Introduction to Faravaha

Faravahar originated from the winged sun disc, the most famous male figure sitting in central Persia in ancient times. It is considered to represent the Zoroastrian god Ahumazda, but it is also interpreted as representing other concepts, including:

Faravash (guardian angel)

Farr or Khvarenah (divine grace)

Lavachi, the king of Buddha

General divinity and kingship

Personal spiritual strength

The teachings of Zoroastrianism

It should be pointed out that all these explanations are modern. No one really knows what Lawaha means to the ancient Persians who created this symbol.

Persian Faravahar is the most complicated and detailed representative of the easy-winged solar disk.

The winged sun disc is one of the oldest symbols in the world, which appears in art, architecture and cylindrical seals in Egypt, Babylon, Sumer, Assyria and Judah. Persian Faravahar is easily the most complex and detailed representative of any ancient winged solar disk civilization, except perhaps Assyria. It first appeared in the present form during the Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) and was used until the end of Sassanian Empire (224-65 1 year).

After that, this symbol was suppressed together with other aspects of Persian culture and lost its early significance; But the symbol itself has not been removed from buildings, works of art or ancient inscriptions, so it has remained. Today, it is regarded as the national symbol of Iran, while retaining its connection with Zoroastrianism, and is used by various spiritual believers in the new era. They often interpret it as depicting the entanglement, enlightenment, or unity with God of the soul escaping from the world.

The significance of winged solar disk

One of the earliest representatives of the winged sun disc came from Egypt and appeared in the ancient kingdom period (2613-265438 BC+08 BC1), representing the divine power of the king. It was originally related to Ptah, but gradually related to the myth of Osiris -Set- Horus. In the New Kingdom of Egypt (BC 1570- 1069), Horus Behdet or Horus, known as the midday sun god, merged with Horus, the god of the sky.

Pharaoh is considered to represent Horus's life on the earth, so flying the sky disc can also be related to kingship. During the reign of Okhennathan (BC 1353- 1336), this symbol represented Adon, the true monotheistic god of Okhennathan. However, after his death, it resumed contact with Horus and the monarchy.

Sumerians and Babylonians in Mesopotamia used similar symbols to represent the sun god and sacred justice, Utu-Shamash in BC (known as Shamash by Akkadians). 2279-C. About BC 1750. The winged sun disc appears in cylindrical seals, inscriptions and works of art related to divinity and kingship. Hebrews used this symbol to represent the same concept (8th century BC), and Sumerians also associated this symbol with Jean, the god of wisdom. The light from the sun disc represents Jean's divine wisdom, which is freely given to human beings like sunlight.

Assyrians were the first people to develop this symbol into an image similar to Faravahar by depicting ashur, the sun god (also associated with the royal family). There are many different changes in this image, but the most popular one is ashur riding in the center of the sun disc as an archer. In some versions, he is holding a bow, while in others, he is shooting.

The Medes and other people in the region who hate the oppression of the Assyrian Empire and everything it stands for should know this image. After the empire fell into the alliance led by Babylonians and Medes in 6 12 BC-after they destroyed Assyrian cities, temples and religious images-they may have redesigned the symbol of ashur's winged sun disc to represent Ahura Mazda-or maybe some other gods at first-to further erase Assyrian memory.

Early Iranian Religion and Zoroastrianism

The Medes were originally part of a group of immigrants who settled in this area sometime before the 3rd century BC, including people who were later called Allen, Bactrians, Parthians and Persians. They carry a polytheism, which is closely related to Vedic vision in North India. A god is in charge of a pantheon of smaller but still powerful gods.

This belief system developed from Persians to what is now known as the early Iranian religion. Ahura Mazda was the king of the gods, and he led other bright and kind entities-such as mitra, Anna Hita, Attar, and-against the evil spirit Angra Mainyu (also known as Ahriman) and his dark army. These gods are considered to be so powerful that they can't be included in the chapel, nor can they be expressed in any man-made form. God is everywhere, always ready to resist the dark forces or attack them.

The prophet Zoroaster (1500- 1000 BC) thoroughly reformed this religion and made it a monotheistic religion. Ahumazda is the only god, not the source of creation and all things, and everything else is the emission of his divine power. However, understanding life and the universe as the eternal struggle between good and evil is still the core of Zoroastrianism.

Zoroaster's new belief is based on five principles:

The highest god is Ahura Mazda.

Ahura Mazda, everything is fine.

His eternal rival, Angra Mainyu, is evil.

Goodwill, kindness, good words and good deeds

Everyone has the free will to choose good and evil.

Believers practice religion by telling the truth, doing charity, caring for others and keeping everything moderate. These virtues were later regarded as a model for Cyrus II (the Great, 550-530 BC), the founder of Achaemenid Empire, to rule this region, replacing the Medes.

Achaemenid Empire and French Lawaha

Even so, while acknowledging cyrus the great's exemplary rule, he only claimed that he was a Zoroaster, because his time and Greek writers such as Herodotus or Xenophon (who wrote about Persian monarchs) made religion so perfect that they didn't know the difference between early Iranian religious customs and Zoroaster religious customs. Cyrus II's quotation of Ahur Mazda's inscription can be easily applied to the early belief system, just like Zoroastrianism, and can also be applied to his direct successor.

Faravahar is obviously a symbolic example that has been established for a long time, and it represents the hanging fee of the gods.

Darius I (Darius I, reigned from 522 to 486 BC) has Faravahar in Bethesden and his capitals Persepolis and Susa in his famous inscriptions, but this does not necessarily mean that he is a Zoroastrian, because he mentioned "all other gods" and he hinted that Ahura Mazda does not necessarily point to a monotheistic god.

For a long time, people have always thought that Faravahar was created by Achmenid, because it first appeared in the early days of this empire, and this symbol represents Ahur Mazda; But it is not clear whether this is the king of gods, Ahura Mazda, or the only unborn god, ahura mazda. As mentioned earlier, both early Iranian religion and Zoroastrianism refused to depict God in artistic expression. Even the Zoroastrian temple of fire (chapel) is very simple. Nevertheless, Faravahar obviously continues a long-established symbolic paradigm and represents the divinity related to the royal family, so it may indeed symbolize Ahura Mazda. Scholar George rawlinson commented:

Ahura Mazda and [other gods] were not expressed in any material form by early Iranians. Zoroastrianism clearly opposes idolatry, allowing worshippers to symbolically express their supreme image through winged circles, sometimes combined with an incomplete character, wearing robes and headdresses. ( 103)

This is Faravahar's standard explanation: Ahura Mazda, as the source of all goodness, promotes believers by encouraging them to follow him and encouraging them with kindness, good words and good deeds. However, other possibilities have been proposed.

Faravahar's explanation

The Persians left no written record. Apart from the administrative texts, these documents survived, except for the Sassanian Empire. Although some writers today encourage people to believe that Persians in Achaemenid Empire wrote a lot, there is absolutely no evidence to prove this. Even if they did, anything Alexander the Great wrote on papyrus scrolls or other flammable materials was smoked. In 330 BC, the Great burned Persepolis.

Scholars generally believe that the religion and history of ancient Persia was spread orally until it was recorded by Sassanians. However, after the empire fell into the hands of * * * * * in 65 1 year, many of these characters were destroyed, and some of them may have lost the original meaning of lighting symbols. Those scriptures that survived the * * * * purge and were not preserved by the Parsis and others will have to survive the later Mongolian invasion, which destroyed more fire temples and more scriptures.

Therefore, the interpretation of symbols appeared in modern times, although most of them were based on ancient concepts.

Flava Xi

One interpretation of this symbol is that it represents a faravash-usually translated as "guardian angel"-the "higher self" of the soul. The soul (named Ullvahn) entered the human body in the direction of Vladivostok at birth, thus experiencing the material world and participating in the struggle between good and evil. In one's life, Faravash will encourage the soul to take the right path and follow the lies of light, darkness and evil. After his death, Ullvahn stayed by the body for three days, and then went to the Chinwat Bridge, which is a bridge between the land of the living and the land of the dead, where he was reunited with the body. At the time of the judgment of the gods, faravash will assist it. Faravahar, in this explanation, describes this higher self, where he helps a person to be born, protects a person's life, and greets him as a help and guidance when he dies.

Farr or Herr Varene

It is said that this symbol also represents the king's guardian angel. As long as he has Farr, he will protect him.

Persian kings are considered to rule by the grace of God (Farr) and the glory of God (khvarenah). Mitra, whether understood as the incarnation of God or Ahumazda, has given this kind of grace to a valuable person, a person who cares about his people, respects God and acts according to the principles of kindness and justice. Another explanation of Faravahar is considered to be this concept. Disks and wings symbolize divine grace, and the man in robes and headdress will be the king. When the king dies, or proves himself unworthy, the grace is taken back and given to another person. In a sense, it will fly from a monarch to his successor.

The King's Flava West

It is said that this symbol also stands for Ahura Mazda, as long as he has the guardian angel Farr to protect his king and keep in good condition. Included in this explanation is that the numbers in the symbol are Darius me and wings, circles, etc. He is Lavachi. The image here is interpreted according to Farr's explanation, except that usually (when Darius I is not inserted), the figure in the middle is the king's guardian angel Flava Hirsch. Supporters of this explanation claim that this is the reason why Lawaha appeared in buildings related to the inscriptions of the royal family and kings, such as those in Persepolis and Susa.

General divinity and kingship

Consistent with the history of winged sun disc in early culture, Faravahar is also considered as simply representing the kingship supported by God, just like Assyrian symbol of Assyria or Egyptian Horus disc.

Personal spiritual strength

In modern times, this symbol is sometimes divorced from its roots and interpreted as a symbol of enlightenment by so-called new age philosophy and religious believers. In this view, symbols symbolize the idea of getting rid of the confusion, traps, tricks and pressures in daily life and becoming a better self. In this interpretation, this symbol is open to people of any religion or no religious belief, who meet the challenge of self-improvement on the spiritual level.

The creed of Zoroastrianism

Another modern explanation is that this symbol represents the teachings of Zoroastrianism. The character in the middle is the persecutor; Three rows of wings represent goodwill, good words and good deeds; Two descending "legs" with rings represent Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu; ; The circle in which characters appear symbolizes the immortality of the soul; One hand of the character indicates upward-indicating that one should strive to be good (take the right path)-while the other hand holds a ring, representing one's commitment to Ahur Mazda, and one is pursuing goodness and abandoning evil. Where this explanation originated is unknown, and like other explanations, it has not been universally recognized.

conclusion

The last explanation is closest to the modern understanding of symbols, because most people associate it with Zoroastrianism on the spiritual level or Iran, the birthplace of religion on the secular level. Indian Parsis brought this symbol when they fled Iran in the 7th and 8th centuries, and established Zoroastrianism in Gujarat and later Mumbai.

As mentioned earlier, this symbol was suppressed after the conquest of * * * * in 65 1 year, but it survived. * * * After the persecution of Persian culture was alleviated, it reappeared and became a powerful reminder of Persia's past glory. 1920s was adopted by Pahlavi dynasty as the national symbol of Iran, and 1979 was suppressed again after the revolution.

However, this symbol has survived again and is regarded as a respect for Iranian culture and heritage, and it is also the most famous symbol in Iran, although it has not been officially recognized by the current regime. The power of images continues to resonate with people today, because they give it its own meaning and connect it with the past, personal present and future, whether it is an individual or a group, because-whatever its original meaning-it symbolizes encouraging those who respond to it to improve their thinking, speech and behavior.