Reading...
Play button
Play button
Use LEFT and RIGHT arrow keys to navigate between flashcards;
Use UP and DOWN arrow keys to flip the card;
H to show hint;
A reads text to speech;
29 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
|
Ahura
|
Lord
|
|
|
Ahura Mazda
|
Zarathustra's name for God, meaning "Lord of Wisdom"; the supreme deity, the power of good, the creator of the world, the guardian of humankind; also known as Ohrmazd.
|
|
|
Amesha Spentas
|
"Holy Immortals"; six divine attributes, archangels, or lesser immortal beings who, along with Ahura Mazda, make up the Holy Heptad, the sacred seven. In some Zorastrian thought, the Amesha Spentas are heavenly beings created by Ahura Mazda and, combined, represent the sevenfold character of God.
|
|
|
Angra Mainyu
|
Zarathustra's name for the destructive spirit, the devil; also known as Ahriman.
|
|
|
Asha
|
"Order, truth, justice"; the governing principle of the world.
|
|
|
Avesta
|
The sacred book of ancient Zoroastrianism. Only a quarter of the original has survived.
|
|
|
Avestan
|
The language of Zarathustra and the Avesta.
|
|
|
Chinvat
|
The bridge of judgment which connects this world with the unseen afterlife. After death, it is a means by which people cross between the two. Humans are judged before they cross this bridge.
|
|
|
Dakhma
|
Originally, "grave"; later, a walled tower open to the sky where Zoroastrians expose the dead to vultures and crows for disposal of the flesh; sometimes called tower of silence.
|
|
|
Farohar
|
The winged symbol or emblem of Zoroastrianism, the precise meaning of which is open to some question. It is the most commonly used Zoroastrian symbol. The central figure is popularly believed to be either Ahura Mazda or the fravashi.
|
|
|
Fravashi
|
Possibly a guardian spirit, but may also be a spirit which enters this life with a person and continues with him or her beyond death.
|
|
|
Gabars
|
A pejorative term used by Muslims in Iran for members of the Zoroastrian faith.
|
|
|
Gathas
|
Hymns or poems written by Zarathustra; considered to be the most authoritative expressions of the Zoroastrian religion.
|
|
|
Gayomart
|
The Primal Man; first progenitor of the human race and father of Mashye and Mashyane.
|
|
|
Haoma
|
The sacred plant whose juice is used as an offering in the Yasna.
|
|
|
Kusti
|
Literally, "sacred cord"; girdle received by Zoroastrians at navjote and worn at all times. It is untied and retied several times a day to the accompaniment of prayers.
|
|
|
Magi
|
The priestly caste of ancient Persia, in time associated with the Zoroastrian priesthood. The singular form, "magus," is the Greek version of the Old Persian word "magu," meaning priest.
|
|
|
Mashye and Mashyane
|
The first human couple, male and female; the Adam and Eve of Zoroastrian tradition.
|
|
|
Mithra
|
A "high god" of pre-Zoroastrian Iran that survived the advent of Zoroastrianism and also continues to have a presence in the Vedas of Hindu literature in India.
|
|
|
Navjote
|
The public ceremony of initiation into the Zoroastrian faith.
|
|
|
Nirang
|
Urine of an ox or bull which has been consecrated by prayer and is used eternally for cleansing and drunk for internal purification.
|
|
|
Pahlavi
|
Also called Middle Persian; the language of Sassanian and early Islamic times in which the largest community of Zoroastrians in the world.
|
|
|
Parsis
|
The "Persians" who settled in India in 936 C.E. to seek a land of religious freedom away from oppression in Muslim Iran. Parsis today make up the largest community of Zoroastrians in the world.
|
|
|
Saoshyant
|
The coming Savior; the messiah figure of Zoroastrianism
|
|
|
Sudre
|
A white cotten undershirt worn next to the skin at all times (except when bathing) as a religious symbol of commitment and protection.
|
|
|
Urvan
|
The spirit or soul of man
|
|
|
Vendidad
|
"Code against the demons"; a book of purification in the Avesta, read at night in a lengthy ritual.
|
|
|
Yasht
|
A hymn to Ahura Mazda or some other immortal being. The yashts form an important part of the Avesta.
|
|
|
Zarathustra
|
The name of the founder of the Zoroastrianism in its original Avestan language form. The Greek form of the name is Zoroaster.
|
