| 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. |
| 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"). |
| 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. |
| 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". |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Dena |
A Persian goddess. She
is the daughter of Ahura Mazda. |
| Dev |
In Persian mythology,
a demon of enormous power, a ruthless and immoral god of war. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
| Izha |
"Offering".
The Indo-Iranian goddess of the sacrifice. |
| 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. |
| Nanghaithya |
One of the Daevas, and
archfiend. Nanghaithya is the personification of discontentment. Her
eternal opponent is Armaiti. |
| 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 to Paradise. 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. |
| 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. |
| 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. |
