Zoroastre

Zoroastre or Zarathushtra (Zaraθuštra in Avestique, Greek Ζωροάστρης in ), was an important religious character, founder of the Zoroastrisme, old religion of the Perse. It is difficult, being given the time and the importance of the character, sources of many plots, to give precise dates and places about it. It is supposed that it was born in north from the Iran, but certain traditions give birth to it with Balkh in north of what today is the Afghanistan.

One knows some bits of his life, through the gathic anthems of the Avesta, written in a Indo-Iranian Langue antiquated, the Avestique, old woman among 2500 and 3000 years. This one is shown very near to the Indian texts vedic of the Rig Veda, where one finds the same type of grammar that in the holy book of Zoroastre. One also knows it through the tradition which brings back an account epic of the life of Zoroastre, a such filled up exemplary scenario of supernatural events and miracles. One generally considers Zoroastre as a historical character, but the dates about it are very discussed. The most current version is to consider that he lived in the neighborhoods of year -600, but much of other estimates give birth to it earlier (- 1000) or later (- 400), to see the chapter dedicated on this subject, Zoroastre in the History.

The name of Zoroastre

The name will zaraθ-uštra is a compound Bahuvrihi in Avestique of zarəta- " old, faible" and of " will uštra; Camel " , which results in " that which has of old man chameaux".

An old erroneous translation brought closer zarəta- to zaray (Or or Jaune) which gave " that which has the camels jaunes" - more romantic translation certainly, which has, by office plurality of errors, brought translations even more whimsical: " the carrier of the dawn dorée" (zaray ushas). In addition Uštra become old Ashtra in Persia, then current Shotor in Persia could mean the Star at the same time, in French. The relation coming from the voyage of the Star in the sky, compared to that of the Camel in a Desert without end. Thus, the composition zaraθ = Gold and will uštra = Astre, could give the gilded Star.

Although these last imaginations were not very correct, they seem to show a certain desire of size, beyond " that which has of old man chameaux".

Another translation proposes “ the driver of camels ”.

In Persan modern, the name of Zoroastre takes the form Zartošt or Zardošt (زرتشت); in Kurdish it takes the form Zerdust .

Beginnings of the zoroastrism

Zoroastre, according to the tradition, would have begun its life as priest of the religion then reigning in Persia, the mithraïsme, which comprised inter alia many sacrificial rites, in particular of animals.

It would then have had a series of visions, in which it sees Ahura Mazda, the supreme divinity. It begins an impassioned preaching then, preaching:

the arrival of the Kingdom of Justice, co-operation with the work of God (Ahura Mazda), under penalty of total punishment;
the god Ahura Mazda, high with the supreme row of god, relegating the other divinities of the religion to a secondary row;
the criticism of the practices of the traditional religion in particular the worship of Mithra - what attracts the lightnings of the priests to him -, because its sacrifices of animals were particularly cruel (because of its conviction that they also had a heart) and that it constituted a source of revenue for the religious leaders;
the judgment of the drink enivrantes consumption, haoma (cf the Summoned, to see: Sanskrit), which prevents the man from clearly reflecting and who had course in the mithraïsme.

The old Persian religion was primarily constant by the warlike aristocratic families, but, the arguments of justice and personal conscience deeply ran up against the habits and mentalities of these same old women families. Not only its ideas did not rain, but especially they called into question the established capacity. Pursued by the people, it had to flee to save its life.

After several years of exile during which it would have had mystical talks with Ahura Mazda, it ends up finding with Bactres a powerful guard, Hystape, the father of Darius I {{er}}. Hystape will follow its teaching through an initiatory course.

This first “victory” of Zoroastre will engage some of others: Constrained Hystape its subjects, then the subjects which it overcame with the war, to convert in Zoroastrisme. The religion extended, especially in Perse and at the Parthian S which made an official religion of it, and equipped it with a true ecclesiastical institution ─ the caste of the Mobad S ─ who had a great influence in the businesses of the State.

Zoroastre in the History

Once again, the birth dates and of died of Zoroastre are vague and discussed data, which vary largely according to the sources.

In Persian mythology, in particular the Šahnāma, but also in what one can hear of the oral tradition, Zoroastre would have lived between year -1000 and the year -400.

Zoroastre was famous during Antiquity to have founded the religion of the Mage S. His name is quoted by Xanthus, Plato, Plutarque, Pline Old the and Diogène - revealing quotations of a certain philosophical influence. The Greek estimates, influenced by Persian mythology, claim that Zoroastre lived during the EC is also a dating recognized by the Pârsî.

the archaeological evidence calls into question the religious theories: Asgarov (1984) shows starting from excavations in Ouzbékistan that Zoroastre lived after -2000.

the linguistic analysis of Gāthās, only texts directly related to Zoroastre, and the comparison with the current and last languages of Iran, in particular the Sanskrit, gives an overall estimate around the first millenium before J. - C.; between -1400 and -1000 (Mary Boyce, has off History Zoroastrianism , 1989).

the historical approach compares the social habits described in Gāthās with those known by the study histories - but because of the character esoteric of Gāthās, which is thus very prone to free interpretation, the estimate is more difficult. The current estimates locate the time of Zoroastre around -1000 (Gherardo Gnoli).

Būndahišn (Creation), an important text of the zoroastrism, indicates that Zoroastre lived 258 years before the conquest of the Perse by Alexandre Large the (in -330), i.e. in -588.

Certains researchers postulated later dates, now disputed: the estimate at year -100 (Darmesteter) is rejected since 1938.

Life of Zoroastre

What one knows of the life of Zoroastre us comes mainly from the Avesta, Gāthās, the Greek texts, the oral tradition, and the archaeological evidence.

The Spena Nask , 13th section of Avesta, described the life of Zoroastre. This chapter, transmitted orally, does not have any more any coherence. The biographies in the seven books of Dēnkard (9th century) and Šahnāma were shown false.

It is easy however to affirm that Zoroastre lived in the North-East of current Iran. The Greeks refer to it by calling it the Bactrien (an inhabitant of the Bactriane, current Afghanistan, a Mède or a Perse of 5000 years ago). His wife is called Hvōvi . They have three girls: Freni , Friti and Pourucista , like three wire: Isat Vastar , Uruvat-Nara and Hvare Ciθra . His/her mother was called Dughdova; his/her father was Pourushaspa Spitāma . His/her grandfather was called Haecadaspa Spitāma .

Zoroastre would have had an illumination with Mazda, 30 years old. It created the bases of its religion and converts there his wife, her children and his Maidhyoimangha cousin.

The Greeks confabulated much on the life and in particular the childhood of Zoroastre. According to Pline, Zoroastre would have laughed the day of its birth and lives in brutality. Plutarque compares it with Lycurgue and Numa Pompilius ( Numa, 4). Dion Chrysostome compares Ahura Mazdā de Zoroastre with Zeus. Plutarque, while taking as a starting point Théopompe, compares the Zoroastrisme and the history of Isis and Osiris .

Gāthās is a collection of prophecies and reprimands in poetic form, which reports a dialog between God and “Immortal” Aməa Spəntas (in pahlavi Amahraspandān ). However, these texts contain personal hints - its difficulty of transmitting the religion, the insults of the entourage…

It is important to recognize two different characters, or rather two various visions of the character: Zoroastre as described in Avesta, and Zoroastre of Gāthās. In the Avesta, one describes it fighting with Daēva (immortal demon, in pahlavi Dēwān ), and, in New Testatement, it is tried by Ahriman which requires of him to give up its faith (Yasht, 17,19).

The historical character, however, does not have anything any more legendary. Gāthās makes a Prophète of it. Vendidad reports the dialogs between Ahura Mazda and Zoroastre. They are the last traces of its speech about its doctrines exposed to the court of King Vištaspa.

Zoroastre in the European culture

Zoroastre is more known like wise, a magician, in the modern culture, although one discovered his ideas only at the end of the 18th century. One then associated it with the freemasons and other groups claiming that Zoroastre had reached a " savoir". A related character appears in the opera the Magic Flute of Mozart, character which represents the order and morals - in opposition to the Reine of the Night. Writers and philosophers of the lights, whose Voltaire, engaged of work on Zoroastrisme, seeing form of a lit, preferable Deism there with dogmatic Christianity. With the transcription of Avesta by Abraham Anquetil-Duperron, the study of Zoroastrisme could really begin. At the 19th century, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche used the name of Zoroastre in his book Also sprach Zarathustra . Nietzsche makes of it a character dramatic and critical towards its works and claims philosophical, the death of God develops. Poet-prophet, Zarathoustra withdraws himself in the mountain and returns among the men to speak to them. He speaks to them about the virtues, of the Surhomme , eternal return, preachers of death, the weak ones and forts, the noble ones and slaves…
Nietzsche affirmed to have made speak Zoroastre which would have according to him the first invented the moral Dualisme, in the form about Daeva (natural forces) and about Ahuras (the reason, the " bien" and the " mal" , morals). It is this dualism which Nietzsche proposed to abolish.

Richard Strauss, inspired by Nietzsche, wrote Opus 30, also named Also sprach Zarathustra . The sequence of opening remained celebrates to have put in music film of Stanley Kubrick, 2001, the odyssey of space.

Zoroastre in arts

Zoroastre is the title of a lyric Tragédie of Jean-Philippe Rameau;
Ainsi spoke Zarathoustra is a philosophical work of Friedrich Nietzsche (1885);
Ainsi spoke Zarathoustra is a musical work of Richard Strauss;
Zarastro is a character of the Magic Flute of Mozart.
Freddie Mercury (singer of the Queen group) took as a starting point the texts of Zoroastre to write The Prophet' S Song (1974);

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