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

<strong>Zoroastrian</strong> <strong>Saviour</strong> <strong>Imagery</strong>
'Or (is) he an enemy, who, verily, (being) a wicked-man, opposes thy salva-
tion (Sava) ?'7)
A number of texts could be adduced illustrating the same point. From
this evidence Bartholomae translates S6syant as Redeemer or Sav-
iour. 8)
The word occurs a number of times in the Gathas, but its implica-
tions are far from clear. It is used in the plural, apparently to denote
the future benefactors of the Good Religion. So, for example, in one
Gatha Zoroaster asks Ahura Mazda when the time of piety, justice,
peace <strong>and</strong> general prosperity is to come:
Then shall they be the saviours (saosyants) of the l<strong>and</strong>s who, through good
purpose, by deeds in accordance with justice, shall attend-to satisfaction of
thy teaching through wisdom. For they (shall be) the appointed suppressors
of passion. 9)
The word is used in the singular in a number of texts, <strong>and</strong> it is gene-
rally assumed that in these passages Zoroaster is making an oblique
reference to himself, 10) although Lommel argues that Zoroaster
did think of a future saviour to come. 11). A good example of the
ambiguity of the use of the word in the singular is in Ys. 48:9:
I65
When shall I know (these things)? If, through wisdom, through justice, you
rule over him from whom destruction threatens me, let the prophecy
of good purpose be truly spoken for me. May the <strong>Saviour</strong> know how his
reward shall be. 12)
From this we can conclude that Zoroaster spoke of a saviour, <strong>and</strong>
the form of the word shows that the work of this figure lay in the
future, but the ambiguity of its use forbids any more precise or
confident statement of what he meant by it. The use of the plural
suggests, however, that the word has not yet become a technical term,
as it is in the Pahlavi literature.
7) Ys. 44: 12, Trans Wilkins Smith, p. III; Duchesne-Guillemin, p. 69. See
also Ys. 43 :3; 45 :7; 51 :9 & I5.
8) Altiranisches Worterbuch Strassburg, 1904, p. I55I. See also H. Lommel,
Die Religion Zarathustras, Tubingen, 1930, p. 226.
9) Ys. 48 : I2, trans Wilkins Smith, p. 137; Duchesne-Guillemin, p. 39. Further
examples of the use of the plural are 34: I3; 46 :3.
Io) So, for example Wilkins Smith <strong>and</strong> Duchesne-Guillemin in their trans-
lations.
1) op. cit. p. 229. S6oyant is used in the singular in Ys. 45: 1I <strong>and</strong> in 53: 2,
a text composed shortly after the death of Zoroaster.
I2) Wilkins Smith, p. 136; Duchesne-Guillemin, p. 39.