Zoroastrian Saviour Imagery and Its Influence on ... - Kaveh Farrokh

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<strong>Zoroastrian</strong> <strong>Saviour</strong> <strong>Imagery</strong> S6oyant, at the comm<strong>and</strong> of the creator will give all men their reward <strong>and</strong> recompense suiting their actions. 28) This passage has the appearance of a translation from the Avesta, rather than a later addition, since it is not introduced by the custom- ary commentators gloss 'there is one who says...' whereas the two passages on either side of this text are so introduced. One may also see how this belief could develop from the teaching of Zoroaster, since in one Gatha which looks forward to the defeat of evil, it is said: Then shall they be the saviours of the l<strong>and</strong>s who, through good purpose, by deeds in accordance with justice, shall attend to the satisfaction of thy sangha. 29) I69 'Sangha' has been given a variety of meanings, 'decree', 'doctrine', 'judgement', 'speech', 'word' etc. <strong>and</strong> is rendered as teaching here by Bartholomae, which is the basis of the translation quoted above. But it appears to be used elsewhere in the Gathas for 'judicial decree', 'judgement' - in an eschatological sense. 30) Zoroaster may here be saying, therefore, that at the end of the world the saviours would not only defeat evil would also administer the judgement of Ahura Mazda. Naturally anything done by the Sosyants (plural) would be thought to be done by the S6oyant par excellence. Furthermore, in the Gathas Zoroaster himself is called a judge (ratu). 31) As Sosyant brings the revelation of Zoroaster, <strong>and</strong> is his son, it would not be sur- prising if he too were thought of as a judge. Hence it would be the extreme of scepticism to attribute this belief in S6oyant as the mediator of the eschatological judgement simply to the period of the compilation of the Pahlavi books, that is to the ninth century A.D. Not only can one see how the belief would arise at an early period, but also the way it is presented in the Pahlavi books suggests that it was an Avestan belief. e) The End Result The effect of S6shyant's work is to restore man to his primeval state. 28) Ir. Bd. 34 :25, based on the translation of Anklesaria, p. 29I. 29) Ys. 48: 12, trans Wilkins Smith, p. I37. 30) e.g. Ys. 51 :14, perhaps also Ys. 46:3. On other occasions it is quite definitely 'doctrine' rather than 'judgement', see for example Ys. 44: 14. 31) Ys. 44:2 & I6. See Paury, pp. 56 f,
I70 John. R. Hinnells The first step on the path to sin, it is believed, was when he first began to eat <strong>and</strong> drink, for this left man open to the assaults of one of the chief demons, Az, Greed. Thus, as man at first began to drink water, eat vegetables, drink milk <strong>and</strong> to eat meat, so at the end he will give up eating meat, drinking milk, eating vegetables <strong>and</strong> drinking water. (One) says in (the) Scripture: 'Whereas, when Masya <strong>and</strong> Masyane32) grew up from (the) earth, (they) first drank water, then ate vegetables, then drank milk, <strong>and</strong> then ate meat, men, too, when their time of death (shall have) come, will desist first (from) eating meat, then (from) drinking milk, <strong>and</strong> then even from eating bread, (<strong>and</strong>) will be drinking water (only) till death.' Thus too, in (the) millenium of Usedarmah, (the) strength of appetite will so diminish that men will be satisfied (for) three nights <strong>and</strong> days, by eating one (single) meal. And then after (that), (they) will desist (from) meat food, <strong>and</strong> will eat vegetables <strong>and</strong> drink (the) milk of animals; <strong>and</strong> then, (they) will abstain even from (that) milk diet, (<strong>and</strong> then they) will abstain even from vegetable food, <strong>and</strong> will be drinking water, <strong>and</strong> ten years before Sosyant will come, (they) will remain without food, <strong>and</strong> will not die, <strong>and</strong> then Sosyant will raise (the) dead. 33) This return to the primeval state also involves the defeat of death, since death is one of the weapons used by Ahriman to harm the Good Crea- tion. Thus as the primeval bull was killed at creation by Ahriman, 34) so S6oyant will, at the end, sacrifice the mythical bull Hasayans, <strong>and</strong> from this sacrificial victim will come the elixir of immortality. And S6oyant with (his) associates will perform (the) rites for (the) restora- tion (of the) dead; <strong>and</strong> (they) will slay (the) 'HaSayans gav' for that rite; out of the fat of that 'gav' <strong>and</strong> the white h6m (they) will prepare (the) immortal (beverage), <strong>and</strong> give (it) to all men; <strong>and</strong> all men will become immortal up to eternity (<strong>and</strong>) eternal progress .. 35) The problem of the dating of these beliefs is a very vexed one. It is therefore essential to state clearly the object of this section: it is to consider the dating of the general parallels between creation <strong>and</strong> the end, not just that of the two examples cited. Since the bull sacrifice raises wider problems, it will be advisable to take the former belief <strong>and</strong> examine that. The passage cited above explicitly states that the author is quoting 32) The first human couple in the <strong>Zoroastrian</strong> tradition. 33) Ir. Bd. 34 : -3, trans. that of B. T. Anklessaria, pp. 283-5. 34) Ir. Bd. 4 : I9 ff. 35) Ir. Bd. 34: 23, trans. that of B. T. Anklessaria, pp. 289 ff.
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Zoroastrian Saviour Imagery and Its Influence on ... - Kaveh Farrokh

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