Persian Gods

 

Aesma Daeva

One of the Daevas, Aesma Daeva ("madness") is the demon of lust and anger, wrath and revenge. He is the personification of violence, a lover of conflict and war. Together with the demon of death, Asto Vidatu, he chases the souls of the deceased when they rise to heaven. His eternal opponent is Sraosa.

 

Ahura Mazda

Ahura Mazdah ("Lord Wisdom") was the supreme god, he who created the heavens and the Earth, and another son of Zurvan. As leader of the Heavenly Host, the Amesha Spentas, he battles Ahriman and his followers to rid the world of evil, darkness and deceit. His symbol is the winged disc.

 

Airyaman

The Persian god of friendship and healing.

 

Aka Manah

Aka Manah is one of the Daevas. He is the personification of sensual desire who was sent by Ahriman to seduce the prophet Zarathustra. His eternal opponent is Vohu Manah.

 

Amesha Spentas

The name of the seven divine beings who belong to the retinue of the highest god, Ahura Mazda. The Amesha Spentas ("beneficent immortals"), come directly after him in the hierarchy of gods, and can be compared with archangels. They are gods without being gods and creatures without being creatures. Together they fight for truth and justice.

 

Angra Mainyu

God of darkness, the eternal destroyer of good, personification and creator of evil, bringer of death and disease. He is also known as Ahriman, and his name means "fiendish spirit". He is seen as the personification of evil, he leading the dark forces against the hosts of Spenta Mainyu, the holy spirit, who assisted Ahura Mazda, the wise lord, and final victor of the cosmic conflict. Ahriman introduced the frost in winter, heat in summer, all manner of diseases and other ills.

 

Apam-natat

'God found in the water' who gives water to the people. He is a son of the water-god Vouru-kasa. Apam-natat has also some military aspects and he keeps in check rebellion.

 

Apaosa

A demon who brings drought and aridity. He rides on a black, bald horse. Eventually he was defeated by the god Tistrya.

 

Arishtat

God of Honesty.

 

Asha vahishta

Asha vahishta ("excellent order") is the personification of the 'best truth' and protects the physical and moral order on earth. He is the most prominent of the (male) Amesha Spentas and the principal adversary of the world of the demons. The second month is dedicated to him. His eternal opponents are the archdemon of lie, Drug and the archdemon of apostasy, Indra.

 

Asman

God of the Sky.

 

Asto Vidatu

The Persian demon of death whom no human escapes. Together with Aesma Daeva he chases and tries to catch the souls of the deceased with a noose when they rise to heaven.

 

Atar

The Persian god of all fire and of purity, son of Ahura Mazda.

 

Baga

A Persian god of prosperity and wealth.

 

Bahram

The Persian god of the planets and victory. He is the assistant of Sraosa, and helps him when Sraosa rises the soul of the deceased from the body.

 

Burijas

A war god of the Iranian Kassites.

 

Bushyasta

In Zoroastrian mythology, the yellow demon of lethargy and sloth. He is the evil genius which causes men to oversleep and to neglect their religious duties.

 

Buyasta

An ancient Persian demon of laziness who tries to prevent people from working. He is one of the Daevas.

 

Daevas

In ancient Persian mythology they are demons who cause plagues and diseases and who fight every form of religion. They are the male servants (or followers) of Angra Mainyu, also known as Ahriman. The female servants are called the Drugs. Together they fight Ahuru Mazda (Ormazd) and his Amesha Spentas.

 

Dahaka

An ancient Persian god of death and demon of deceit and mendacity. He loves destroying life. Dahaka is usually depicted with three heads, while scorpions and lizards crawl all over his body.

 

Dev

In Persian mythology, a demon of enormous power, a ruthless and immoral god of war.

 

Gandarewa

A Persian water-demon who continually tries to devour the good things of creation.

 

Geus-Tasan

In ancient Persian myth, Geus-Tasan is the divine creator of cattle.

 

Geus-Urvan

The old-Iranian guardian of cattle. His name means "soul of the ox". He is the servant of Vohu Manah.

 

Haoma

A deified plant in Persian mythology whose sap, which has anaesthetic qualities, was drunk during sacrifices. This deity ruled over all medicinal herbs and grants immortality. It is associated with the purification of fire, and believed to have the power of providing husbands for unmarried women.

 

Hvar

A Persian sun-god. He belongs to the Yazatas, a group of good spirits.

 

Hvarekhshaeta

In Persian mythology, the many-horsed sun-god.

 

Indar

The old Iranian god of warfare, courage and bravery.

 

Indra

Indra is one of the seven Daevas and the personification of apostasy. His eternal opponent is Asha vahishta.

 

Khshathra vairya

One of the Amesha Spentas, Khshathra vairya ("desirable dominion") is the personification of desirable dominion and is associated with metal. He is the protector of the poor even though he would rather defend royalty. He enforces peace by using his weapons. His attributes are the helmet, the shield and the spear. The sixth month is dedicated to him. His eternal opponent is the archdemon Saurva.

 

Mah

An ancient Persian god of the moon, one of the Yazatas. He is associated with the cow, which plays an important part in old-Iranian mythology, and presides over time and tide. He is mentioned as an assistant of Vohu Manah. The seventh day of the month is dedicated to Mah.

 

Mao

A Persian moon god.

 

Mithra

An old-Iranian god of light, contracts and friendship. He also maintains the cosmic order. Sometimes mentioned as the son of Ahura Mazda, he assists him in his struggle against the forces of evil, represented by Angra Mainyu.

 

Nairyosangha

The god of fire and messenger between gods and men in Persian mythology.

 

Neriosang

Messenger-god in ancient Persia.

 

Peris

Persian spirits of great beauty who guide mortals on their way to the Land of the Blessed. They also battle the Daevas.

 

Rapithwin

The ancient Persian god of midday, the protecting deity of the south and of summer.

 

Rashnu

The Persian divine angel of justice and last judgement and the personification of righteousness. Along with Mithra and Sraosa he judges the souls of the dead. Rashnu guards the Chinvat bridge leading to heaven. He carries the golden scales with which he weighs the souls at Judgement. Rashnu is one of the Yazatas.

 

Saurva

Saurva is one of the seven main Daevas. His eternal opponent is Khshathra vairya.

 

Spenta Mainyu

In ancient Persian mythology, Spenta Mainyu ("holy spirit") is the god of life and the personification of the good and the light. He is the twin brother of Angra Mainyu (Ahriman), the god of darkness, with whom he fights an eternal battle.

 

Sraosa

Sraosa is a member of the Amesha Spentas. He is the personification of obedience and the messenger of the great god Ahura Mazda. He also guides the souls of the deceased to find their way to the after live. His symbolic animal is the cock, whose crowing will call the pious to their religious duties. The seventeenth day of the month is dedicated to him. His eternal opponent is the archdemon Aesma Daeva.

 

Srosh

In Middle Persian myths the messenger of the gods. He was sent down from heaven to announce to a king that his last hour had struck.

 

Vanant

In Persian mythology, one of the four leaders of the stars which fight for Ahura Mazda; the guardian star of the west who conquers evil.

 

Vata

The ancient Persian god of the wind and one of the Yazatas. The twentieth day of the month is dedicated to him.

 

Verethragna

The Persian god of victory and the personification of aggressive triumph. God of Vrahran Fire, the most sacred of all fires. It 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: bear, bird of prey, bull, camel, 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.

 

Vohu Manah

Vohu Manah ("good sense") is one of the Amesha Spentas, and the personification of wisdom. He is the protector of the animal world and is on earth represented by beneficial animals, especially the cow. He takes the souls of the just toParadise. The eleventh month is dedicated to him. His eternal opponent is the archdemon Aka Manah.

 

Vouruskasha

The world ocean in Zoroastrian cosmology; it is also the sea deity. Also, the heavenly lake whose waters supply the world and in the middle of which grows the Tree of Life.

 

Yazata

In Zoroastrianism the Yazatas are the deities to whom the hymns in the Zend-Avesta are addressed. They are also the guardians of the celestial bodies and the messengers of Ahura Mazda. The chief Yazata is Mithra and some of the others include Daena, Mah, Rashnu, Tistrya, and Zam.

 

Zam

In old-Iranian (Avestan) mythology, Zam is the deified earth. He is one of the Yazata.

 

Zurvan

The primordial god in Persian religion, and the god of infinite time and space. Zurvan is the father of the good god Ahura Mazda and the evil god Angra Mainyu. With children representing the two opposites, Zurvan himself is regarded as a neutral god; one for whom there is no distinction between good or evil. Zurvan is also the god of destiny, light and darkness.

Persian Goddesses

 

Agas

A Persian demoness of illness, one of the Drugs. She personifies evil that is perceived or performed by the eye (her name means "evil eye").

 

Ahurani

Ahurani is a water goddess from ancient Persian mythology. She watches over rainfall as well as standing water. She was invoked for health, healing, prosperity, and growth. She is either the wife or the daughter of the great god of creation and goodness, Ahura Mazda. Her name means "She who belongs to Ahura".

 

Allatum

The goddess of the underworld in early Iranian mythology.

 

Ameretat

One of the Amesha Spentas, Ameretat ("not dying", "living") is the personification of immortality and the protector of plants. The fifth month is dedicated to her. Her eternal opponent is the archdemon of ageing, Zarich.

 

Anahita

The ancient Persian water goddess, fertility goddess, and patroness of women, as well as a goddess of war. Her name means "the immaculate one". She is portrayed as a virgin, dressed in a golden cloak, and wearing a diamond tiara (sometimes also carrying a water pitcher). The dove and the peacock are her sacred animals. Anahita is sometimes regarded as the consort of Mithra.

 

Armaiti

Armaiti ("beneficent devotion") is one of the Amesha Spentas. She is the personification of holy devotion, the daughter of the creator and represents righteous obedience. She is associated with the earth and in that capacity she is the goddess of fertility and the dead, who are buried in the earth. The fifth day of every month and the twelfth month are dedicated to her. Her eternal opponent is the archdemon of discontent, Nanghaithya.

 

Daena

The goddess who personifies religion in Persian mythology. Her name means "that which was revealed". Daena is considered to be the daughter of Ahura Mazda and Armaiti. She is one of the Yazatas.

 

Dena

A Persian goddess. She is the daughter of Ahura Mazda.

 

Drug

An ancient Iranian female demon, the representation of the lie. She causes much evil. She is the eternal opponent of Asha vahishta.

 

Drvaspa

The ancient Persian goddess who protects cattle, children, and friendship. The fourteenth day of the month is dedicated to her.

 

Fravashis

In ancient Persian (Zoroastrian) religion, the Fravashis (singular: Fravartin) are guardian angels or protecting spirits. They guide the souls of the deceased to heaven. Each family or clan has its own spirit, which guards and looks after only them. The Fravashis assisted Ahura Mazda in the creation of the world and, as riders armed with spears, are the defenders of heaven.

 

Haurvatat

Haurvatat ("wholeness") is one of the seven Amesha Spentas. She is the personification of perfection and is associated with life after death. She brings prosperity and health. The third month is dedicated to her. Her eternal opponent is the archdemon of hunger, Tawrich.

 

Izha

"Offering". The Indo-Iranian goddess of the sacrifice.

 

Nanghaithya

One of the Daevas, and archfiend. Nanghaithya is the personification of discontentment. Her eternal opponent is Armaiti.

 

Zam-Armatay

The Persian goddess of the earth.

 

Zarich

Zarich is one of the female members of the Daevas and the personification of ageing. Her eternal opponent is Ameretat.

شدن | م. اثنی عشری

  
چنان در چنبر خويش گرفتار آمده‏اى
كه پيشاپيش جان به اجل سپرده
تابوت خويش را به دنبال ميكشى
و خود را زنده به اسم، مرده به رسم ميدانى.
كاش مردن به اسم را آغازى ميدانستى
تا از مردنت به رسم درسى ميآموختى.
كاش هرگز نمى‏ايستادى.

m.e.

مرغ همسایه | م. اثنی عشری

 

نا درخور كسى بودى

كه فرازناكى انديشه ام را

به بزرگی تنى در معامله شدى.

 

دريغ كه

غاز ظريف خوشبختى را

چه ارزان

به فربهْ مرغِ بيمارِ همسايه فروختى.

m.e.

مرغ بوتیمار | م. اثنی عشری

 

از خودخواهى توست كه

بزرگترين دردت

كوچكترين درد ديگران است.

و از حماقت توست كه

بسان بزرگْ دردمندان چنان فرياد ميكشى

كه كس را توان فرونشاندن فريادت نيست.

تا كى در سوگ خشكيدن دريا زار خواهى زد؟

m.e.

عقاب |  آلفرد لرد تنیسون | م. اثنی عشری

  

قلۀ سرسخت کهساران به ناخن می‌‌خلد

در کنار آفتاب، آنجا که کس ره نا بَرد

لاجوردی آسمان، چون حلقه ای گِردش تَنَد.

 

پهنۀ آژنگ دریا زیر پایش می‌خزد

از فراز بارۀ سنگی نگه در‌افکند

ناگهان چون آذرخش از اوج بر دامن زند.

 

 

The Eagle

 

He clasps the crag with crooked hands

Close to the sun, in lonely lands

Ringed with the azure world, he stands.

 

The wrinkled sea beneath him crawls.

He watches from his mountain walls

And like a thunderbolt he falls.

 

 

 

Alfred, Lord Tennyson

 

 

Short Comments on Some Poems

*. This is not an analysis of the mentioned poems.

 

"Dulce et Decorum Est"

Speaker: A soldier.

Setting: world War I.

Wilfred Owen, the poet, died fighting for England in World War I, a weak before the armistice. He was closely familiar with the cruel side of war and he didn't like the government's attempts in inviting the young people to war in the name of love for one's country. In this poem he describes the true face of death that happens in every war to show its ugly face and the obnoxious lie behind it.

 

 

"The Man He Killed"

Speaker: A soldier.

Setting: world War I.

This poem is by Thomas Harley. In this poem the poet wants to show that war is a terrible event in which ordinary people kill each other without knowing each other whereas if they meet each other outside war they may like and help one another.

 

 

"Is My Team Ploughing"

Speaker: Dead man and his living friends.

This poem is by A.E.Housman. This poem is a dialogue between a dead man and his friend. The dead man is worried about his property, his hobbies, and his girlfriend. After his conversation, he realizes that his death has not changed anything and the world is going on he also finds out that his closest friend and even his love have not remained faithful to him and they are leading their own lives.

 

"Mirror"

Speaker: A mirror

This poem is written by "Sylvia Plath". It has two stanzas that show two different stages of a woman's life. In the 1^st stage, she is innocent and naïve. She is compared to a mirror that is "exact", with "no preconceptions", no cruelty, and full of truthfulness. Here, she is only an observer. She doesn't know much about the world and its dark side but at the end of this stanza she learns about the "faces" (= the nature of other people) and "darkness" (= the ugly side of life).

 

In the 2^nd stanza the mirror is compared to a lake because the world of the woman is not quiet and peaceful but her world is full of waves and confusion. Here, she is searching for her reality. However, "she turns to those liars" who praise her untruthfully. Therefore, she is deceived and comes back" with tears". But this time she is not a young innocent, naïve girl but she is an old experienced woman.

 

"Sonnet 138"

Speaker:  A Lover.

This is a sonnet by Shakespeare. The speaker of this love poem is an old man who is happy that his beloved thinks him a young inexperienced man and lies to him. According to him, this situation is satisfactory because although the girl lies about her love for him, the fact that she considers him young is a lie that is considered an advantage for the old man. He accepts a lying beloved because he takes sensual profit from her.

 

"Richard Cory"

Speaker: A worker

This is a narrative poem by Edwin A. Robinson. The speaker of the poem is a poor worker. It is the story of a man named Richard Cory. His name which is a combination of "Rich" and "Coral" together with words like "Sole" and "Crown" suggest that he is very very rich. In the eyes of the workers, he seems to be at the apex of happiness but at the end of the poem, after he commits suicide, it becomes clear that he was at the bottom of disaster. The poem ends with a bitter irony that suggests we should not judge a man by his clothes.

 

"The Road Not Taken"

This lyric poem is by Robert Frost. The setting is a jungle in autumn ("a yellow wood"). The speaker is a person who is at a crossroad. He should choose between two paths, both of them similar, except that the 1^st one is more trodden than the other. And he chooses the 2^nd road. We must interpret his choice of a road as a symbol for any choice in life between alternatives that appear almost equally attractive but will result through the years in a large difference in the kind of experience one knows.

 

"To Autumn"

This poem is by Keats. It is a lyric poem. The speaker is the poet himself. The setting is autumn. The poet is describing the beauty of autumn by using different images. In the 1^st stanza, that points to different fruits, gustatory (taste) imagery; in the 2^nd stanza, that points to different scenes, visual imagery; and in the 3^rd stanza, that points to different sounds, olfactory imagery are dominant.

 

"To His Coy Mistress" 

This is a love poem by Andrew Marvell. The speaker is a man who is inviting his shy girlfriend to have sex with him. He is Epicurean and believes that life is short and we have to take as much pleasure as possible before Death and Time kill us. In the 1^st stanza, the poet tells what he could do if they didn't ever die. In the 2^nd stanza, he tells what will happen to them really and how they will die. In the last stanza, he concludes that they should therefore make love now because life is short and time is little and they can not stop time.

 

"Meeting At Night"

It is by Robert Browning. The setting is a house at beach in a moonlit night. The speaker of the poem is a young man who is going to meet his beloved secretly.