Persian God of prosperity and wealth.

Bahman

God of good thoughts

Bahram the Persian War God

Bahram

 
The Persian War God, The Great Guardian of Aryans, he protects The Aryans in battles and wars. The Persian God of the planets and victory. Original meaning “smiting of resistance". the personification of a force that shatters and overcomes any resistance or defense, an irresistible offensive force which displays its strength in attack. He is represented as being in constant battle against his enemies, men and demons (daēvas), and wizards-priests (yātus). More about this deity you will find here - Link*.

Burijas
The Great Kassites (Lorestan) Persian God of War.

Geus-Tasan
God of Cattle. In ancient Persian mythology going back to Pre Vedai Era, Geus-Tasan is the divine creator of cattle.

Hadish
Persian God of Agriculture. God and guardian of peasants, peasants' homes and agriculture.

Indira the Vedic Aryan God of Thunder shared by Persians as well as Indians

Indira the Aryan God of Thunder on elephant top

Indira

 
The Aryan God of Thunder and Storm. He is the God of warfare with ugliness. Indira promotes courage and bravery. Almost one fourth of the total number of hymns of the Rigveda, about 250 hymns have been dedicated to him. Indira often rides an elephant. Indira has originated from Vedai Era (Vedas Period). Indira was a Feminine Male God! Indira an Aryan God shared by Persians as well as Indians who lived together during the Vedai Era.

Neriosang
The Messenger-God in ancient Persia, Neriosang is an Avestan Period God.

Parand
God of happiness and wealth

Rapithwin
The ancient Persian God of midday, the protecting deity of the south and of the summer season.

More about Susa Civilization - Here*

Shushinak (picture above)
One of the Oldest Iranian Gods. Ancient God of Susa Civilization, first Iranian Civilization going back 8000 years.

Sorush
God of cleanliness and in Middle Persian myths, "the messenger of the gods". He was sent down from heavens to announce to the kings that their final hour had struck.

Tasho
The Fashioner, carpenter, chariot maker and the "heavenly builder", the maker of divine implements.

Teshba
God of storm

Vanant
The Guardian God Star of the west who conquers evil. In Persian mythology, he is one of the four leaders of the stars which fights for Ahura Mazda.

Verethragna
The Persian God of victory. The personification of aggressive triumph. God of Vrahran Fire, the most sacred of all fires. Vrahran Fire is a combination of 16 fires, most of which belong to those in the metal-working trades. He punishes the evil done by man and demon. Verethragna appears in many shapes such as bird of prey, bull, camel, bear, youth, warrior with a golden sword, wind, etc. His appearance as a bird and bear were especially popular. The twentieth day of the month is dedicated to him.

Zurvan in the Form of the Leontocephalic Kronos by J. Augustus Knapp

Zurvan
The Persian God of infinite time and space. He decides the fate. He is traditionally represented as being without gender (neuter), passions, and neutral in regard to good and evil. Zurvan is The primordial god in Persian religion. According to some Vedai Sources, Zurvan is the father of the good God Ahura Mazda and the Evil God Ahreeman (Angra Mainyu). With children representing the two opposites, Zurvan himself is regarded as a neutral god, just as Greek Kronos/Saturn; one for whom there is no distinction between good or evil. Zurvan is also said to be the god of destiny, light and darkness. Zurvanism believes that Ahura and Ahreeman are twin brothers. Ahura Mazda is the Middle God and Ahreeman is the Fallen God. Zurvanism does not take sides. Zurvanism does not distinguish between Good and Evil. There exists No Absolute Good and No Absolute Evil.

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End of Part II
(Part I)

Next post will be devoted to "The Yazatas: Persian Guardian-Messenger Gods and Goddesses"