#MangeshInfoNo4208FaravaharOrigin >
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Faravahar
The winged symbol now associated with Zoroastrianism known as the Faravahar has its origins in an older symbol of a winged disk without a human figure within it. This older symbol, more than 4000 years old and found in both Egypt and Mesopotamia, was commonly associated with the sun and deities strongly connected with the sun. It also represented power, particularly divine power, and it was used to reinforce the concept of god-kings and divinely appointed rulers.
Assyrians associated the winged disk with the god Shamash, but they also had a version similar to the Faravahar, with a human figure within or emerging from the disk, which they associated with their patron god, Assur. From them the Achaemenid Emperors (600 CE to 330 CE) adopted it as they spread Zoroastrianism throughout their empire as the official religion.
HISTORICAL MEANINGS
The exact meaning of the Zoroastrian Faravahar in history is debatable. Some have argued that it originally represented Ahura Mazda. However, Zoroastrians generally consider Ahura Mazda to be transcendent, spiritual and without physical form, and for most of their history they did not artistically depict him at all. More likely, it continued to primarily represent divine glory.
It may have also been associated with the fravashi (also known as the frawahr), which is part of the human soul and acts as a protector. It is a divine blessing granted by Ahura Mazda at birth and is entirely good.
This is different from the rest of the soul, which will be judged according to its deeds on the day of judgment.
MODERN MEANINGS
Today, the Faravahar continues to be associated with the fravashi. There is some debate as to specific meanings, but what follows is a discussion of common general themes.
The central human figure is generally taken to represent the human soul.
The fact that he is aged in appearance represents wisdom. One hand points upward, urging believers to always strive for improvement and be mindful of higher powers. The other hand holds a ring, which may represent loyalty and faithfulness. The circle from which the figure emerges can represent the immortality of the soul or the repercussions of our actions, which are brought about by the eternal divine order.
The two wings are composed of three main rows of feathers, representing good thoughts, good words and good deeds, which is the basis of Zoroastrian ethics. The tail is likewise comprised of three rows of feathers, and these represent bad thoughts, bad words and bad deeds, above which every Zoroastrian strives to rise.
The two streamers represent Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu, the spirits of good and evil. Every person must constantly choose between the two, so the figure is facing one and turning his back to the other. The streamers evolved out of earlier symbols sometimes accompanying the winged disk. It some images, the disk has bird talons emerging out of the bottom of the disk. Some Egyptian versions of the disk include two accompanying cobras in the position now occupied by the streamers.
The Faravahar (Persian: فروهر) also known as Farr-e Kiyani (فر کیانی) or Asho Farohar is one of the best-known symbols of Iran. It symbolizes Zoroastrianism and Iranian nationalism.
The Faravahar is the most worn pendant among Iranians and has become a secular national symbol, rather than a religious symbol. It symbolizes good thoughts (پندار نیک pendār-e nik), good words (گفتار نیک goftār-e nik) and good deeds (کردار نیک kerdār-e nik), which are the basic tenets and principles of Zoroastrianism.
Etymology:
The New Persian word فروهر is read as forouhar or faravahar (it was pronounced as furōhar in Classical Persian). The Middle Persian forms were frawahr (Book Pahlavi: plwʾhl, Manichaean: prwhr), frōhar (recorded in Pazend as it is a later form of the previous form), and fraward (Book Pahlavi: plwlt', Manichaean: frwrd), which was directly from Old Persian *fravarti The Avestan language form was fravaṣ̌i
In Iranian culture
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Even after the Arab conquest of Iran, Zoroastrianism continued to be part of Iranian culture. Throughout the year, festivities are celebrated such as the Iranian New Year or Nowruz, Mehregan, and Chaharshanbe Suri. These are remnants of Zoroastrian traditions. From the start of the 20th century, the Farvahar icon found itself in public places and became a known icon amongst all Iranians.
The Shahnameh by Ferdowsi is Iran's national epic and contains stories (partly historical and partly mythical) from pre-Islamic Zoroastrian times. The tomb of Ferdowsi which is visited by numerous Iranians every year, contains the Faravahar icon as well.
The Sun Throne, the imperial seat of Persia, has strong relations from the Farahavar. The sovereign would be seated in the middle of the throne, which is shaped like a platform or bed that is raised from the ground. This religious-cultural symbol was adapted by the Pahlavi dynasty to represent the Iranian nation. In present-day Zoroastrianism, the Faravahar is said to be a reminder of one's purpose in life, which is to live in such a way that the soul progresses towards frashokereti, or union with Ahura Mazda, the supreme divinity in Zoroastrianism. Although there are a number of interpretations of the individual elements of the symbol, none of them are older than the 20th century.
After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the Lion and Sun, which was part of Iran's original national flag, was banned by the government from public places in order to prevent people from being reminded of life prior to the revolution. Nevertheless, Faravahar icons were not removed. As a result, the Faravahar icon became a national symbol amongst the people, and it became somewhat tolerated by the government as opposed to the Lion and Sun. The Faravahar is the most worn pendant amongst Iranians[citation needed] and has become a national symbol, rather than a religious icon because it has been absconded with by non-Zoroastrians, although its Zoroastrian roots should not be ignored. It's the symbol of the state religion of the Persian Empire: Zoroastrianism. Nowadays, it is a common symbol of both the modern and ancient Iranian state (which used to be Persia). Although Zoroastrianism is no longer Iran's state religion, it is an important, customary and traditional symbol. The winged discs has a long history in the art and culture of the ancient Near and Middle East.[citation needed] In Neo-Assyrian times, a human bust is added to the disk,[citation needed] the "feather-robed archer" interpreted as symbolizing Ashur.[citation needed] and the winged disc- Anshar
Egyptian Horbehutet (Horus of Behdet), holding Shen rings in his grasp (Louvre Museum)
While the symbol is currently thought to represent a Fravashi (approximately a guardian angel), from which it derives its name (see below), what it represented in the minds of those who adapted it from earlier Mesopotamian and Egyptian reliefs is unclear. Because the symbol first appears on royal inscriptions, it is also thought to represent the 'Divine Royal Glory' (Khvarenah), or the Fravashi of the king, or represented the divine mandate that was the foundation of a king's authority.
This relationship between the name of the symbol and the class of divine entities it represents, reflects the current belief that the symbol represents a Fravashi. However, there is no physical description of the Fravashis in the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, and in Avestan the entities are grammatically feminine.
**********************************************************************
* Conclusion: Most Zoroastrian Women Wear it >
1. For Divine Blessing!
2. For the Protection from the Evil Forces!
*************************************************
* Meaning in Detailed Illustration >
***********************************************
Faravahar
The winged symbol now associated with Zoroastrianism known as the Faravahar has its origins in an older symbol of a winged disk without a human figure within it. This older symbol, more than 4000 years old and found in both Egypt and Mesopotamia, was commonly associated with the sun and deities strongly connected with the sun. It also represented power, particularly divine power, and it was used to reinforce the concept of god-kings and divinely appointed rulers.
Assyrians associated the winged disk with the god Shamash, but they also had a version similar to the Faravahar, with a human figure within or emerging from the disk, which they associated with their patron god, Assur. From them the Achaemenid Emperors (600 CE to 330 CE) adopted it as they spread Zoroastrianism throughout their empire as the official religion.
HISTORICAL MEANINGS
The exact meaning of the Zoroastrian Faravahar in history is debatable. Some have argued that it originally represented Ahura Mazda. However, Zoroastrians generally consider Ahura Mazda to be transcendent, spiritual and without physical form, and for most of their history they did not artistically depict him at all. More likely, it continued to primarily represent divine glory.
It may have also been associated with the fravashi (also known as the frawahr), which is part of the human soul and acts as a protector. It is a divine blessing granted by Ahura Mazda at birth and is entirely good.
This is different from the rest of the soul, which will be judged according to its deeds on the day of judgment.
MODERN MEANINGS
Today, the Faravahar continues to be associated with the fravashi. There is some debate as to specific meanings, but what follows is a discussion of common general themes.
The central human figure is generally taken to represent the human soul.
The fact that he is aged in appearance represents wisdom. One hand points upward, urging believers to always strive for improvement and be mindful of higher powers. The other hand holds a ring, which may represent loyalty and faithfulness. The circle from which the figure emerges can represent the immortality of the soul or the repercussions of our actions, which are brought about by the eternal divine order.
The two wings are composed of three main rows of feathers, representing good thoughts, good words and good deeds, which is the basis of Zoroastrian ethics. The tail is likewise comprised of three rows of feathers, and these represent bad thoughts, bad words and bad deeds, above which every Zoroastrian strives to rise.
The two streamers represent Spenta Mainyu and Angra Mainyu, the spirits of good and evil. Every person must constantly choose between the two, so the figure is facing one and turning his back to the other. The streamers evolved out of earlier symbols sometimes accompanying the winged disk. It some images, the disk has bird talons emerging out of the bottom of the disk. Some Egyptian versions of the disk include two accompanying cobras in the position now occupied by the streamers.
The Faravahar (Persian: فروهر) also known as Farr-e Kiyani (فر کیانی) or Asho Farohar is one of the best-known symbols of Iran. It symbolizes Zoroastrianism and Iranian nationalism.
The Faravahar is the most worn pendant among Iranians and has become a secular national symbol, rather than a religious symbol. It symbolizes good thoughts (پندار نیک pendār-e nik), good words (گفتار نیک goftār-e nik) and good deeds (کردار نیک kerdār-e nik), which are the basic tenets and principles of Zoroastrianism.
Etymology:
The New Persian word فروهر is read as forouhar or faravahar (it was pronounced as furōhar in Classical Persian). The Middle Persian forms were frawahr (Book Pahlavi: plwʾhl, Manichaean: prwhr), frōhar (recorded in Pazend as it is a later form of the previous form), and fraward (Book Pahlavi: plwlt', Manichaean: frwrd), which was directly from Old Persian *fravarti The Avestan language form was fravaṣ̌i
In Iranian culture
This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (September 2016) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)
Even after the Arab conquest of Iran, Zoroastrianism continued to be part of Iranian culture. Throughout the year, festivities are celebrated such as the Iranian New Year or Nowruz, Mehregan, and Chaharshanbe Suri. These are remnants of Zoroastrian traditions. From the start of the 20th century, the Farvahar icon found itself in public places and became a known icon amongst all Iranians.
The Shahnameh by Ferdowsi is Iran's national epic and contains stories (partly historical and partly mythical) from pre-Islamic Zoroastrian times. The tomb of Ferdowsi which is visited by numerous Iranians every year, contains the Faravahar icon as well.
The Sun Throne, the imperial seat of Persia, has strong relations from the Farahavar. The sovereign would be seated in the middle of the throne, which is shaped like a platform or bed that is raised from the ground. This religious-cultural symbol was adapted by the Pahlavi dynasty to represent the Iranian nation. In present-day Zoroastrianism, the Faravahar is said to be a reminder of one's purpose in life, which is to live in such a way that the soul progresses towards frashokereti, or union with Ahura Mazda, the supreme divinity in Zoroastrianism. Although there are a number of interpretations of the individual elements of the symbol, none of them are older than the 20th century.
After the Islamic Revolution of 1979, the Lion and Sun, which was part of Iran's original national flag, was banned by the government from public places in order to prevent people from being reminded of life prior to the revolution. Nevertheless, Faravahar icons were not removed. As a result, the Faravahar icon became a national symbol amongst the people, and it became somewhat tolerated by the government as opposed to the Lion and Sun. The Faravahar is the most worn pendant amongst Iranians[citation needed] and has become a national symbol, rather than a religious icon because it has been absconded with by non-Zoroastrians, although its Zoroastrian roots should not be ignored. It's the symbol of the state religion of the Persian Empire: Zoroastrianism. Nowadays, it is a common symbol of both the modern and ancient Iranian state (which used to be Persia). Although Zoroastrianism is no longer Iran's state religion, it is an important, customary and traditional symbol. The winged discs has a long history in the art and culture of the ancient Near and Middle East.[citation needed] In Neo-Assyrian times, a human bust is added to the disk,[citation needed] the "feather-robed archer" interpreted as symbolizing Ashur.[citation needed] and the winged disc- Anshar
Egyptian Horbehutet (Horus of Behdet), holding Shen rings in his grasp (Louvre Museum)
While the symbol is currently thought to represent a Fravashi (approximately a guardian angel), from which it derives its name (see below), what it represented in the minds of those who adapted it from earlier Mesopotamian and Egyptian reliefs is unclear. Because the symbol first appears on royal inscriptions, it is also thought to represent the 'Divine Royal Glory' (Khvarenah), or the Fravashi of the king, or represented the divine mandate that was the foundation of a king's authority.
This relationship between the name of the symbol and the class of divine entities it represents, reflects the current belief that the symbol represents a Fravashi. However, there is no physical description of the Fravashis in the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, and in Avestan the entities are grammatically feminine.
**********************************************************************
* Conclusion: Most Zoroastrian Women Wear it >
1. For Divine Blessing!
2. For the Protection from the Evil Forces!
*************************************************
* Meaning in Detailed Illustration >
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