Anahita

Anahita is the Avestan name of Zoroastrian Iranian deity ( Yazata, " Venerable " ) of water, while the deification of the cosmic ocean dining " River World ".

In the liturgy of the Avesta is her full name " Sura Anahita Ardvi ". The word " Ardvi " comes in Avestan otherwise not available and must be interpreted accordingly as a proper name. Reconstructed Etymologically, it could mean about " wet ". In contrast, " Sura " ( "powerful" or " heroic " ), and " Anahita " (an- ahita " does not pollute ," " undefiled " or " no unclean" ) ordinary adjectives and appear as such. Well in conjunction with other Yazatas In the tradition it appears accordingly as " Ardwisur Anahid " ( Middle Persian ), " Ardwisur Nahid " only " Ardwisur " or as "(A ) Nahid ". The latter is also the general New Persian form and is a female first name under both Zoroastrians and among the various non- Zoroastrian Iranian peoples.

Water ( in all states of aggregation, Avestan: Apo, Middle Persian / Modern Persian: Ab) has in the Zoroastrian faith an extremely high rank, equated with the fire, and there are a total of five Zoroastrian Yazatas (including all three of Ahura ) directly with water associated. As a representative of the " world river " Anahita is of particular importance, not least because it is with most of Wisdom ( Mazda) connected. This association is a feature of both river goddesses of the Indo -Iranian religious literature, ie the Zoroastrian / Iranian Ardvi Sura Anahita and the Vedic / Indian Saraswati.

In Aban Yasht of the Avesta is Anahita - according to the combination of water and fertility - described as the protector of the seed, the uterus, the pregnancy and the mother's milk. In anthropomorphic form Anahita appears as a beautiful young girl wearing gold and a crown of stars. Your chariot is drawn by four horses, which are the wind, the clouds, the rain and the sleet.

The liturgy is also Anahita martial properties, verbatim, the same who is a figure of the Ashi ( "happiness", " generosity " ), and she is called in the battle for assistance. According Aban Yasht the mythical king Haoshyangha Paradata already was doing ( Modern Persian: Huschang of the dynasty of Pishdadian as in Shahnameh Firdausi ) on Mount Hara a prayer to Anahita and asked them to success and support.

The Achaemenid Great King Artaxerxes II asks in his inscription at Susa the gods Ahura Mazda, Anahita and Mithra for protection. As a result of the adoption of Anahita as its patron saint ( until the 19th century, it was common that individuals, families and professions a patron selected ), the position of the Anahita took a very high position. In the nearly forty -year reign of the Great King, a Anahita cult with a large fan base developed. Several centuries later, the Arsacid imitated the customs of Artaxerxes. In order to strengthen their claim to rule, claimed the Arsacid descent from Artaxerxes II, and took not only his name but also his customs. They used to follow a special position Anahitas.

In the course of Arsacid rule in Armenia, where the internal consistency of the Iranian pantheon and its mythological braid played a minor role, Anahita then Anahit has gradually evolved into a much more independent deity and here as the mother goddess in the triumvirate with Aramazd ( Armenian / Parthian for Ahura Mazda ) and Vahagn - Vram ( Armenian / Parthian for Verethragna ) the patron saint of the entire state. At the Armenian form of the cult of sacred promiscuity should have heard.

By syncretic influences of the Mesopotamian Ishtar as well as during the era of Hellenistic- influenced Seleucid and Arsacid with Aphrodite - Venus Anahita participated in properties that are not known from the older Iranian sources. In the course of such influences ( like was also eg for Zeus / Jupiter Ahura Mazda, Hades / Pluto Angra Mainyu, Apollo - Mithras, Hercules / Mars Verethragna etc. ) Anahita was identified with the planet Venus, and Iran got the heavenly bodies their names. The old Iranian name of the planet Venus was Mithra, as it is also in ancient Greek texts and to this day still is in some newly -Iranian dialects. This changed also in the Hellenistic era by merging the figure Mithras with Apollo, the Greek god of light, and Shamash, the Babylonian sun god. This in turn lost the ur -Iranian sun god Hvare Xšaēta, Modern Persian " Khorshid " his role. In the Middle Persian language then Mithra and the sun were designated with the word Mihr, the light with the cognate word more.

The rulers of the late pre-Islamic dynasty of the Sassanids were. Before their rise to power itself Zoroastrian priests in Istachr, and some of them still practiced as great kings this priestly function

The ninth day and the eighth month of the year are dedicated in zoroastrischem calendar of the water and are under his protection. According Anahita will continue to be celebrated by Zoroastrians on the name of the water, especially at Abanagan, the ninth day of the eighth month. In Zoroastrianism, the ritual cleansing and " gift of water " ( From Azor or Ape - Zaothra ) with recitation of the " Aban Yasht " is celebrated today. As " Aban " is the water also the name of the eighth month of the Iranian civil calendar of 1925.

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