Zoroaster, another name for Zarathustra, was the founder of Zoroastrianism. The history of his life is not certain because there are not enough historical references to Zoroaster. So, scholars rely on both, pieces of historical evidence and legends, to tell about Zoroaster’s life. This results in there being more than one side to many details of Zoroaster’s life. The first part of Zoroaster’s life that is uncertain, is the time in which he lived. The holy texts of Zoroastrianism, the Avesta, does not point to any historical event that may help set a “time period” for Zoroaster’s life. Another difficulty in setting the time for his life is that Zoroastrian calendar is set in “four world ages, each 3,000 years long” because Zoroastrianism believes
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Zarathustra was born in Azerbaijin, located in northern Persian, also north of Iran today (“Zoroaster” 1). Zoroaster was born in the family of Spitamids, his clan name being Spitama. His father’s name was Pouruchaspa, meaning many horses, and his mother’s name was Dughdova, meaning milkmaid (“Zoroaster” 5). There are many myths of how Zoroaster was conceived. One of theses myth is that an angel went in a plant entering a priest, Zoroaster’s father, in the form of juice during a religious ritual. Meanwhile, “the glory of heaven,” passed into the chest of a maid, Zoroaster’s mother, as “a ray of light.” Later, the priest and the maid married, and when the angel and the ray united Zoroaster was born (Violatti 5). Another legend of his birth is that when he was born, instead of crying like newborns do, he laughed out loud (famous …show more content…
Zoroastrianism was based on a “cosmic struggle” between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, Mazda’s “evil” enemy. Zoroaster taught that in order to live an honorable life, on must be in alliance with Ahura Mazda, so good can defeat evil. Ahura Mazda did not have unlimited power, which is why he needed the support of the people. Zoroaster stressed that each person had a “moral responsibility” and that each action or thought would help Ahura Mazda, the good side, or Angra Mainyu, the evil side. This leads to Zoroaster’s emphasis on the truth (Violatti 4). The struggle between good and evil is more of a “mental struggle” for humans, between the truth, which is known as asa, and lies, which is druj (“Zoroaster”
Zarathustra was born in Azerbaijin, located in northern Persian, also north of Iran today (“Zoroaster” 1). Zoroaster was born in the family of Spitamids, his clan name being Spitama. His father’s name was Pouruchaspa, meaning many horses, and his mother’s name was Dughdova, meaning milkmaid (“Zoroaster” 5). There are many myths of how Zoroaster was conceived. One of theses myth is that an angel went in a plant entering a priest, Zoroaster’s father, in the form of juice during a religious ritual. Meanwhile, “the glory of heaven,” passed into the chest of a maid, Zoroaster’s mother, as “a ray of light.” Later, the priest and the maid married, and when the angel and the ray united Zoroaster was born (Violatti 5). Another legend of his birth is that when he was born, instead of crying like newborns do, he laughed out loud (famous …show more content…
Zoroastrianism was based on a “cosmic struggle” between Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu, Mazda’s “evil” enemy. Zoroaster taught that in order to live an honorable life, on must be in alliance with Ahura Mazda, so good can defeat evil. Ahura Mazda did not have unlimited power, which is why he needed the support of the people. Zoroaster stressed that each person had a “moral responsibility” and that each action or thought would help Ahura Mazda, the good side, or Angra Mainyu, the evil side. This leads to Zoroaster’s emphasis on the truth (Violatti 4). The struggle between good and evil is more of a “mental struggle” for humans, between the truth, which is known as asa, and lies, which is druj (“Zoroaster”