Zoroaster
Zoroaster, or Zarathustra, Zarathushtra (Zarautra in Avestan , in Greek ), is a prophet of the seventh century BC. AD , The name of Zoroaster The name-zara Ustra is a compound bahuvrhi in Avestan zarta-of "old, weak" and stra " camel , "which means" one who has old camel. " An ancient mistranslation closer zarta de zaray ( gold or yellow ) which gave "the one with the yellow camels" - translation certainly more romantic, which, by accumulation of errors led to translations even more fanciful, "the bearer of golden dawn (zaray Ushas). On the other hand stra Ashtar became ancient Persian and Persian shotor current (camel) could serve simultaneously the star (in French), star in English and Persian setar current in Greek. The relationship could come from the journey of the sun in the sky, in comparison with that of the camel on earth as the only means of travel and travel of that era. Thus, the composition zara = = stra gold star, the star could give gold, and also the golden camel. Although these fancies were not very accurate, they seem to show a desire for greatness, beyond "one who has old camel." Another translation has "the camel driver." In Persian modern name of Zoroaster in the form or Zartot Zardot (); In Kurdish modern name Zorastre takes the form of Zerdust or Zerdet. From there might arise other meanings. Zer (yellow in Kurdish) derives the word zer which means "gold" dest means "plain" but it may have evolved originally the term was perhaps dest which means "hand. Thus, Zerdest could be "The Golden Hand" because of the miracles they have performed. Or, Zerdet could be the man of "golden plains. Zoroaster, the son of Horomasde , would have started life as a priest of the then reigning religion in Persia, the Mazdeism , which involved among other many sacrificial rites, especially animals. He had a series of visions in which he saw Ahura Mazda , supreme deity, and began a passionate sermon, preaching: The ancient Persian religion was mainly supported by the warring aristocratic families. Now the arguments of justice and conscience clashed deeply personal habits and attitudes of those old families. Not only not liked his ideas, but above all they were questioning the established order. Chased by the people, he had to flee for his life. After several years of exile during which he held talks with mystical Ahura Mazda, he eventually found in Bactria a powerful protector, Hystaspes , the father of Darius I.. Hystaspes follow his teachings through a journey of initiation. This first victory of Zoroaster will engage in others: Hystaspes forced his subjects and the subjects he has defeated in war, to convert to Zoroastrianism. The religion spread, especially in Persia and among the Parthians , who made an official religion, and endowed it with a true ecclesiastical institution - the caste of Mobads - which had a great influence in state affairs. Again, the dates of birth and death of Zoroaster and imprecise data are discussed, which vary greatly according to sources. What is known about the life of Zoroaster comes primarily from the Avesta , whose Gathas are the most ancient Greek texts, oral tradition and archaeological evidence. The Spena Nask, 13th section of the Avesta, describes the life of Zoroaster. This chapter, transmitted orally, has no more coherence. The biographies in the seven books of Dnkard ( ninth century ) and ahnma were demonstrated as false. However, it is easy to say that Zoroaster lived in the northeast of modern Iran. The Greeks refer to it by calling it the Bactrian (an inhabitant of Bactria , now northern Afghanistan, a Mede or a Persian 5000 years ago). His wife is called Hvvi. They have three daughters, Freni, fried and Pourucista and three son, Isat Vastar, Uruvat Cira-Nara and Hvar. His mother's name Dughdova his father was Pourushaspa Spitama. His grandfather was called Haecadaspa Spitama. Zoroaster would have been an enlightenment for the god Ahura Mazda , at the age of 30 years. He created the foundations of his religion and converted to his wife, his children and his cousin Maidhyoimangha. The Greeks have fantasized a lot about his life including his childhood. According to Pliny, Zoroaster would have laughed the day she was born and lived in savagery. Plutarch compares to Lycurgus and Numa Pompilius (Numa, 4). Dio Chrysostom compares the Ahura Mazda Zarathustra to Zeus. Plutarch, drawing Theopompus , compares the Zoroastrianism and the story of Isis and Osiris. The Gathas are a collection of prophecies and admonitions in poetic form, which tell of a dialogue between God and Ama Spntas "Immortals" (in Pahlavi Amahraspandn). However, these texts contain personal references - its hard to convey the religion, the insults of those around ... It is important to recognize two different characters, or rather two different visions of the character: Zoroaster as described in the Avesta of Zoroaster and the Gathas. In the Avesta , it is described struggling with Daeva (demons immortal, in Pahlavi Dewan), and in the New protests, he is tempted by Ahriman , who asked him to renounce his faith (Yasht, 17,19). Finally the Vendidad recounts the dialogue between Ahura Mazda and Zoroaster. These are the last traces of his speech about his doctrine set forth in the court of King Vistasp. Zoroaster is best known as a sage, a magician in modern culture, though his ideas did not discover until the late eighteenth century. He was then associated with the Freemasons and other groups claiming that Zoroaster had reached a "knowledge." A character named Sarastro appears in the opera The Magic Flute, and represents the order and morality - as opposed to the Queen of the Night. Writers and philosophers of the Enlightenment, including Voltaire, engaged work on Zoroastrianism, seeing it as a form of enlightened Deism, preferable to dogmatic Christianity. With transcription of the Avesta by Abraham Anquetil-Duperron, the study of Zoroastrianism could actually begin. In the nineteenth century , the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche used so parody, the name of Zoroaster in his book Thus Spake Zarathustra. Nietzsche actually a character drama and critical of his works and philosophical pretensions, develops the death of God. Poet-prophet, Zarathustra retire to the mountain and back among the men to talk to them: the virtues of Superman, the eternal return of the preachers of death, the weak and strong, nobles and slaves ... Nietzsche parodied the character of Zoroaster, associating it with Manichaeism. It would, he says, invented the dualism morale, as the Daeva (natural forces) and Ahura (the reason the "good" and "evil" morals). It is this dualism that Nietzsche proposed to abolish. Richard Strauss , inspired by Nietzsche, wrote the Opus 30, also called Also sprach Zarathustra. The opening sequence is still famous for putting music in the film by Stanley Kubrick, 2001, A Space Odyssey. The beginnings of Zoroastrianism
Zoroaster in History
Life of Zoroaster
Zoroaster in European culture
Zoroaster in the arts
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