Faravahar
sirknight67
you a link or source for it. Just merely enjoy. I have said this
before however, that the Faravahar originated in Egypt before the
Assyrians modified it, before it then became Persian.
FARAVAHAR
Winged Symbol of Zoroastrianism
The "Faravahar," the winged disc with a man's upper body that is
commonly used as a symbol of the Zoroastrian faith, has a long and
splendid history in the art and culture of the Middle East. Its
symbolism and philosophical meaning is an ancient heritage that
extends through three millennia to modern times. In this text I will
tell the story of the Faravahar and explain some of its many symbolic
aspects.
The history of the Faravahar design begins in ancient Egypt, with a
stylized bird pattern which is known as the "spread-eagle." A
"spread-eagle" (as it is called in heraldry) features a flying bird
shown from below, with its wings, tail, and legs outstretched. Such
designs have been used in cultures throughout history, including
American, where the seal of the U.S. Government features a
"spread-eagle."
An Egyptian "spread-eagle" device is featured in the treasure of
Tut-ankh-amoun which has a bird's body with a human head, and in which
hieroglyphic symbols are held in the outstretched talons.
(Illustration: Tut-ankh-amoun) These features will later re- appear,
transformed, in the Faravahar. Closer still to the Faravahar are
Egyptian designs which feature a sun-disc with wings. (Illustration:
Egyptian winged disc.) This winged sun-disc represents Horus, the
hawk-god believed by the ancient Egyptians to be incarnate in Pharaoh,
the god-king.
The winged disc was from the beginning a symbol of divine kingship, or
the divine favor upon a king. Very early on (second millennium B.C.)
this design had migrated from Egypt to the ancient Near East. It
appears above the carved figure of a Hittite king, (The Hittites
flourished from about 1400-1200 B.C.) symbolizing a god's favor in the
"spread-eagle" form. In Syria it is shown on a seal from the Mitanni
civilization (c.1450-1360 BC) (Illustration: Mitanni winged disc).
The proto-Faravahar symbol may also have a native Mesopotamian origin,
which was combined with the Egyptian symbol in ancient Assyria.
Assyrian art also associates the winged disc with divinity and divine
protection of the king and people. It appears both with and without a
human figure. Without the human figure, it is a symbol of the sun-god
Shamash, but with the human figure, it is the symbol of the Assyrian
national god Assur. This appears on many carvings and seals. The
Assyrian versions of the winged disc sometimes have the kingly figure
inside the disc, and others have him arising from within the disc in a
design that is very close to the Faravahar as it appears in Persian
art. The graphic evolution from the "spread-eagle" is evident in the
stylized Assyrian version of the design, where the bird's legs are
abstracted into wavy streamers on either side of the disc which end
either in "claws" or in scrolls, as they do in the Persian design.
(Illustration : 2 versions of Assyrian faravahar)
By the time of the Achaemenid kings (dynasty flourished from about 600
B.C. to 330 B.C.), then, the design that would become the Faravahar
had already been in use for at least 1000 years, from Egypt to Syria
and then to Assyria. The early Achaemenids conquered Mesopotamian
lands in the 6th century B.C., and re-patriated all the peoples
subject to Babylonian rule, the Jews among them. These same
Achaemenids also adopted Assyrian and Babylonian motifs for their
monumental art, including the winged disc.
The Persian Faravahar is carved on the rock-cut tombs of the
Achaemenid kings at Bisetoon in Iran, and varies from one carving to
the other. In one it is very much like the Assyrian version, with
squared-off "wavy" wings. (Illustration : Bisetoon) But it is in the
carvings of Persepolis, center of the Achaemenid dynasty, that the
Faravahar reaches its most elaborate and finely wrought perfection.
The Faravahar of Persepolis is the one that has been adopted by
Zoroastrians as their symbol. It appears in more than one form at
Persepolis. When it must fit a horizontal, narrow space, the winged
disc is depicted without the human figure in the disc (Illustration :
Persepolis). But when there is enough space, the Faravahar is shown in
all of its glory, with kingly figure, disc, streamers, and
many-feathered wings (Illustration : big faravahar at Persepolis.).
And, as it had done throughout history, from Egypt to Mitanni to
Assyria, it represents the divine favor hovering above the king.
Scholars disagree about just what the symbolism of the Persian
faravahar indicates. Is it a symbolic image of Ahura Mazda, the
Zoroastrian name for the One God, the "Wise Lord?" If it represented
Assur for the Assyrians, is it Ahura Mazda for the Persians? Many
scholarly writings on the image still identify it as such. But in the
Zoroastrian faith, Ahura Mazda is abstract and transcendent. God has
no image and so cannot be represented in any form. (The only
exceptions are during the later Persian Empire, in the Sassanian era,
when Lord Mazda was represented as a divine, kingly figure handing a
diadem to the Persian Emperor - and this was not used in worship.) The
human figure above the disc, though he was borrowed from a pagan
Assyrian god-image, has no specific identification, nor is there any
evidence, as some folk beliefs have it, that he is the Prophet
Zarathushtra. More recent scholarship has given the Persian Faravahar
a more precise meaning. The winged disc as depicted by the Persians
above the image of the King represents the Royal Glory, which is known
in ancient Iranian (Avestan) as khvarenah, or "Radiant Glory." I will
have much more to say about the khvarenah later on in this essay.
After the Achaemenids the image of the Faravahar disappears from
Persian art. There is no evidence for it in the remaining art of the
Parthian period, and it is absent in the art of the Sassanian period,
the resurgent Persian empire of about 250-650 A.D. However, Sassanian
art does echo some of the individual features of the Faravahar. One of
the main symbols of the Sassanian monarchy and its divine protection
was the crescent in a circle, with ribbons streaming from either side
(Illustration : Sassanian). The ring which is held in the Achaemenid
Faravahar's hand is still used in Sassanian art to depict the royal
diadem, which is handed to the new King by the symbolic representation
of Ahura Mazda himself or by the yazata (guardian spirit) of Waters,
Anahita. And the spread wings, though in a somewhat different
configuration, adorn the crown of a 6th or 7th century AD Sassanian
king. (Illustration : Sassanian crown). After the Arab conquest, the
winged disc, the winged crown, and the ring of kingship fade into
obscurity, though ironically the crescent became the prime symbol for
the new religion, Islam.
The Faravahar would remain an ancient relic until the early twentieth
century, when both British and Indian antiquarians gave it another
life. The general scholarly opinion, at least in the West, was that
the winged disc represented Ahura Mazda. In 1925 and 1930 a Parsi
scholar, J.M. Unvala, wrote articles which identified the Faravahar as
the symbol of the fravashi or "guardian spirit" of Zoroastrian
teaching. Through the influence of the Unvala articles, and a renewed
awareness among Zoroastrians of their Iranian heritage, the Persepolis
winged disc began to be used as a symbol for Zoroastrianism - not only
because of its supposed religious significance, but because of its
national symbolism as the device of a great Zoroastrian empire. In
1928, the great Parsi Avesta scholar Irach Taraporewala published an
article identifying the Winged Disc not as Ahura Mazda or as fravashi,
but as the khvarenah or royal glory. It was in these early decades of
the 20th century that the Faravahar began to be incorporated into the
design of Zoroastrian temples, publications, and ornaments. After
centuries of obscurity, the ancient faith of Zoroastrianism had a new
visibility, and a symbolic standard to raise.
What does the Faravahar signify?
The Faravahar is of great antiquity, as we have seen. But what does it
mean? Is it just a royal insignia, or does it have deeper
significance? This part of our essay will explain some of the
philosophical and spiritual meaning of this rich and beautiful symbol.
The word "faravahar" actually is Pahlavi, or Middle Persian. It
derives from ancient Iranian (Avestan) word fravarane which means "I
choose." The choice is that of the Good, or the Good Religion of
Zarathushtra. Another related word is fravarti or fravashi, which may
derive from an alternative meaning of "protect," implying the divine
protection of the guardian spirit, the fravashi. From these words come
the later Middle Persian words fravahr, foruhar, or faravahar.
Whatever the origin of the word, the use of the word faravahar to
describe the Winged Disc is modern. No one knows what the ancient
Persians called their winged disc. But the history of the symbol, both
before and during its Persian use, has a continuous meaning, and that
is one of divine favor for a king. As the Winged Sun-disc of Horus it
hovered over the Pharaoh of Egypt; it hovered over the Hittite King,
and in Assyrian art it is depicted over the Assyrian King, often with
weapons in its hands, helping the Assyrian monarch wage war. So when
it enters Persian art, it is already a symbol of divine guardianship
of the king.
The current consensus on what the Faravahar meant to the ancients who
carved it is that it represents not Ahura Mazda, but the Royal Glory
of the Persian King. This view is held by scholars such as Boyce and
Jafarey. This Royal Glory is an important concept in Zoroastrian
teaching; the Avestan word for it is khvarenah.
Khvarenah comes from the Avestan root khvar or "shining;" it is also
the word for the sun. The word khvarenah is more abstract; it has the
connotations not only of "glory" but of "divine grace." The
sun-symbolism of the disc and the Mazdean concept of divine grace are
thus combined. Khvarenah, in later Persian, became khurrah or farnah
or farn, and still later became farr. If the Faravahar symbol actually
represents khvarenah, then it should more accurately be called the
"farr" rather than the "faravahar."
Khvarenah, in the Persian Empire, came to mean a specifically royal
glory. It was a God-given gift, almost like the Greek word "charisma,"
which insured and legitimated the King's rule. However, though it was
a gift of God, it could be abused, and if the King turned to
evil-doing, the khvarenah would leave him.
This myth of the khvarenah is present in the story of the mythical
Iranian King, Yima or Jamshid. He was the greatest of the prehistoric
kings of Iran, and possessed the glorious khvarenah. But he became too
proud and arrogant. Some stories say that he even called himself a
god. Because of his pretension and pride, Yima lost the khvarenah.
This myth is alluded to in the Gathas of Zarathushtra, in Yasna 32. In
the later scriptures of Zoroastrianism, this myth is retold in the
Zamyad Yasht, the prayer- song to the spirit of the Earth: "But when
he (Yima) began to find delight in words of falsehood and untruth, the
Glory was seen to fly away from him in the shape of a bird." (Yasht
19, 34) Thus in both word and image, Glory has wings. In the
Shah-nameh, the national epic of Iran, the Glory is also referred to
as the "Glory of the Auspicious Bird," which hovers over the heads of
royal or princely personages. The Glory was symbolized on the
battlefield by an eagle feather in the King's crown, which served as
standard and inspiration to the warriors of Iran. In Sassanian art,
where the Winged Disc is no longer used, the khvarenah is depicted as
a circular halo around the head of the King, a halo very similar to
that of Christian saints.
The Sassanian halo and the idea of the khvarenah can be compared to
Jewish and Christian light-symbolism. In Jewish tradition, Moses' face
shone so brightly after his meeting with God on Mount Sinai that the
people could not look directly at him and he had to veil his face.
(Exodus, chapter 34). In Christianity, the divine Glory shines around
the figure of Christ during the Transfiguration (Gospel of Matthew,
chapter 17). The light of the Transfiguration is known among Eastern
Christians as the "Uncreated Light," and in its association with
saints, heroes, and Christ it is similar to the khvarenah of the
Zoroastrians. In this there may indeed be some Zoroastrian influence
on Christian thinking, as the two cultures lived side-by-side in the
Middle East for centuries.
In the Zoroastrian tradition the khvarenah is not just the Glory of
the king, but has a wider range, as can be seen in the Avesta. The
Zamyad Yasht praises the glory not only of the ancient Kings of Iran,
but of the whole Aryan people, its mountainous land, and its Prophet,
Zarathushtra. In the Atash Nyayesh, the Zoroastrian prayer to Fire,
the khvarenah is identified with the light of the Sacred Fire. The
revelation of Zarathushtra from the beginning has been associated with
light. The Gathas are filled with light and sun imagery; light is not
only physical, but metaphysical, the prime symbol for Goodness and
God. Thus the khvarenah in Zoroastrian teaching, though specified to
the glory of the King, also has a much more universal meaning.
According to Zoroastrian scholar Dr. Farhang Mehr, the khvarenah is
granted to those human beings who are great benefactors of the world:
good kings and rulers, prophets like Zarathushtra, or heroes. In the
Gathas, these benefactors are called saoshyant, an Avestan word which
means "savior." In later Zoroastrianism the term saoshyant acquires a
messianic, mythical meaning, and this Saoshyant also enjoys the
blessing of the khvarenah. Thus khvarenah also has the meaning of
God's Grace.
But is this grace only for the Great Ones of the World, or do we
lesser folk have - khvarenah, too? As Mehr has written, the khvarenah
is enfolded within everyone. With those who are great in virtue, it is
more radiant and powerful. Our work on this earth is to grow in
goodness and thus show forth our own God-given khvarenah, which is the
light of our excellence. This, then, is what the Winged Disc signifies
both for the ancients and for us: the shining khvarenah, or "farr."
The Faravahar has another possible meaning, and that is its
association with fravashi. Earlier I mentioned that J.M. Unvala
identified the Winged Disc as a symbol of fravashi. This
interpretation can be connected with the other linguistic meaning of
faravahar as "protection." The Winged Disc is often called a fravashi
rather than a faravahar, especially by the Indian Parsi Zoroastrians.
What exactly is a fravashi? The origin of the word, as has been said
here, relates either to divine protection or to one's moral choice of
Good or Evil, and one's choice of the Good Religion. But there is much
more to it than that.
The concept of the fravashi as guardian spirit does not occur in the
Gathas of Zarathushtra. But in later Zoroastrianism, it becomes a most
important idea. The Fravashi is the part of the human soul that is
divine, unpolluted, and uncorrupt. It is not only our divine guardian
but our guide; its perfection is always within us, as an ideal towards
which we can reach. Every human being has a fravashi; even the divine
spirits have them. Once a human being has finished life on earth, the
fravashi, the higher individuality of that person, returns to Heaven.
The fravashi may be the inspiration for the Jewish and Christian
belief in the "guardian Angel," which always beholds the face of God
(Matthew Gospel, 18:10).
In the later books of the Avesta (the Zoroastrian scriptures), the
fravashis of the righteous are invoked as fierce and mighty warriors
for the Good. In a long prayer called the Farvardin Yasht, there are
litanies praising and reverencing the fravashis of the early "saints"
and heroes of Zoroastrian tradition. The fravashis of the good
departed are supposed to return to earth on special days, and towards
the very end of the Persian year, in March, just before the Persian
New Year, there are ceremonies to honor the fravashis of the
righteous.
The Winged Disc may or may not represent Fravashi in ancient Persian
art, but there is a precedent for this meaning in the popular
religious art of ancient Egypt. There, the immortal soul of a human
being, called a ba, is represented by a stylized bird with a human
head. The "Ba-bird" is depicted in many different styles and
positions, including the familiar "spread-eagle" configuration we
recognize in the Faravahar. In Egyptian lore just as in Persian, the
spirits of the dead could leave their tombs and fly about the land of
the living, just as the fravashis gather just before the New Year.
Amulets depicting the "ba-bird" often adorned mummies, even after the
Greek occupation of Egypt in Hellenistic times.
Although the fravashi is unrelated theologically to the khvarenah,
they both serve as embodiments of divine guidance and grace. The
Winged Disc, for Zoroastrians, has come to signify the divine fravashi
hovering above, an image of the perfection of the soul that can lead
us forward to good thoughts, words, and deeds. Whether it symbolizes
the khvarenah or the fravashi, or both, the Winged Disc is a symbol of
the radiance of Divine Grace, and it truly soars on wings of light.
Folk interpretations of the Faravahar
Once the Winged Disc had been adopted as a symbol of Zoroastrianism,
it entered into the community not only as a graphic symbol but as a
folk motif. The Zoroastrian faravahar was "standardized" to the
Persepolis model, though, as we have seen, even in Persepolis there
are many variants of the Faravahar. The "standard" Faravahar is now
the one you see on this Web page, which appears over the heads of the
Persian kings on the walls of Persepolis. It is this emblem which
identifies Zoroastrian publications and decorates Zoroastrian temples
and gathering places, which has also been made into forms of jewelry
for men and women, woven into wall-hangings, carved into marble and
semi- precious stones, glazed onto ceramic heirlooms, and even made
into paper and plastic stickers. Not only Zoroastrians, but patriotic
Iranians of all creeds use the Faravahar, and various simplified
versions of the Persepolis standard appear in carpet stores,
restaurants, advertisements, and other Iranian concerns all around the
world.
Along with the widespread use of the faravahar as a heraldic and
decorative motif have come many interpretations of the symbol and its
components which have little or nothing to do with the actual
historical meaning of the symbol. None of these interpretations of the
Faravahar design are found in any extant Zoroastrian scripture. But
Zoroastrian priests and elders now use the Faravahar as a visual tool
to illustrate the basic elements of the religion, especially when they
are teaching children.
A sample of such an interpretation can be found in the book "Message
of Zarathushtra" by the Iranian mobed (priest) Bahram Shahzadi, who
presides at the California Zoroastrian Center in Los Angeles. This
book is meant for middle-school children, but is read by people of all
ages. In a short chapter called "What is Fravahar?" Shahzadi
enumerates the symbolism of the various parts of the design. The
bearded old man springing out of the central disc symbolizes the human
soul. His upper hand is extended in a blessing, pointing upward to
keep us in mind of higher things and the path to heaven. The other
hand holds a ring, which is the ring of promise: it reminds a
Zoroastrian always to keep one's promises. There are three layers of
feathers in the wings, and these three layers stand for the Threefold
Path of Zoroastrianism: good thoughts, good words, and good deeds. The
central disc, which as a circle has no end, symbolizes eternity. The
two streamers extending out from the central disc symbolize the two
choices, or paths, that face human beings: the choice of good or the
choice of evil. The streamers thus illustrate the ethical dualism
taught by Zarathushtra.
Another folk interpretation of the Faravahar comes from an educated
Zoroastrian layman. Some of his descriptions are the same as those in
the Shahzadi book, but he adds more details. The open wings, as in
Shahzadi's book, represent the Threefold Path. But the closed skirt of
the human figure within the disc represents evil choices, divided into
three layers: bad thoughts, words, and deeds. The circle at the waist
of the figure represents not the Sun nor Eternity, but the law of
consequences which is comprised in the divine ASHA, the Zoroastrian
concept of the divinely created order of the universe. Good or evil
deeds have their consequences, which "come around" to the person who
acts morally or immorally. Thus the circle denotes moral returns
according to ASHA.
Yet another interpretation of the Achaemenid design comes from an
esoteric point of view. There are some Zoroastrians who are influenced
by Theosophy, an eclectic esoteric movement of the nineteenth century.
These have added Hindu and Buddhist esoteric ideas to Zoroastrianism,
such as reincarnation, karma, and astral planes. For these believers,
the Faravahar is a symbol of the soul's progression through many
lives. The head of the man reminds one of God-given free will. The
ring held in the man's hand symbolizes the cycles of rebirths on this
earth and in other planes of reality. The central circle represents
the soul; the two wings are the energies that help the soul to evolve
and progress. In this interpretation, there are five layers of
feathers in the wings (a particularly elaborate version of the
Persepolis emblem) and these five layers signify the five Gatha hymns
of the Prophet, the five divisions of the Zoroastrian day, the five
senses, and also five esoteric stages that the soul must pass through
on its way to God. As in the other explanations, the two streamers
represent the two choices before human beings, the Good Mentality and
the Evil Mentality. The tail (which is not mentioned in the other
interpretations) is the "rudder" of the soul, for balance between the
forces of Good and Evil. There are three layers of feathers in the
tail, which stand for the Threefold Path of Good Thoughts, Words, and
Deeds.
The Faravahar has flown a long way since it first saw the light in
ancient Egypt. The winged sun-disc has shone its grace down upon
divinely gifted kings, and it has spread its wings as protector of the
glory of Iran. After millennia of obscurity, the symbol of the holy
and radiant khvarenah again shines clearly. As world communications
become ever more elaborate and widespread, the Faravahar has entered
into a wider world. It has flown free from the walls of Persepolis and
now shines among new peoples on new continents. It is now found on
computer screens instead of ancient carved stones. Let us hope that
the Faravahar, with its universal meaning of light, wisdom,
righteousness, and God's grace can take its place among the great
symbols of spirit, to inspire people all over the earth.
Behrouz
find the link neither. I'll post it as soon as find it. This symbol
has a national meaning to me, not a religious one. It makes
me feel proud to be Iranian.
B.
"sirknight67" <pema...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9eff937e.04090...@posting.google.com...
Perspolis
Years ago I won a price, which included a symbol very similar to the
Farvahar.
When I finished school in 1993 I had it on my suit, and I met an Iranian who
either was zoroastrian or aware of zoroastrianism (at least partially).
He asked me about that symbol and I said (without knowing the name
"Farvahar"): "It is the symbol of zoroastrianism".
He got angry and said that it was some egyptian symbol and had NOTHING to do
with zoroastrianism.
Now I will find him and confront him with your posting. Of course, he was
right in that it was not the Farvahar but their are similarities and now I
know that Farvahar, too, had an egyptian origin.
N.
Deev
"sirknight67" <pema...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:9eff937e.04090...@posting.google.com...
sirknight67
site, which usually has translations of the Gathas and articles
pertaining to Zoroastrianism
the site has a a version in Persian as well as Spanish i believe.
"Behrouz" <behr...@hotmail.com> wrote in message news:<Ekb%c.322547$M95.260169@pd7tw1no>...
sirknight67
Assyrian at a local check out counter. I told her I was Zoroastrian
and she seemed surprised and told me that it was "their" symbol.
Although it is clear from ancient representations that the symbol
originated in ancient Egypt and made it to Persia via Assyria, there
is no doubt that today it is widely known as teh symbol of
Zoroastrians, who wear it around their neck, in the same way as Jews
wear the star of David, or Christians the cross. People revering
ancient Egyptian religion usually wear the "Ankh" symbol, shaped like
a cross but wtih a sickle in the middle.
Once I was at the Zoroastrian temple and one vendor was selling these
symbols in silver and gold. I remember that the woman was "explaining"
the meaning of each different part of the Faravahar, starting wtih the
ring in the center, which meant that all things eventually come back
to you (like Karma so to speak), and the hand was to symbolize
righteousness and truth etc...
Troublemaker that I am ;-), I began to argue with her, and offer the
buyers the actual fact about the origin of the symbol. Like I said, as
much as I love our culture, I cannot stand idle when some people
assign everything in this world to Persian culture. Natioanlism and
cultural pride should not be mistaken for ethnocentrism.
In another instance, I was at the market and I noticed a man walking
around with a huge Faravahar symbol around his neck. I approached him
and asked him in Persian if he was Zoroastrian. He couldn't understand
so then I assumed he was Parsi and asked him in English. The man
turned out to be Russian and "Explained to me" (as if I didn't know)
that this was the symbol of the Zoroastrian religion, what he
considered the best religion of all. Funny thing was that instead of
the "good thoughts, good deeds, good words" motto, he mentioned "see
no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil". I wonder if he was saying that
because of his imperfect English or....heh heh heh...maybe his
colorful interpretation?
"Perspolis" <ni...@ngi.de> wrote in message news:<caOdnc3s8pq...@giganews.com>...
Perspolis
> Like I said, as
> much as I love our culture, I cannot stand idle when some people
> assign everything in this world to Persian culture. Natioanlism and
> cultural pride should not be mistaken for ethnocentrism.
well said.
2 addtional "truths", one persian and one from the Quran, but both very
meaningful:
a) "Gooyand pedare to bood fazel. Az fazle oo to ra che hasel?"
This is for all people praising themselves for the deeds of their distant
"forefathers".
b) "Nobody bears the sin of another person".
There is no inheritance in guilt or sin. No people are guilty forever and no
people have an infinite subscription for innocence.
Nima