Zoroastrian Ascents

Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) -6C

Bahman Yasht 4.1-66, 5.1-10, 6.1-13, 7.1-39, 8.1-8, 9.1-8

Bundahishn 34.4-5

Denkard 8.8.22-59, 9.6, 10.11, 14.13

Wishtasp {-6C} and Zoroaster

Denkard 7.4.83-6

Pahlavi Rivayat 48.27-32

Fr. trans. M. Mole, La legende de Zoroastre selon les textes pehlevis (Paris, 1967)

Jamasp

Ayadgar-i Jamaspig 1.8-10, 13.3-5

Olsson, T. "The Apocalyptic Activity: The Case of Jamasp Namag." in Hellholm, David, ed. Apocalypticism in the Mediterranean World and the Near East. (Tubingen, 1983), 21-9.

Kirdir's (Kartir/Karder/Kerdir) Vision

Skjaervo, Prods Oktor. "Kirdir's Vision: Translation and Analysis," Archaeologische Mitteilungen aus Iran. 1983 [1985], 269-306.

Arda Wiraz Namag = Arda Viraf Namah (Book of the Righteous Wiraz)

Haug, M., and E. W. West. The Book of Arda Viraf, (London 1872, rep. 1971), portions reprinted in Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 84-9.

Vahman, Fereydun, tr. Arda Wiraz Namag : the Iranian 'Divina Commedia'

(London : Curzon Press, 1986) [HBLL: PK6197 .A75x 1986]

General Bibliography

Boyce, Mary. Textual Sources for the Study of Zoroastrianism. (Chicago UP, 1984). [HBLL BL 1571 .T44 1984b]

Boyce, Mary. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. (London, 1979). [HBLL BL1525 .B695]

EIr = Encyclopaedia Iranica (Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1983-) [HBLL Ref 4 DS 253 .E62x 1983] currently through "D"

Hultgard, A. "Forms and Origins of Iranian Apocalypticism," in Hellholm, David, ed. Apocalypticism in the Mediterranean World and the Near East. (Tubingen, 1983), 387-411.

Cambridge History of Iran. vol. 3, pts 1 & 2 [DS 272 C34 1968]

Introduction

general, non-visionary descriptions of heaven

Yasht 24:53-65

Minokhired 2.123-94

Patch, H. R. The Otherworld According to Descriptions in Medieval Literature (Harvard, 1950)

Duyvendak, J. J. L. A Chinese "Divina Commedia". (Leiden, 1952)

Hellholm, David. Apocalypticism in the Mediterranean World and the Near East. (Tubingen, 1983)

Zoroaster (Zarathushtra) -6C

Gatha (Yasht 43)

Bahman Yasht 4.1-66, 5.1-10, 6.1-13, 7.1-39, 8.1-8, 9.1-8

Bundahishn 34.4-5

Denkard 8.8.22-59, 9.6, 10.11, 14.13

drinks water of life from Ohrmazd (Ahura Mazda)

sleeps seven days

has hampursagih (=conversation?) with Ohrmazd

Wishtasp -6C

Denkard 7.4.84-6

Pahlavi Rivayat 48.27-32

king at time of Zoroaster

Zoroaster tries to convert him

Wishtasp asks for sign

drinks wine mixed with mang (= homa?)

mang = henbane = Hyoscyamus niger, nightshade family, narcotic

sees vision of heaven where he will go if he converts

Jamasp

Ayadgar-i Jamaspig 1.8-10, 13.3-5

Olsson, T. "The Apocalyptic Activity: The Case of Jamasp Namag." in Hellholm, David, ed. Apocalypticism in the Mediterranean World and the Near East. (Tubingen, 1983), 21-9.

Arda Wiraz Namag = Arda Viraf Namah (Book of the Righteous Wiraz)

Haug, M., and E. W. West. The Book of Arda Viraf, (London 1872, rep. 1971), portions reprinted in Boyce, Textual Sources, pp. 84-9.

AWN = Vahman, Fereydun, tr. Arda Wiraz Namag : the Iranian 'Divina Commedia' (London : Curzon Press, 1986) [HBLL: PK6197 .A75x 1986]

Introduction

written after Arab conquests

mentions 6C historical figure (AWN 2/191)

Chapter 1 background (AWN 1-3/191)

crisis and apostasy in the age of Alexander

Wiraz chosen as the most righteous Iranian

sent to heaven to gain revelation and restore faith

Chapter 2 preparation (Boyce 6.3.1/AWN 4-5 = 192-3)

rituals in preparation

goes to fire temple

washes body

puts on new garments

annoints with perfume

conccrates the dror = unleavened bread

rites/prayers for the souls of the dead

eats the dror

recites the baj

drinks three cups of wine mixed with Henbane = homa

sleeps seven days

sisters and priests guard his body

Chapter 3 (Boyce 6.3.2/AWN 6 = 193)

soul ascends to mount Hara

Lawful Summit = place of judgement

two rivers flow from it (GBd 11.1)

in the middle of the world (GBd 9.9)

earthly base of Chinvat Bridge

awakes and tells of celestial ascent (AWN 6 = 193)

recounts his ascent to a scribe (AWN 7 = 194)

Chapter 4 (Boyce 6.3.3-4/AWN 8-10 = 194-6)

angelic guides are Srosh and Adur

take him by the hand

lead him to Chinvat Bridge (chinwad puhl)

"crossing of separation"

meets beautiful young woman = his soul/deeds

for wicked it is razor sharp and they can't cross and fall into Hell

for righteous it is 9 spears wide and they cross easily

Wiraz crosses Chinvat Bridge

sees Rashn who weighs the deeds of humans in a golden scale

Meets Amahraspandan = Amesha Spentas = Blissful Immortals

six archangels

Hammistagan = place of the motionless ones = limbo (Boyce 6.3.5/AWN 11 = 195)

those whose bad and good deeds are balanced

Chapter 7

Ascent through the three levels of Heaven (Boyce 6.3.6/AWN 12-3 = 196-7)

star = humat = good thoughts (cf Gbd 30:22)

moon = huxt = good words

sun = huwarsht = good deeds

fourth heaven = highest paradise

Chapter 11

Vision of God on his Throne (Boyce 6.3.7/AWN 14-5 = 197-8)

Archangel Wahman takes Wiraz by the hand and leads him to God's throne

sees the great holy men of the past

Zoroaster, Wishtasp, Jamasp, all earlier ascenders

God = Ohrmazd = Ahura Mazda = Wise Lord

led by Vahman the Archangel

ritual words

Eats food of Immortality in Heaven (AWN 14 = 197)

Chapter 12

Meets souls of the righteous in Heaven (Boyce 6.3.8/AWN 16-7 = 198-9)

clothed in celestial garments

celestial versions of Zoroastrian worship

different abodes for different Zoroastrian castes (Boyce 6.3.9-10)

river of tears (AWN 20 = 200)

Vision of the Tortures of Hell (Chapters 13-101)

Boyce 6.3.11-17/AWN 21-54 = 201-18

Chapter 101 (Boyce 6.3.18/AWN 54-5 = 218-9)

Return to the presence of Ohrmazd

commission to reveal his vision to the people

Kirdir's Vision

Skjaervo, Prods Oktor. "Kirdir's Vision: Translation and Analysis," Archaeologische Mitteilungen aus Iran. 1983 [1985], 269-306.

Crisis with Manichaeism (1-8)

revelation to counter those of Mani

Prayers to the gods for a vision

boasts of righteousness

asks for vision of place after death to encourage faithfulness on earth

the 'adwyn mhly (11) = ritual words, actions or things which facilitate the ascent

their specific nature is unknown

may be at time of Frawardigan cerimonies during which the souls or Fravashis of the dead are supposed to return

Vision is seen and described by the lysyk (11,17.20)

lysyk are mediums of some sort which facilitate the ascent

maybe they see the ascent while Kirdir is unconscious

meet archangels on horses or on golden thrones

cf horsemen of Revelations (Rev 6)

Meets the celestial woman (13) = his soul/deeds (Boyce 6.3.3-4/AWN 8-10 = 194-6)

ritual embrace (14)

take by hand (14)

Meets Rashn the judge with scale (15)

cf. Boyce 6.3.3-4/AWN 8-10 = 194-6; cf. Rev 6:5

Sees the cydyn of Hell (18-20)

note they go to heaven and look down to hell, but don't go to hell

Goes to Chinvat bridge (20-22)

sees great palace of God in the sky (23)

ascend to that palace (26)

sit down on throne with the righteous dead (26)

ritual meal of bread and wine with the dead (27)

Kirdir serves as priest in heaven = validation of his authority