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Nikatum Nask
The Nikatum nask or Nigadum nask was one of the so called legal ''nasks'' (volumes) of the Sasanian Avesta. No parts of it are known to have survived, but later references show that is covered topics connected with penal law. Sources The nask itself is no longer extant but references are found in later Zoroastrian writings. First, the 8th book of the Denkard provides in section 8.16-8.20 a description of its content. In addition, the Rivayats, a series of exchanges from the 15th - 17th century, give a short overview on the content of the Nikatum nask. Structure and content The Sasanian Avesta was organized into 21 ''nasks'', i.e., volumes, which were grouped into 3 divisions; Gathic, ritual, and legal nasks. Within this scheme, the Nikatum nask belonged to the legal nasks. Edward William West estimates, that it consisted of ca. 62,600 words of Avestan text accompanied by ca. 562,900 words of commentary in Pahlavi, which would make it the longest nask overall. According to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sasanian Avesta
The Sasanian Avesta or Great Avesta refers to the anthology of Zoroastrian literature produced during the Sasanian period. Most of this work is now lost, but its content and structure can be reconstructed from references found in a number of texts from the 9th century onward. Compared to the extant Avesta, the Sasanian Avesta was much larger and organized into 21 distinct volumes called ''nasks'' (Avestan: ''naska''; Middle Persian: ''nask'', 'bundle'). Of those, only one is preserved in its entirety, while others are either lost or only preserved in fragments. Sources The most important source on the Sasanian Avesta is the Denkard, a 9th-10th century compendium of Zoroastrianism. The 8th and 9th book of the Denkard give an overview of the Avesta as it was available at the time. Whereas the 8th book lists the content, the 9th book provides a lengthy summary on a number of its nasks In addition, the Rivayats, a series of epistles from the 15th - 17th century, also list its con ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zend
Zend or Zand () is a Zoroastrian term for Middle Persian or Pahlavi versions and commentaries of Avestan texts. These translations were produced in the late Sasanian period. ''Zand'' glosses and commentaries exist in several languages, including in the Avestan language itself. These Avestan language exegeses sometimes accompany the original text being commented upon, but are more often elsewhere in the canon. An example of exegesis in the Avestan language itself includes '' Yasna'' 19–21, which is a set of three Younger Avestan commentaries on the three Gathic Avestan 'high prayers' of ''Yasna'' 27. ''Zand'' also appears to have once existed in a variety of Middle Iranian languages, but of these Middle Iranian commentaries, the Middle Persian ''zand'' is the only one to survive fully, and is for this reason regarded as 'the' ''zand''. With the notable exception of the '' Yashts'', almost all surviving Avestan texts have their Middle Persian ''zand'', which in some manuscripts a ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Herbad
Hērbad (also ''hīrbad'', ''hērbed'' or ''ērvad'') is a title given to Zoroastrian priests of minor orders. In the present day, ''hērbad'' is the lowest rank in the Zoroastrian priesthood, and is granted following the basic ''navar'' ceremony that marks the beginning of theological training. Unlike a '' mobed'' or '' dastūr'', a ''hērbad'' may not celebrate the ''yasna'', the main service. He may, however, assist. A ''hērbad'' may also not officiate at a recitation of the ''Vendidad'', which is reserved for priests of higher grade. Amongst lay Zoroastrians, the three terms are used interchangeably. Unlike ''mobed'' but like ''dastūr'', ''hērbad'' may be adopted as a professional title in a person's name. History of term Middle Persian 𐭧𐭩𐭫𐭯𐭲 ''harpat'' ( Pahlavi ''ʼyhlpt'') derives from Avestan 𐬀𐬈𐬚𐬭𐬀𐬞𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 ''aeθrapaiti'', which the Avesta uses denote a priestly teacher whose students (''aethrii'') would be taught to recite t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Vaetha Nask
The Vaetha nask is the name of a short Avestan text, which is extant in the Fragments collection. Despite its name, the Vaetha nask was not part of the 21 nasks of the Sasanian Avesta and its origins remain unclear. Name The Vaetha nask is not referenced in other Avestan literature. Its name is instead derived from the first words in the text reading: ', which translates to "the knowledge of the Mazdayasnian religion, Ahura Mazdā said." The Avestan term is commonly transliterated into Latin and Greek script phonetically as either ' or '. Content The text of the Vaetha nask covers various topics. A major focus is the marital relationship between Zoroastrians and non-Zoroastrians, children born from such a union, their inheritance and conversions to Zoroastrianism. It has been speculated that this topic reflects the situation when Zoroastrianism existed as a minority religion and the problems arising from that situation. Large parts of the text are quotations from the Vendidad, w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sasanian Empire
The Sasanian Empire (), officially Eranshahr ( , "Empire of the Iranian peoples, Iranians"), was an List of monarchs of Iran, Iranian empire that was founded and ruled by the House of Sasan from 224 to 651. Enduring for over four centuries, the length of the Sasanian dynasty's reign over ancient Iran was second only to the directly preceding Arsacid dynasty of Parthia. Founded by Ardashir I, whose rise coincided with the decline of Arsacid influence in the face of both internal and external strife, the House of Sasan was highly determined to restore the legacy of the Achaemenid Empire by expanding and consolidating the Iranian nation's dominions. Most notably, after defeating Artabanus IV of Parthia during the Battle of Hormozdgan in 224, it began competing far more zealously with the neighbouring Roman Empire than the Arsacids had, thus sparking a new phase of the Roman–Iranian Wars. This effort by Ardashir's dynasty ultimately re-established Iran as a major power of late an ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avestan Period
The Avestan period () is the period in the history of the Arya (Iran), Iranians when the Avesta was produced. It saw important contributions to both the Zoroastrianism, religious sphere, as well as to Persian mythology, Iranian mythology and its Shahnameh, epic tradition. Scholars can reliably distinguish between two different linguistic strata in the Avesta; Old Avestan and Young Avestan, which are interpreted as belonging to two different stages in the development of the Avestan language and society. The Old Avestan society is the one to which Zarathustra himself and his immediate followers belonged. The Young Avestan society is less clearly delineated and reflects a larger time span. There is a varying level of agreement on the chronological and geographical boundaries of the Avestan period. Regarding the geographical extent of the Avesta, modern scholarship agrees that it reflects the eastern portion of Greater Iran. Regarding the chronological extent, scholarship initially ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arya (Iran)
Arya (, ; , ; , ; , ; , ) was the ethnonym used by Iranians during the early History of Iran. In contrast to cognates of Arya used by the Vedic people and Iranic steppe nomads, the term is commonly translated using the modern ethnonym Iranian. During Old Iranian times, the term was connected with one's lineage, with speaking an Iranian language and with the worship of Ahura Mazda. Being an Arya, therefore, had ethnic, linguistic and religious aspects. During the Middle Iranian period, it acquired a distinct political aspect through the concept of Eran Shahr (''Aryas' dominion''). Arya was also contrasted with Anarya (, ; , ), denoting non-Iranian lands and peoples. After the Islamic conquest of Iran, the ethnonym fell out of use, but the term Eran experienced a revival during the Iranian Renaissance, now as a toponym for Greater Iran. The modern ethnonym Iranian is a back-formation from the toponym Eran, itself a back-formation from the older Arya. Origin and deline ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Pahlavi Scripts
Pahlavi may refer to: Iranian royalty * Seven Parthian clans, ruling Parthian families during the Sasanian Empire * Pahlavi dynasty, the ruling house of Imperial State of Persia/Iran from 1925 until 1979 ** Reza Shah Pahlavi (1878–1944), Shah of Persia from 1925 to 1941 ** Hamdamsaltaneh Pahlavi (1903–1992), first child and daughter of Reza Shah ** Shams Pahlavi (1917–1996), elder sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ** Ashraf Pahlavi (1919–2016), twin sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi **Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (1919–1980), Shah of Iran from 1941 to 1979 ** Ali Reza Pahlavi I (1922–1954), brother of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, second son of Reza Shah ** Gholamreza Pahlavi (1923–2017), half-brother of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, last living child of Reza Shah ** Abdul Reza Pahlavi (1924–2004), half-brother of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi ** Fatimeh Pahlavi (1928–1987), Reza Shah's tenth child and half-sister of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. ** Hamid Reza Pahlavi (1932–1992), Reza Shah's elevent ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Avestan
Avestan ( ) is the liturgical language of Zoroastrianism. It belongs to the Iranian languages, Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages, Indo-European language family and was First language, originally spoken during the Avestan period, Old Iranian period ( – 400 BCE) by the Arya (Iran), Iranians living in the Avestan geography, eastern portion of Greater Iran. After Avestan Language death, became extinct, its religious texts were first transmitted Oral literature, orally until being collected and Sasanian Avesta, put into writing during the Sasanian empire, Sasanian period ( – 500 CE). The Avesta, extant material falls into two Variety (linguistics), groups: Old Avestan ( – 900 BCE) and Younger Avestan ( – 400 BCE). The immediate ancestor of Old Avestan was the Proto-Iranian language, a sister language to the Proto-Indo-Aryan language, with both having developed from the earlier Proto-Indo-Iranian language. As such, Old Avestan is quite close in both grammar and lexi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lost Literary Work
A lost literary work (referred throughout this article just as a lost work) is a document, literary work, or piece of multimedia, produced of which no surviving copies are known to exist, meaning it can be known only through reference, or literary fragments. This term most commonly applies to works from the classical world, although it is increasingly used in relation to modern works. A work may be lost to history through the destruction of an original manuscript and all later copies. Works—or, commonly, small fragments of works—have survived by being found by archaeologists during investigations, or accidentally by laypersons such as, for example, the finding Nag Hammadi library scrolls. Works also survived when they were reused as bookbinding materials, quoted or included in other works, or as palimpsests, where an original document is imperfectly erased so the substrate on which it was written can be reused. The discovery, in 1822, of Cicero's '' De re publica'' was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Edward William West
Edward William West (1824-1905), usually styled E. W. West, was a scholarly English engineer, orientalist, and translator of Zoroastrian texts. He was educated at King's College London. He prepared five volumes of Pahlavi texts (the ''Marvels of Zoroastrianism'') for Prof. Max Müller's monumental Sacred Books of the East The ''Sacred Books of the East'' is a monumental 50-volume set of English translations of Asian religious texts, edited by Max Müller and published by the Oxford University Press between 1879 and 1910. It incorporates the essential sacred texts ... series, published from the years 1880 to 1897. References * 1824 births 1905 deaths Alumni of King's College London English Indologists Zoroastrian studies scholars {{UK-engineer-stub ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Gatha (Zoroaster)
The Gathas () are 17 hymns in the Avestan language from the Zoroastrian oral tradition of the Avesta. The oldest surviving text fragment dates from 1323 CE, but they are believed by scholars to have been composed before 1000 BCE and passed down orally for centuries. They are traditionally believed to have been composed by the prophet Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. They form the core of the Zoroastrian liturgy (the Yasna). They are arranged in five different modes or metres. The Avestan term ' (𐬔𐬁𐬚𐬁 "hymn", but also "mode, metre") is cognate with Sanskrit '' gāthā'' (गाथा), both from the Proto-Indo-Iranian word ''*gaHtʰáH'', from the root ''*gaH-'' "to sing". Structure and organization The Gathas are in verse, metrical in the nature of ancient Iranian religious poetry, that is extremely terse. The 17 hymns of the Gathas consist of 238 stanzas, of about 1300 lines or 6000 words in total. They were later incorporated into the 72-chapter ''Yasna'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
