Yasht

Yasht ( Middle Persian and Modern Persian: YaST / یشت, originating from " yašti " and " yaz ": worship, sacrifice, praise - the Old - Avestan; related to Yasna ):

The third section of the Avesta, the holy scripture of the followers of the Iranian religious leader Zarathustra, form twenty Yashts. The Yashts contain hymns to old -Iranian deities and are referred to with both numbers in terms of numbers as well as by the names of the deity.

The Yashts found as material written sources, especially the early Iranian mythology entrance into the New Persian Shahnameh by the Persian poet Firdausi work. For example appears Hom / Haoma there as living in the mountains, virtuous man who Afrasiab opposes and supports the Iranian king Chusrau.

Among the Yashts Hom Yasht is considered part of the Yasna. There are thus to name the following 20 Yashts which here each given first with two corresponding names and then adds in brackets around the deity to which they are dedicated to:

In the numbering Hom Yasht is counted as Yasht 20 usually, so Vanand Yasht the number is assigned to 21.

The age of the Yashts

The Yashts can be divided into an older and a younger group, which is also associated with significant linguistic and stylistic differences. The origin of the older Yashts is attributed to the existing before the time of Zoroaster and his religious faith renewal Iranian world. However, different authors from an influence of the later Zoroastrian clergy on the form and part of the contents of this Yashts from.

Among the oldest Yashts include " Hom Yasht " Haoma dedicated, as well as " Mihr Yasht " which praises the deity Mithra. More Yashts this group are:

In historical or mythological terms, the representation of various rulers in the older Yashts also in view of the later Persian literature of particular importance. So here the kings of the specified part of Firdausi two dynasties of the early Iranian kings are represented. Thus, acting as " Kianian " or Kianiden in Firdausi dynasty is described here under the name " Kavaya " or " Kavan ".