Mazdayasna
Overview
Mazdayasna is an ancient Turamic religion, ancient even by Pre-Calamity standards, coming from a planet far from Aralla originally. Mazdayasni believe that their religion was revealed by their Supreme God, called Ahura Mazda, or ‘Wise Lord’, to a human priest called Zarathustra eons ago. Zarathustra is held to be the founder of the religion, and his followers call themselves Mazdayasni. Central to Mazdayasna is the profound dichotomy between good and evil and the idea that the universe was created by God, Ahura Mazda, in order for the two forces to engage with one another and the evil one will be incapacitated. With this is the belief in an afterlife that is determined by the choices people make while on earth, the final and definitive defeat of evil at the end of time and a restoration of the world to its once perfect state.Mythology & Lore
According to the Mazdayasni creation myth, Ahura Mazda existed in light and goodness above, while Angra Mainyu existed in darkness and ignorance below. They have existed independently of each other for all time, and manifest contrary substances. Ahura Mazda first manifested seven divine beings called Amesha Spentas, who support him and represent beneficent aspects of personality and creation, along with numerous Yazatas, divinities worthy of worship. Ahura Mazda then created the material and visible world itself in order to ensnare evil and make it destroyable. While Ahura Mazda created the universe and humankind, Angra Mainyu, whose very nature is to destroy, created demons, the evil daevas, and noxious creatures (khrafstar) such as snakes, spiders, and flies. Angra Mainyu created an opposite, evil being for each good being, except for humans, which he found he could not match. Angra Mainyu and his servants invaded the universe, inflicting humans and good animals with suffering and death. However, the evil forces were trapped by the seven Amesha Spentas and could not continue. The dying humans and animals emitted seeds, which were protected by Maha, the Moon, and regrew the world while mortals recovered from the conflict.
Cosmological Views
In contrast to Aralla's aligned deities and their polytheistic beliefs, Mazdayasna recognizes Ahura Mazda as the one true Supreme God. This supreme being was believed to be the creator of the universe. He was omnipotent, omniscient, and omnipresent. Ahura Mazda is also known as the “Wise Lord”, and is the personification of all that is just and good. Ahura Mazda was opposed by Angra Mainyu (commonly known as Ahriman), who was the essence of evil. Mazdayasni believed that Ahura Mazda granted humanity free will. With this ability, they could choose to either follow the good, pure teachings of Ahura Mazda or the path of falsehood and evil under Angra Mainyu. The opposing forces of good and evil were also made up of “ahuras” and “daevas” (named so after the ancient servants of Ahriman), beings, spirits, or entities that fought eternally. Other ancient deities of Aralla besides Ahura Mazda were still acknowledged. However, instead Mazdayasni saw them as representations of different aspects of Ahura Mazda – the seven Amesha Spentas or “Holy Beings”, while the other gods were seen as powerful spirits created by good or evil. These beings personified concepts such as “Asha”, or truth, which were central to the beliefs of Mazdayasna.
Vohu Manah - Good mind and good purpose.
Asha Vahishta - Truth and righteousness.
Spenta Ameraiti - Holy devotion, serenity and loving kindness.
Khashathra Vairya - Power and just rule.
Hauravatat - Wholeness and health.
Spenta Mainyu - Creativity and spiritual love.
Ameretat - Long life and immortality.
Tenets of Faith
As creations of Ahura Mazda, humans were seen as holding some essence of the divine. By following the path of truth and righteousness, humans could become closer to Ahura Mazda. To do so, people were encouraged to be honest and truthful, charitable, compassionate, and to be moderate in their behavior and diet. Purity was also a strong concept in Mazdayasni belief. The elements created by Ahura Mazda, like water and fire, were seen as pure and should never be tainted. Mazdayasni saw nature as something to be respected and treated with love. They took great pains not to contaminate rivers or the soil, especially in regards to dealing with the body after death. Many animals were seen as sacred, especially dogs, due to their role in funeral rites.
Mazdayasna held that all individuals had both free will and an immortal soul. After death, the soul would be judged according to one’s deeds. A life of “good thoughts, good words, and good deeds” would see the soul reunited with Ahura Mazda in Paradise. When someone died, their soul was believed to stay close to the body for three days. During this time, the body was cleaned and prepared for death. A dog was then brought in to chase away any evil spirits, divs, or daevas. This would protect the nearby soul while it was undergoing judgment. The body was then taken to a Tower of Silence, which were flat, open-air stone platforms also known as Dakhmas. The body was then left to be eaten by vultures and other birds of prey. Burial and cremation were considered to taint the sacred elements of earth and fire. The bones were then placed in ossuaries.
Worship
Alongside an individual’s actions, religious services and rituals were also key to coming closer to Ahura Mazda. The pure, sacred elements of fire and water were key parts of these services, called Yasnas. This term applied to both the religious service as a whole and the individual hymns that were part of it. The centers of this religion were the fire temples, found all over Turam and Lingshen. In these temples, a fire was kept alight at all times, often outside. The priests, also known as Magi, would recite prayers and sing hymns. Sacrifices were also offered, although these were mainly offerings such as food or treasured objects and talismans. Animal sacrifices were not a common part of Mazdayasna, as Zarathustra himself reportedly disapproved of them. These ritual services were often designed to give worshippers the continued strength to remain pure and resist the temptations of Angra Mainyu and his evil spirits. They also served as a chance for individuals to recommit to the path of “asha”, meaning truth and order.
Good thoughts, good words, good deeds
