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the title of the ninth Yašt of the Avesta, also known as Drwāsp Yašt, after the goddess Druuāspā (see DRVĀSPĀ) to whom, in fact, it is dedicated. A version of this article is available in print Volume XI, Fascicle 2, pp. 167 GŌŠ YAŠT, the title of the ninth Yašt of the Avesta, also known as Drwāsp Yašt, after the goddess Druuāspā (see DRVĀSPĀ) to whom, in fact, it is dedicated. This Yašt corresponds to the fourteenth day of the Zoroastrian calendar, which also bears the name Gōš and on which Gə̄uš tašan, Gə̄uš uruuan and Druuāspā are invoked ( Sirōza 1.14, 2.14). However, nowhere in the Yašt itself a…

(or Karpan), designation of members of a class of daivic priests opposed to the religion of Zarathustra. A version of this article is available in print Volume XV, Fascicle 5, pp. 550 KARAPAN (or Karpan), designation of members of a class of daivic priests opposed to the religion of Zarathustra. These priests were a part of the general society in which Zarathustra was active, as reflected in his Gāthās, but they seem to have receded into legendary status already in the formulaic sāΘrąm kaoyąm karafnąmca “of tyrants, kawis and karpans” of more recent Yašt compositions; and in the Pahlavi…

“the soul of the Cow,” the name of the archetypal Bovine, whose plight is a subject of Zoroaster’s gāΘā, often identified as “the Cow’s Lament.” A version of this article is available in print Volume X, Fascicle 6, pp. 577 GƎˊ UŠ URUUAN “the soul of the Cow,” the name of the archetypal Bovine, whose plight is a subject of Zoroaster’s gāΘā ( Y. 29), often identified as “the Cow’s Lament.” In this poem Zoroaster drew upon an old Indo-Iranian motif of a semi-divine cow. While the grammatical gender of gau- is feminine, the word can refer to “cattle, bovines” generally, and has been so u…

one of the eight Zoroastrian priests (ratu) necessary for the performance of the yasna ritual. A version of this article is available in print Volume II, Fascicle 7, pp. 778 ĀSNATAR (Pahl. āsnadār, lit. “washer”), one of the eight Zoroastrian priests ( ratu) necessary for the performance of the yasna ritual. According to Nīrangistān 75, it was the āsnatar’s function to wash and to strain and filter the haoma juice. At the ritual, his station within the sacrificial area was the center of the western side between the hāvanan (q.v.) on his left and the ātrəvaxš (q.v.) on his right. Today the āsnata…

a term in Zoroastrianism sometimes rendered as “savior.” Since the term also occurs frequently in reference to contemporary individuals, a more neutral translation such as “benefactor” or “helper” (Lommel) may be preferred. SAOŠYANT, a term in Zoroastrianism sometimes rendered as “savior” (Bartholomae). This approximation of the meaning, in eschatological contexts only, has the disadvantage of associations with Christian theology. Since the term also occurs frequently in reference to contemporary individuals, including Zoroast…

name given to a section of the Avestan Yasna, namely, Y. 9-11.11. It is central to the ritual and is recited prior to the priestly consumption of the parahaoma (Pahl. parāhōm). A version of this article is available in print Volume XII, Fascicle 4, pp. 431-434 HŌM YAŠT, name given to a section of the Avestan Yasna, namely, Y. 9-11.11, which thus, technically, is not one of the Yašts at all. (There is a very brief, two-stanza Hōm Yašt found as Yašt 20.) However, like the Srōš Yašt ( Y. 57), Y. 9-11.11 contains a sustained collection of stanzas appropriate to Haoma (q.v., for haoma the plant and its…

In 1921 Gray was appointed associate professor of philology at the University of Nebraska, where he remained until his appointment at Columbia University as professor of Oriental Languages in 1926. In 1935, he became Professor of Comparative Linguistics, a position he held until his retirement in 1944. A version of this article is available in print Volume XI, Fascicle 2, pp. 200 GRAY, LOUIS HERBERT, orientalist and philologist (b. Newark, New Jersey, 10 April, 1875; d. New York, New York, 18 August, 1955; ; Figure 1), who was associated with Columbia Univer…

one of what have been termed ‘minor Yašts’ of the Avesta; it is dedicated to the moon. MĀH YAŠT ( Yašt 7), one of what have been termed ‘minor Yašts’ of the Avesta. As the name indicates, it is dedicated to the Moon (Av. māh-, måŋha-; Phl. māh) and follows immediately upon the Xwaršēd Yašt dedicated to the Sun. Lacking the kardah divisions of the ‘great’ Yašts, it is a short hymn, composed of seven stanzas plus introductory matter in a mix of Avestan and Pāzand. Stanzas 6 and 7 are formulas common to the Yašts generally. Stanza 6 is the ahe raya formula in which the deity’s name with epithets is…

a major deity ( yazata) in Zoroastrianism, whose great popularity reserved a place for him in Iranian Islam as the angel Surōš. In Avestan, the word occurs both as a noun and as a name. Its basic common meaning is “to hear and obey.” SRAOŠA (MPers. Srōš) a major deity ( yazata) in Zoroastrianism, whose great popularity reserved a place for him in Iranian Islam as the angel Surōš. In Avestan, s(ə)raoša- occurs both as common noun and as a proper name. It is derived from an s-extension of ⎷ sraw-/ sru- “to hear.” Both finite forms and nominal derivatives are formed. As a common IIr. ver…

Avestan Rašnu, the deity of the ancient Iranian pantheon who functions as the divine Judge. RAŠN, Avestan Rašnu, the deity of the ancient Iranian pantheon who functions as the divine Judge. The word rašnu- is a primary derivative in - nu- (see Wackernagel/Debrunner, §575) of the verb raz- (OInd. ⎷ raj-, IE * ⎷ h3reg -) “to move in a straight line; to direct.” It occurs both as an adjective “just, rectus” and as a proper name. The etymologically related superlative razišta- “straightest, most just” is his standing epithet. While there is no reflex of his name in Old Indian, i…

an Avestan-Pahlavi glossary so named after its first entry, Av. oīm glossed by Pahl. ēwag, though the work is introduced with the lengthy title: “On the understanding of the speech and words of the Avesta, namely, what and how its zand is.” A version of this article is available in print Volume X, Fascicle 2, pp. 123 FRAHANG Ī OĪM, an Avestan-Pahlavi glossary so named after its first entry, Av. oīm glossed by Pahl. ēwag, though the work is introduced with the lengthy title: “On the understanding of the speech and words of the Avesta, namely, what and how its zand is.” A more comprehensive stat…

name of the ten-day Zoroastrian festival ( gāhānbār) at year’s end in honor of the spirits of the dead. A version of this article is available in print Volume X, Fascicle 2, pp. 199 FRAWARDĪGĀN (New Pers. farvardagān), name of the ten-day Zoroastrian festival ( gāhānbār) at year’s end in honor of the spirits of the dead. The name itself is elliptic for ( rōzān ī) frawardīgān (ten days dedicated to) the frawards. The festival is divided into two five-day halves. The first half is known as the lesser five ( panj-e keh, ḵardag or kasōg), the second half, forming the five intercalary days, is…

the name of a minor goddess, one of a number of abstract deities who appear in the Avesta only in formulaic invocations of divinities. A version of this article is available in print Volume VIII, Fascicle 5, pp. 542 ƎRƎTI, the name of a minor goddess. One of a number of abstract deities who appear in the Avesta only in formulaic invocations of divinities, she is the hypostasis of ərəti-. Although most interpreters follow Bartholomae ( AirWb, col. 350) in taking this feminine noun to mean approximately ‘energy’ on the assumption that it is etymologically identical to OInd. ṛtí- f. (“attack”; …

(Av. daδuuah-, Pahl. day “creator”), an epithet of Ahura Mazdā that became the name of the tenth month, as well as of the eighth, fifteenth, and twenty-third days in each month of the Zoroastrian calendar. A version of this article is available in print Volume VII, Fascicle 2, pp. 163-164 DAY (Av. daδuuah-, Pahl. day “creator”), an epithet of Ahura Mazdā that became the name of the tenth month, as well as of the eighth, fifteenth, and twenty-third days in each month of the Zoroastrian calendar. Younger Avestan daδuuah-/ daΘuš- is a perfect active participle of the verb dā- (IE. *dheh1 -, OInd. dh…

or ēwagdād; the name of the primordial Bovine in Zoroastrian mythology. A version of this article is available in print Volume X, Fascicle 4, pp. 340 GĀW Ī ĒWDĀD (also ēwagdād), the name of the primordial Bovine in Zoroastrian mythology. Although the name gav- aēvō.dātā- appears in two Avestan litanies ( Nīāyišn 3.2; Sīh rōzag 2.12) together with måŋha- gaociΘra- “the Moon containing the seed of cattle” and gaw- pouru.sarəδā “the Bovine of many species,” the only other information is contained in the Pahlavi books, especially the Bundahišn and the Wizīdagīhā ī Zādspram. The meaning of …

name of a lengthy Avestan text divided into 24 chapters; the name derives from Av. vīspe ratawō meaning “all the ratus.” VISPERAD (or Visprad), name of a lengthy Avestan text divided into 24 chapters (Pahl. kardag, Pers. karda); the name derives from Av. vīspe ratawō meaning “all the ratu-s.” It was never meant to stand alone, its chapters being inserted for recitation into various parts of the Yasna. Nor does it form part of the normal, daily performance of the Yasna. Rather, its original purpose was to embellish the Yasna ceremony during the five main festivals (Pahl. gāhānbār) of the yea…

chariots in ancient Iran were light horse-drawn, two-wheeled vehicles designed for speed and maneuverability in battle and races. A version of this article is available in print Volume V, Fascicle 4, pp. 377-380 CHARIOT (Av. raΘa, vāša-, Mid. Pers. rah, wardyūn, etc.). Chariots in ancient Iran were light horse-drawn, two-wheeled vehicles designed for speed and maneuverability in battle and races. Originally developed in Mesopotamia in the third millennium, chariots were built and driven with superlative skill by Indo-Iranian peoples b…

the two dadophoroi or torch bearers who often flank Mithras in the bull-slaying scene and who are sometimes shown in the birth scenes of Mithras. A version of this article is available in print Volume V, Fascicle 1, pp. 95-96 CAUTES AND CAUTOPATES, the two dadophoroi or torch bearers who often flank Mithras in the bull-slaying scene and who are sometimes shown in the birth scenes of Mithras. They are normally shown with Cautes holding an upraised torch, Cautopates with lowered torch. Sometimes they both hold a pedum or shepherd’s crook (fo…

“Wind, Atmosphere, Space,” name of a deity and the natural phenomenon. VĀYU “Wind, Atmosphere, Space,” name of a deity. Indo-Iranian religion recognized two wind gods: Av. vayu, Ved. vāyú, and Av. vāta-, Ved. vā́ta-. In Iranian the latter is both a deity and the natural phenomenon (cf. MPers., Parth. wād, Kušān coins OAƍO, SogdB wʾt, Khot. bāta-; see further, Bailey, p. 276). By contrast, in the Avesta vayu- is always a proper name, never an appellative. Further, the Middle Persian evidence suggests that, as an appellative, OIr. wāyu- included “atmosphere” as the realm of the wind…

(Mid. Pers ādurwaxš), one of the eight Zoroastrian priests ( ratu) necessary for performance of the yasna ritual. A version of this article is available in print Volume III, Fascicle 1, pp. 17 ĀTRƎVAXŠ (Mid. Pers ādurwaxš), one of the eight Zoroastrian priests ( ratu) necessary for performance of the yasna ritual. As the name indicates, his primary function was to tend to (lit., “augment,” vaxš-) the sacred fire ( ātar). According to Nirangistan 73 he also had to cleanse three sides of the fire altar; and he made response to the zaotar during the ritual in the same way that, in more re…