What is Zoroastrianism? Meaning and name
Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religion. It takes its name from Zarathustra, called Zoroaster in English, whom followers regard as its founding prophet. It rests on the texts of the Avesta.
The English name has a Greek route. “Zoroastrianism” comes from Zoroastrēs, a Hellenized form of the Iranian name Zarathustra.
The religion also has a name of its own: Mazdayasna. It means worship of Ahura Mazda. That divine name is usually translated as “Wise Lord.”
So the short answer is simple. Zoroastrianism is the faith of people who follow Zarathustra’s teaching and worship the Wise Lord.
Who was Zarathustra, and when and where did he live?
Nobody can give you a birth city or a birth year. Both are open questions.
For the place, scholars start from the geography of the Avesta. That points them to the eastern Iranian world and Central Asia. The exact town is unknown.
For the date, there are two rival views. One places him around 1000 BCE. The other places him around 600 BCE. His exact dates are not known.
This is worth remembering when you read confident-sounding summaries. The founder of a major religion is still a figure whose dates scholars argue about.
Zoroastrianism beliefs: truth, lie and choice
The core idea is a choice. In Zarathustra’s teaching, asha stands for truth and order. Druj stands for the lie. Choosing between the two is a basic moral matter for every person.
Most Zoroastrians today put their identity into one triple principle: good thoughts, good words, good deeds. You could print it on a coffee mug.
The texts also describe judgment after death. They speak of reward and punishment, and they contain ideas of heaven and hell.
Zoroastrianism God: one god or two?
The god is Ahura Mazda. Zoroastrians worship him.
You will often read that Zoroastrianism is a “two-god religion.” That label is disputed. Some interpretations stress the supremacy of Ahura Mazda. Others point to a cosmic dualism that became especially clear in late Sasanian theology. A single tidy label hides that.
Zoroastrianism holy book: the Avesta
The sacred collection is the Avesta. It contains texts such as the Yasna, the Visperad and the Vendidad.
The Yasna is a ritual with 72 sections. At its centre sit five groups of Gathas. Together they hold 17 hymns traditionally attributed to Zarathustra himself.
The language of the Avesta is an old Iranian language. It is kept alive in ritual recitation by priests and lay believers. When a Zoroastrian priest recites, the words belong to a very old Iranian language.
Fire temples that don’t worship fire
This is the part most visitors get wrong. Zoroastrians are not “fire worshippers.” The British Academy says they worship Ahura Mazda. In the Yasna Haptanghaiti ritual, fire is associated with his visible presence. The label misleads.
Think of a candle in a church or a lamp at a family shrine. The flame is not the god. It stands for something.
In the Zoroastrian tradition of India, sacred fires are ranked in three grades: Atash Behram, Adaran and Dadgah.
The daily care is concrete. Worship in a traditional temple includes offering dry wood and fragrant substances to the sacred fire. The priest also recites the Atash Niyayesh prayer. This is tied to five worship divisions of the day.
Zoroastrianism symbol: the Faravahar
The best-known emblem is the Faravahar. It is a winged disk with a human figure. Today it is one of the most recognised symbols of the religion.
Its original meaning is less settled than its fame. In the Achaemenid period, scholars have offered different readings. It may represent Ahura Mazda. It may represent a guardian spirit. It may represent khvarenah, the royal glory of a ruler. These are alternative interpretations, not parts of one answer.
Timeline
- About 1000 BCE or about 600 BCE: Two competing dates for Zarathustra’s life. The true date is unknown.
- 651: The Arab conquest of Iran is complete. A long process of Islamization follows and shrinks the Zoroastrian population in its homeland.
- 2001: India’s census records 69,601 Parsis/Zoroastrians.
- 2011: The next census records 57,264.
- 2023: The Sadeh/Sada celebration is added to UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, in a joint file from Iran and Tajikistan.
Zoroastrianism today: where do they live?
The religion has two historic communities: Iran’s Zoroastrians and India’s Parsis. Other countries also have diaspora communities.
How did this split happen? After the conquest of Iran was completed in 651, Islamization over the following centuries reduced the Zoroastrian population in its homeland. Some Zoroastrians moved from Iran to India. Their descendants are known as Parsis, a name that points back to Persia.
The numbers in India are small and falling. According to figures published by the Indian government, the Parsi/Zoroastrian population fell from 69,601 in 2001 to 57,264 in 2011. That is a drop of 12,337 people in ten years.
In Iran, the city of Yazd shows how the religion lives beside others. UNESCO notes that Zoroastrian fire temples, synagogues and mosques survive in the same historic urban fabric.
Details you won’t find in guidebooks
- A pilgrimage in the desert region. The shrine of Pir-e Sabz, also called Chak Chak, lies east of Ardakan in the Yazd region. It hosts a Zoroastrian pilgrimage of several days in mid-June.
- Women as priests’ assistants. In Iran, women have been formally appointed as mobedyar, a kind of assistant religious officiant. This is among the modern ritual reforms.
- Sadeh, the fire festival of “one hundred.” Zoroastrians also celebrate Sadeh/Sada on 30 January. The name is explained by the number one hundred: 50 days plus 50 nights remaining until spring. UNESCO lists it as living heritage.
- Burial, not only exposure. The traditional practice leaves the dead in open structures for birds and natural forces. The aim is to avoid polluting the earth with human remains. In Iran’s modern Zoroastrian communities, reforms have meant that burial in the ground has also replaced exposure.
Freddie Mercury and the Parsi faith
Here is the everyday link. If Queen is on your playlist, you already know a Parsi family story.
Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara. His family belonged to the Parsi Zoroastrian community of Indian origin, as reported by The World/PRX. That ties a stadium rock singer to a faith whose scripture is kept alive in an old Iranian language.
FAQ
Do Zoroastrians worship fire?
No. They worship Ahura Mazda. The British Academy notes that in the Yasna Haptanghaiti ritual, fire is linked to his visible presence. That is why ‘fire worshippers’ is a misleading label.
What is the Zoroastrian holy book?
The Avesta. It is a collection of texts that includes the Yasna, the Visperad and the Vendidad.
What is the main Zoroastrian symbol?
The Faravahar, a winged disk with a human figure. It is one of the best-known Zoroastrian symbols today. Its meaning in the Achaemenid period is debated.
Where do Zoroastrians live today?
The two historic communities are in Iran and in India, where they are called Parsis. There are also diaspora communities in other countries.
Was Freddie Mercury a Zoroastrian?
His birth name was Farrokh Bulsara, and his family belonged to the Parsi Zoroastrian community of Indian origin.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Zoroastrianism en.wikipedia.org
- British Academy — Who are the Zoroastrians? thebritishacademy.ac.uk
- Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy — Zoroastrianism rep.routledge.com
- Encyclopaedia Iranica — Zoroaster iii iranicaonline.org
- Encyclopaedia Iranica — Zoroastrianism i iranicaonline.org
- Encyclopaedia Iranica — Zoroastrian Rituals iranicaonline.org
- Türkçe Vikipedi — Zerdüştçülük tr.wikipedia.org
- Government of India, Ministry of Minority Affairs — Declining Parsi Population in the Country pib.gov.in
- UNESCO — Historic City of Yazd whc.unesco.org
- Associated Press — Sadeh celebration of Iran’s Zoroastrians apnews.com
- UNESCO — Sadeh/Sada celebration ich.unesco.org
- The World / PRX — Freddie Mercury’s family faith: The ancient religion of Zoroastrianism theworld.org
Image: Templo zoroastrista, Yazd, Irán, 2016-09-21, DD 45.jpg — Diego Delso, Public domain
