Fravashi

Fravashi (Avestan: 𐬟𐬭𐬀𐬎𐬎𐬀𐬴𐬌, romanized: fravaṣ̌i, /frəˈvɑːʃi/) is the Avestan term for the Zoroastrian concept of a personal spirit of an individual, whether dead, living, or yet-unborn. The fravashi of an individual sends out the urvan (often translated as 'soul') into the material world to fight the battle of good versus evil. On the morning of the fourth day after death, the urvan returns to its fravashi, where its experiences in the material world are collected to assist the next generation in their fight between good and evil.

In the 9/10th-century works of Zoroastrian tradition, the Pahlavi books, Avestan fravashi continues as Middle Persian fravard (and -w- forms, fraward etc), fravahr, fravash or fravaksh.[1] The last days of a year, called frawardigan (compare New Persian farvardin, first month within the Persian calendar), are dedicated to the fravashis. The first month of the year as well as the 19th day of each month are considered under the protection of, and named after, the fravashis. The winged-disc symbol of Zoroastrianism is traditionally interpreted as a depiction of a fravashi.

Etymology

The word fravashi is commonly perceived to have var- "to choose," as its root. From reconstructed *fravarti (/rt/ clusters in Avestan usually appear as /š/), fravashi could then mean "one who has been selected (for exaltation)." The same root, in the sense of "to choose/profess a faith," is found in the word fravarane, the name of the Zoroastrian credo.

Other interpretations take other meanings of var- into consideration: Either as var- "to cover" that in a bahuvrihi with fra- "to ward" provides "protective valor," or a derivation from var- "to make/be pregnant" which gives "promoter of birth, birth-spirit." One interpretation considers a derivation from vart- "turn" hence "turning away, departing, death." The Epistles of Zadspram, a 10th century exegetical work, derives fravashi from fra-vaxsh "to grow forth."[2]

In scripture

Like most other Zoroastrian yazatas, the fravashis are not mentioned in the Gathas. The earliest mention of them is in the Old Avestan Yasna Haptanghaiti (Y. 37) which includes an invocation of "the fravashis of the righteous" (ashavan). In chapter 57 of the Yasna, the fravashis are responsible for the course of the sun, moon, and stars (and will do so until the renovation of this world), and in nurturing waters and plants, and protecting the unborn in the womb.

The principal source of information on the fravashis is Yasht 13 (frawardin Yasht), the hymn that is addressed to them and in which they appear as beings who inhabit the stratosphere, and aid and protect those who worship them, and in which the fravashis are presented on the same level as the lesser yazatas.[3] Yasht 13 is one of the eight "great" yashts, and at 158 verses the longest text in the collection, and one of the better preserved ones as well.[4] It is also the second-most frequently recited Yasht (after Yasht 1 to Mazda).[4] Several different authors contributed to the hymn, and its literary quality is uneven; while some verses are rich in traditional poetic phrases, others are of dully imitative prose.[3] The frequently repeated kshnuman (formulaic invocation) of Yasht 13 is "We worship the good, strong, bounteous fravašis of the righteous (ashavan)."

Yasht 13 begins with a cosmogonical chapter in which the Creator Ahura Mazda is portrayed as acknowledging that material creation was brought about with the assistance of "many hundreds, many thousands, many tens of thousands" of "mighty, victorious fravashis" (13.1-2). Moreover, Mazda is presented as acknowledging that without the help of the fravashis, cattle and men would have been lost to Angra Mainyu. "This declaration is wholly unorthodox, and unsupported by any other text."[3] Verses 14-15, as also several other verses scattered through the text, describe how the fravashis continue to sustain the material world and mankind in the post-creation phase of the world. Verses 16-17, as also several other later verses, celebrate their military prowess and assistance in battle, where they are invoked. Verse 20 includes an injunction to memorize their invocation, so as to be able to call on them in times of need.[3]

In 13.49-52, the hymn turns to the function of the fravashis in relation to the dead. There, the fravashis of the dead are said to return to their (former) homes during the last days of the year (Hamaspathmaedaya, frawardigan), hoping to be worshipped and receive gifts, in exchange for which they bless those who live there. This section (karda), known to priests by its opening words as the ya visatha, also appears in Siroza 1/2 and several Afrinagans, notably those of Arda Fravash (the 'righteous fravash') and Dahman (the yazata of prayer), and is thus a frequently recited passage.[3] In Yt. 13.65-68, the fravashi are associated with prosperity, and annually strive to ensure that "family, settlement, tribe, and country" has rain. Verses 149 and 155 are likewise related to the urvan of the dead, and offer worship to both urvan and fravashi as distinct parts of a mortal's immaterial nature.[5] And while they are said to have martial prowess in some passages, elsewhere (13.49-52, 13.96-144), they are co-eval with the relatively helpless urvan.[6] This co-identification also occurs elsewhere in the Avesta, such as in Yasna 16.7, where it is explicit.[7]

According to Mary Boyce, the perplexing anomalies of Yasht 13 are residual traces of fravashi cult, which she defines as a form of an ancestor worship and/or hero-cult that developed during (what she calls) the 'Iranian Heroic Age' (c. 1500 BCE onwards).[8]

In tradition

A graphic depiction similar to one carved in Persepolis.

Although there is no physical description of a fravashi in the Avesta, the faravahar, one of the best known symbols of Zoroastrianism, is commonly believed to be the depiction of one. The attribution of the name (which derives from the Middle Iranian word for fravashi) to the symbol is probably a later development. In Avestan language grammar, the fravashi are unmistakably female, while the faravahar symbol is unmistakably male.

In the Denkard's myth of Zoroaster's conception (Dk., 7.2.15-47), his frawahr is sent down from heaven within a unique hom-plant to be united on earth with his mortal body (tanu) and appointed glory (xwarrah).[9] In the Bundahishn's creation myth narrates a fable in which the fravashis are given a choice of either remaining protected with Ahura Mazda, or being born into mortals, suffering but also helping bring about the defeat of Angra Mainyu. The fravashis are shown the future before the creation of the getik material world. Ohrmazd's offer of security with inaction is rejected and the fravashi consent to enter the material world as active allies in the battle against evil (GBd. 34.12f).[10] In another cosmological myth (Zadspram 3.2-3), when Angra Mainyu breaks into the created world, the fravashis draw together on the rim of the sky to imprison him.[9] The Denkard, Shikand gumanic vichar, Menog i khrat, Zatspram, and several other works together include an extensive theological exegesis on the distinction between getik and menok (material and immaterial) aspects of creation, and between the fraward and urvan.[11]

In the hierarchy of the yazatas, the fravashis are the assistants of the Amesha Spenta Haurvatat (Middle Persian: Khordad) of "Wholeness", whose special domain are "the Waters" (Avestan Apo, Middle Persian: Aban).

In the day-name dedications of the Zoroastrian calendar, the fravashis preside over the 19th day of the month and the first month of the year, and both are named after the frawards. The intersection of the month-name and day-name dedications are the name-day feast of the frawards. This feast day of farvardin jashan is especially observed by Zoroastrians who have lost a relative in the preceding year. Additionally, the fourth watch (gah) of the twenty-four-hour day, from sunset to midnight, is under the protection of the frawards.

References

Citations
  1. ^ Boyce 2001a, p. 195.
  2. ^ Bailey 1943, p. 109.
  3. ^ a b c d e Boyce 2001b, p. 200.
  4. ^ a b Boyce 2001b, p. 199.
  5. ^ Boyce 2001b, p. 201.
  6. ^ Boyce 2001a, p. 196.
  7. ^ Boyce 2001a, p. 197.
  8. ^ Boyce 2001a, pp. 195–198.
  9. ^ a b Boyce 2001b, p. 197.
  10. ^ Bailey 1943, pp. 108–109.
  11. ^ Bailey 1943, pp. 97–118.
Works cited
  • Bailey, Harold Walter (1943), Zoroastrian Problems in the Ninth-Century Books, Ratanbai Katrak Lectures, Oxford: Clarendon.
  • Boyce, Mary (2001a), "Fravaši", Encyclopedia Iranica, vol. 10, Costa Mesa: Mazda, pp. 195–199
  • Boyce, Mary (2001b), "Frawardīn Yašt", Encyclopedia Iranica, vol. 10, Costa Mesa: Mazda, pp. 199–201.
  • Malandra, William (1971), The Fravaši Yašt, Ann Arbor: University Microfilms
  • Narten, Joanna (1985), "Avestisch frauuaši", Indo-Iranian Journal, 28: 35–48, doi:10.1163/000000085790081930

Read other articles:

دوري آيسلندا الممتاز 1929 تفاصيل الموسم دوري آيسلندا الممتاز  النسخة 18،  و28  البلد آيسلندا  المنظم اتحاد آيسلندا لكرة القدم  البطل ناتدبيرنوفيلاغ ريكيافيكور  عدد المشاركين 6   دوري آيسلندا الممتاز 1928  دوري آيسلندا الممتاز 1930  تعديل مصدري - تعديل   دو�...

 

Artikel ini tidak memiliki referensi atau sumber tepercaya sehingga isinya tidak bisa dipastikan. Tolong bantu perbaiki artikel ini dengan menambahkan referensi yang layak. Tulisan tanpa sumber dapat dipertanyakan dan dihapus sewaktu-waktu.Cari sumber: Soneta Group – berita · surat kabar · buku · cendekiawan · JSTOR Rhoma Irama & Soneta GroupAsalJakarta, IndonesiaGenreDangdutMelayuTahun aktif1970–saat iniLabelSoneta Record (label sendiri)Artis te...

 

Pour les articles homonymes, voir ANSP. Si ce bandeau n'est plus pertinent, retirez-le. Cliquez ici pour en savoir plus. Cet article ne s'appuie pas, ou pas assez, sur des sources secondaires ou tertiaires (décembre 2021). Pour améliorer la vérifiabilité de l'article ainsi que son intérêt encyclopédique, il est nécessaire, quand des sources primaires sont citées, de les associer à des analyses faites par des sources secondaires. Agence nationale de santé publiqueLogo de l'agence n...

Village and municipality in Slovakia Košice-okolie District in the Kosice Region Kecerovský Lipovec (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈketserɔwskiː ˈlipɔʋets]; Hungarian: Kecerlipóc) is a village and municipality in Košice-okolie District in the Kosice Region of eastern Slovakia. History In historical records, the village was first mentioned in 1229. Geography The village lies at an altitude of 350 metres and covers an area of 15.67 km². It has a population of about 110 people. ...

 

American mathematician Richard Ernest BellmanBornRichard Ernest Bellman(1920-08-26)August 26, 1920New York City, New York, U.S.DiedMarch 19, 1984(1984-03-19) (aged 63)Los Angeles, California, U.S.Alma mater Brooklyn College (BS) University of Wisconsin (MA) Princeton University (PhD) Known forDynamic programmingStochastic dynamic programmingCurse of dimensionalityLinear search problemBellman equationBellman–Ford algorithmBellman's lost in a forest problemBellman–Held–Karp...

 

Terminal Cikarang atau juga disebut Terminal Kalijaya merupakan terminal penumpang tipe B yang merupakan terminal induk terbesar di Kabupaten Bekasi, Provinsi Jawa Barat. Terminal ini terletak di Jalan Raden Fatahillah, Kelurahan Kalijaya, Kecamatan Cikarang Barat, Kabupaten Bekasi. Terminal dengan luas sekitar 1,2 hektar ini dikelola oleh Dinas Perhubungan Provinsi Jawa Barat. Terminal ini melayani transportasi angkutan kota, angkutan angkutan antarkota dalam provinsi (AKDP) dan angkutan ang...

Sudanese Ansar ruler (1846–1899) Abdallahi ibn MuhammadArtistic representation of Abdallahi ibn MuhammadKhalifa of SudanReign1885–1899PredecessorMuhammad Ahmad (as Mahdi)SuccessorDisestablishedBornc. 1846Um Dafuq, Darfur, Turkish Sudan, Egypt EyaletDied25 November 1899 (age 53)Umm Diwaykarat, Mahdist SudanNamesAbdullah Ibn Muhammad Al-Khalifa Abdullah ibn-Mohammed al-Khalifa or Abdullah al-Khalifa or Abdallahi al-Khalifa, also known as The Khalifa (Arabic: c. عبدالله بن سيد م...

 

Парки и зоны отдыхаангл. Parks and Recreation Жанры КомедияПсевдодокументальный фильмСатира Создатели Грег ДэниелсМайкл Шур В главных ролях Эми ПолерРашида ДжонсАзиз АнсариНик ОфферманОбри ПлазаПол ШнайдерКрис ПрэттАдам СкоттРоб ЛоуДжим О’ХейрРеттаБилли Айкнер Композит�...

 

UK-based supplier of gas and electricity Innogy plc redirects here. For the renewable energy subsidiary of E.ON, see Innogy. Npower LimitedFormerlyNational Power PLCInnogy PLCRWE NpowerNpowerNpower Business SolutionsCompany typeLimited companyIndustryEnergy to BusinessesFounded2000 (as Innogy plc) 2002 (as RWE Npower) 2016 (as Npower Limited)Defunct2021FateMerged into E.ON NextSuccessorE.ON NextHeadquartersSwindon, England, United KingdomProductsGas and electricityNumber of employees5,700Pare...

براونينغ     الإحداثيات 48°33′25″N 113°00′50″W / 48.5569°N 113.014°W / 48.5569; -113.014   [1] تقسيم إداري  البلد الولايات المتحدة[2]  التقسيم الأعلى مقاطعة غلاسير  خصائص جغرافية  المساحة 0.715732 كيلومتر مربع0.709483 كيلومتر مربع (1 أبريل 2010)[3]  ارتفاع 1334 متر...

 

Prophet in the Book of Mormon AlmaFrom Alma Being Carried to His Father's House (October 1925)High priestPreceded by(Inaugurates the position)Succeeded byAlma (his son) PersonalKnown forFounding a Christian church among the Nephites Alma (/ˈælmə/) is a Nephite prophet[1] in the Book of Mormon. Initially a priest who serves in the court of King Noah, when a prophet named Abinadi preaches to the court Alma concurs with Abinadi and affirms that what the prophet said is true. For ...

 

Study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behavior Private space redirects here. For a sector of societal life under an individual's control, see private sphere. Proxemics is the study of human use of space and the effects that population density has on behavior, communication, and social interaction.[1] Proxemics is one among several subcategories in the study of nonverbal communication, including haptics (touch), kinesics (body movement), vocalics (p...

Запрос «Латынь» перенаправляется сюда; см. также другие значения. Латинский язык Самоназвание lingua Latina Страны Западная и Южная Европа, Ближний Восток, Северная Африка (в I—V веках) Официальный статус  Ватикан Мальтийский орден первоначально — Древний Рим Регулирующа...

 

Father who is the main caregiver of his children House husband redirects here. For other uses, see House Husband (disambiguation). SAHD redirects here. For the biblical movement, see Stay-at-home daughter. A stay-at-home dad taking care of children in the American Midwest c. 2000 A stay-at-home dad (alternatively, full-time father, stay-at-home father, house dad) is a father who is the main caregiver of the children and is generally the homemaker of the household. The female equivalent ...

 

2026 Brazilian general election ← 2022 4 October 2026 (2026-10-04) (first round)25 October 2026 (2026-10-25) (second round, if necessary) 2030 → Presidential electionOpinion polls Incumbent President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva PT Chamber of DeputiesAll 513 seats in the Chamber of Deputies257 seats needed for a majority Party Leader Current seats PL Altineu Côrtes 95 FE Brasil Odair Cunha 80 UNIÃO Elmar Nascimento 58 PP Luiz Teixeira ...

For other uses, see Kind of Blue (disambiguation). 1959 studio album by Miles DavisKind of BlueStudio album by Miles DavisReleasedAugust 17, 1959 (1959-08-17)RecordedMarch 2 and April 22, 1959StudioColumbia 30th Street (New York City)GenreModal jazzLength45:44LabelColumbiaProducerIrving TownsendMiles Davis chronology Miles Davis and the Modern Jazz Giants(1959) Kind of Blue(1959) Jazz Track(1959) Kind of Blue is a studio album by the American jazz trumpeter and composer...

 

2015 British television series This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.Find sources: Capital British TV series – news · newspapers · books · scholar · JSTOR (November 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this message) CapitalBased onCapitalby John LanchesterWritten byPeter BowkerDirected byEuros LynStarring To...

 

هذه المقالة تحتاج للمزيد من الوصلات للمقالات الأخرى للمساعدة في ترابط مقالات الموسوعة. فضلًا ساعد في تحسين هذه المقالة بإضافة وصلات إلى المقالات المتعلقة بها الموجودة في النص الحالي. (مارس 2016) اليكسا ألامانيون معلومات شخصية مواطنة الولايات المتحدة  الحياة العملية المد�...

Part of a series onBritish law Acts of Parliament of the United Kingdom Year      1801 1802 1803 1804 1805 1806 1807 1808 1809 1810 1811 1812 1813 1814 1815 1816 1817 1818 1819 1820 1821 1822 1823 1824 1825 1826 1827 1828 1829 1830 1831 1832 1833 1834 1835 1836 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1855 1856 1857 1858 1859 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 1870 1871 1872 1873 1874 1875 1876 1877 1878 ...

 

Pekan Olahraga NasionalLogo KONI, tiga cincin berkait pada logo kerap menjadi logo PONSingkatanPONAcara pertamaPekan Olahraga Nasional 1948 di Surakarta, Jawa TengahTerjadi setiap4 tahunAcara terakhirPekan Olahraga Nasional 2021 di Jayapura, PapuaMarkas besarJakarta, Indonesia Pekan Olahraga Nasional (disingkat PON) adalah pesta olahraga nasional di Indonesia yang diselenggarakan oleh Komite Olahraga Nasional Indonesia. PON diadakan setiap empat tahun sekali dan diikuti seluruh provinsi di In...