Research Catalog

Title

The Daeva cult in the Gathas : an ideological archaeology of Zoroastrianism / Amir Ahmadi.

Author

Aḥmadī, Amīr.

Publication

London ; New York : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Description

x, 342 pages; 24 cm

Summary

Addressing the question of the origins of the Zoroastrian religion, this book argues that the intransigent opposition to the cult of the daēvas, the ancient Indo-Iranian gods, is the root of the development of the two central doctrines of Zoroastrianism: cosmic dualism and eschatology (fate of the soul after death and its passage to the other world). The daēva cult as it appears in the Gāthās, the oldest part of the Zoroastrian sacred text, the Avesta, had eschatological pretentions. The poet of the Gāthās condemns these as deception. The book critically examines various theories put forward since the 19th century to account for the condemnation of the daēvas. It then turns to the relevant Gāthic passages and analyzes them in detail in order to give a picture of the cult and the reasons for its repudiation. Finally, it examines materials from other sources, especially the Greek accounts of Iranian ritual lore (mainly) in the context of the mystery cults. Classical Greek writers consistently associate the nocturnal ceremony of the magi with the mysteries as belonging to the same religious-cultural category. This shows that Iranian religious lore included a nocturnal rite that aimed at ensuring the soul's journey to the beyond and a desirable afterlife. Challenging the prevalent scholarship of the Greek interpretation of Iranian religious lore and proposing a new analysis of the formation of the Hellenistic concept of 'magic, ' this book is an important resource for students and scholars of History, Religion and Iranian Studies.

Series Statement

Iranian studies ; 24

Uniform Title

Iranian studies (London, England) ; 24.

Subjects

• Ahura Masda
• Gott
• Criticism, interpretation, etc
• Gathas
• Avesta > Yasna > Gathas > Criticism, interpretation, etc
• Zoroastrism
• Dämon
• Zoroastrian gods
• Parsismus

Genre/Form

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references and index.

Contents

Monotheistic thesis -- Ahura-cult thesis -- Ethno-historical thesis -- Ritualistic thesis -- The choice -- The Daeva cult -- Chthonic features of the Daeva cult -- The nocturnal rite -- The Greek mysteries -- The Magi in Heraclitus and the derveni author -- The divine man, the goes, and the magician -- Initiation-based youth Bands and initiatory sacrifice -- Eschatology.

Call Number

JFE 16-6627

ISBN

• 9781138847668 (hardback : alk. paper)
• 1138847666 (hardback : alk. paper)
• 9781315726618 (e-book : alk. paper)
• 1315726610 (e-book : alk. paper)

LCCN

2014035443

OCLC

891126154

Author

Aḥmadī, Amīr.

Title

The Daeva cult in the Gathas : an ideological archaeology of Zoroastrianism / Amir Ahmadi.

Publisher

London ; New York : Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 2015.

Type of Content

text

Type of Medium

unmediated

Type of Carrier

volume

Series

Iranian studies ; 24

Iranian studies (London, England) ; 24.

Bibliography

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Research Call Number

JFE 16-6627