{"id":5146,"date":"2020-01-31T18:44:21","date_gmt":"2020-01-31T15:14:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gilgameshmag.com\/en\/?p=5146"},"modified":"2020-01-31T18:46:29","modified_gmt":"2020-01-31T15:16:29","slug":"may-the-waters-run-pure","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gilgameshmag.com\/en\/5146\/may-the-waters-run-pure\/","title":{"rendered":"May the Waters Run Pure"},"content":{"rendered":"[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n

Author: Kamran Kashiri\/ Photo by: National Museum of Iran<\/em><\/p>\n

When the world, created by the wise lord Ahura Mazda, was still intact and free from Ahriman\u2019s malice, the earth was enclosed like the yolk at the heart of an egg by the sky, its shell, and half of the earth was covered by water, like the white surrounding the yolk. When the evil spirit Ahriman attacked the Earth and broke the sky, his malicious creatures, the Khrafstars, polluted the water and the soil. The force of Ahriman\u2019s impact on the earth caused the mountains to rise up and valleys were formed between them. Ahriman\u2019s victory over Ahura Mazda seemed decisive.<\/p>\n

But this was only the beginning. Ahura Mazda\u2019s creatures responded in kind and a great battle began. Each creature attacked its nemesis. The angel Tishtar (Tishtrya) created a deluge and washed all of Ahriman\u2019s evil creatures into the sea; because of this the water, once fresh and pure, turned salty and bitter \u2013 just like seawater today.<\/p>\n

But since there were now mountains and valleys on the earth, from the deluge, streams, currents and rivers came into being \u2013 fresh waters that could sustain and keep life. And, since each heavenly creation should have a guardian, Ahura Mazda made Anahita the keeper of fresh waters and streams.<\/p>\n

Anahita: Deeds and Duties<\/p>\n

Anahita, in the Avestan language, means clean, without pollution, pure. In the Avesta, the sacred book of the Zoroastrians, a long and beautiful hymn, \u2018Aban Yasht\u2019, is dedicated to her. She is called \u2018the owner of a thousand lakes and a thousand rivers, each as long as the 40-day journey of a fast horse rider\u2019. She cleans all polluted and impure waters, even the seed of men and wombs of women. Such is the glory of Anahita that Ahura Mazda himself regards her as one of his most powerful companions.<\/p>\n

In \u2018Aban Yasht\u2019, a detailed description of Anahita\u2019s appearance is provided: she is tall and beautiful, with light skin and shoulders as strong and broad as a horse. Dressed in gold and jewellery, she wears a crown made of a hundred stars and has a chariot led by four purebred white steeds: rain, hail, cloud and wind. Her mansions, which are found by lakes and rivers, are decorated with a thousand shining windows and a thousand well-sculpted columns; each mansion is elevated on a thousand pillars.<\/p>\n

So great is the might of Anahita that all of ancient Iran\u2019s mythical figures and heroes pay tribute to her in order that their wishes be answered; each brings to her a hundred horses, a thousand cattle and ten thousand sheep…<\/p>\n

Find more on:<\/p>\n

https:\/\/gilgameshmag.com\/en\/product\/3049\/<\/a><\/p>\n[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text] Author: Kamran Kashiri\/ Photo by: National Museum of Iran When the world, created by the wise lord Ahura Mazda, was still intact and free from Ahriman\u2019s malice, the earth was enclosed like the yolk at the heart of an egg by the sky, its shell, and half of the earth was covered by water, …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":32,"featured_media":5147,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[812,822],"tags":[853,246,825,852],"class_list":["post-5146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles","category-mythology-2","tag-anahita","tag-gilgamesh","tag-gilgameshmagazine","tag-mythology"],"yoast_head":"\nMay the Waters Run Pure | Quarterly on Cultural Heritage, Tourism and the Environment<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, 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