Sagdid () is a ritual which forms an essential part of a
Zoroastrian
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion and one of the world's oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a dualistic cosmology of good and evil within the framework of a monotheisti ...
funeral ceremony.
The word "Sagdid" means "glance of the dog" (''sag'' meaning "dog" and ''-did'' meaning "to see"). Sagdid involves having a sacred dog watch over a recently deceased body, often before it has been touched by anybody else.
The ritual is thought to restore purity, lessen the chance of infection, and more practically the ritual is used to determine if the deceased is truly deceased. Sagdid is also performed over deceased dogs in some instances.
Dogs in Zoroastrianism
The
Vendidad speaks of different kinds of dogs such as the shepherd's dog, house-dog and hunting dog.
Darmesteter
Darmesteter is a surname. Notable people with the surname include:
* Agnes Mary Frances Duclaux (once Darmesteter) (1857–1944), English writer and scholar
*Arsène Darmesteter (1846–1888), French philologist
*James Darmesteter
James Darmestet ...
, Pg 153 Additionally, it also classifies the
fox, the
weasel
Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...
, the
otter
Otters are carnivorous mammals in the subfamily Lutrinae. The 13 extant otter species are all semiaquatic, aquatic, or marine, with diets based on fish and invertebrates. Lutrinae is a branch of the Mustelidae family, which also includes we ...
, the
porcupine
Porcupines are large rodents with coats of sharp spines, or quills, that protect them against predation. The term covers two families of animals: the Old World porcupines of family Hystricidae, and the New World porcupines of family, Erethiz ...
, and the
hedgehog
A hedgehog is a spiny mammal of the subfamily Erinaceinae, in the eulipotyphlan family Erinaceidae. There are seventeen species of hedgehog in five genera found throughout parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa, and in New Zealand by introductio ...
as "dogs". The otter ("water dog") is highly sacred in that multitudes of individual dogs are considered to be reborn into a single otter.
A detailed treatment of the various types of dogs, their virtues and rights are given in Fargard 13, 14, and 15 of the Vendidad. "Dogs", especially true dogs in the biological sense (
Canis lupus familiaris
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it is derived from the extinct Pleistocene wolf, and the modern wolf is the dog's nearest living relative. D ...
, whether domestic or stray), are considered to deserve respect and protection; there are detailed prescriptions concerning the care which is due to them and the harsh punishments for those who harm them. For more details, see ''
Dogs in Zoroastrianism''.
The ritual of ''Sagdid''
The ritual of ''Sagdid'' is explained in Fargard 8 of the Vendidad. The dog is perceived to be a beneficent animal and the Druj is believed to flee at the very glance of the dog.
The expression "four eyes" is thought to refer to a dog with two tan flecks above the eyes.
[Boyce, Mary 1989. A History of Zoroastrianism: The Early Period. P.303] In the absence of such a dog, any type of dog could be used.
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Notes
References
* {{cite book, title=Sacred Books of the East, Vol 4: The Zend Avesta, Part I:The Vendidad, first=James, last=Darmesteter, authorlink=James Darmesteter, publisher=Oxford University Press, year=1880, ref=Darmesteter
Zoroastrian rituals
Dogs in religion