Inside the Legend: Shadow

 

WRAITH SHADOW

The Wraith shadow is the wraith’s worst nightmare. The shadow personifies the worst and most self-destructive parts of the wraith’s persona. The wraith shadow is a result of shame and self-disgust of the wraith, when it goes too far in following it’s own inner persona.

ZOROASTRIANISM

Zoroastrianism is the oldest monotheistic of the revealed world-religions. "Very, very old school like 2,000 years before Christ." Some scholars believe that Zoroastrian doctrines - those of heaven and hell, the struggle of good versus evil, and a redeeming messiah- have deeply influenced the Jewish and Christian religions. It is an ancient Iranian religion with similarities to the faiths of Northern India and the Viking regions of Northern Europe.

AHURA MAZDA

About 3500 years ago (1200-1600 BC) in Persia, Zarathushtra preached that there is only one god whom he referred to as Ahura Mazda, the God of Wisdom. Ahura Mazda is said to be the beginning and the end and the creator of everything. The principal and cardinal virtue for the followers of Zarathushtra is to adhere to the Zarathushti creed of Humata, Hukhta and Havarastra (Good Thoughts, Good Words and Good Deeds). The Avesta is the most ancient scripture of Zoroastrianism.

HOW TO BECOME A ZOROASTRIAN

Only a few hundred thousand Zoroastrian believers are left, and the majority live in India and Iran. How one become a Zoroastrian is an ongoing controversy. According to the prevailing view, one must be born into the faith, of a Zoroastrian father- converts are unacceptable. However, due to dwindling numbers of faithful, some believe that converts should be admitted. The survival of the religion may depend on it.

THE AVESTA

Zoroastrians worship and share communion in a temple, often referred to as a "fire temple," where an eternal fire burns continuously. Fire is a Zoroastrian symbol for Ahura-Mazda’s power. The main Zoroastrian Holy Scriptures are called the Avestas, written in an ancient text (Avestan) that is similar to Sanskrit. A portion of the Avestas known as the Gathas, consist of hymns written by Zoroaster. Religious law is contained in another text, the Vendidad. Many of the original texts are missing. The last book of the Avestas, the Vendidad, contains Zoroastrian civil and religious law. The Vendidad is complex, and covers subjects as diverse as the way prayers are to be recited to the treatment of pets and livestock. The Jewish book of law, Leviticus, contains many similarities to the Vendidad, and was likely based on it.

Avesta Text

THE LAST DUALIST RELIGION

At the center of Zoroastrian belief is a duality of conflicting forces- Ahura-Mazda, the supreme entity and the force of good, versus Ahriman, the force of evil and darkness. These forces are locked in a constant struggle, but good, as always, is expected to prevail.

ZOROASTRIAN TIME

Zoroastrians believe that time is divided into three ages, those of creation, the current era of mixed good and evil, and the coming era, when Ahura-Mazda will triumph, evildoers will be punished, and the good will go to heaven. It is an apocalyptic religion, like Christianity. However, unlike most Christian views of hell, Zoroastrians believe it to be a temporary abode, where sinners are cleansed by fire.

BELIEFS ON THE DEAD & SYMBOLS

Zoroastrian dead are not buried, but placed in the open air in structures called "towers of silence," to be devoured by vultures. A Zoroastrian symbol is a symbol that depicts the human soul before and after death. The Farohar is the emblem of the faith.

 

"It's a sigil for a deva."

DAEVA

"It translates to 'demon of darkness'-- zoroastrian demons, and they're savage, animalistic, you know- nasty demonic pitbulls."

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.

Originally, the Daevas, together with the Ahuras, were a classification of gods and spirits. In later Persian religion they were degraded to a lesser kind of beings, demons. The word 'devil' is derived from their name.

The seven archdemons of the Daevas are: Aesma Daeva, Aka Manah, Indra, Nanghaithya, Saurva, Tawrich and Zarich.

"Nobody's seen them for a couple of millenia"

AESMA DAEVA

"Fury". One of the Daevas, Aesma Daeva ("madness") is the demon of lust and anger, wrath and revenge. His wrath is mainly directed towards the cow. 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. The Jewish evil spirit Asmodeus is derived from his image. His eternal opponent is Sraosa.

AKA MANAH

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

INDRA

The personification of apostasy.

NANGHAITHYA

Archfiend. Nanghaithya is the personification of discontentment. Her eternal opponent is Armaiti.

SAURVA

Eternal opponent is Khshathra vairya.

TARWICH

Personification of hunger. She belongs to the Daevas, a group of demons. Her eternal opponent is Haurvatat.

ZARICH

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

SEE THROUGH THE SHADOWS

Persian Mythology: Daevas

Ahuramazda and Zoroastrianism

By Dean5339