Culture
Filling the shells
Names of Persian months and their forgotten meanings
By Massoume Price
April 15, 1999
The Iranian
The names of the 12 Persian months are taken from the ancient Zoroastrian
texts and the origins are deeply rooted in their belief system. This was
the religion of Iran before the advent of Islam in seventh century AD.
Zoroastrians believed in two primal forces, good and evil. Everything that
supported and enriched life was good and all that threatened life and disturbed
order was bad. The Lord of Wisdom -- Ahura Mazda -- created goodness and
the Hostile Spirit -- Angra Mainyu -- created all that was bad -- Ahriman
in modern Persian.
Zoroastrians' universe lasts 12,000 years; there are four phases, each
3000 years. At the first one, good and bad are separated. In the second
phase, the hostile forces succeed. The good forces are back in the third
one. At the last phase several saviours appear. The last one is Saoshyant.
When he arrives there is a resurrection, walking over the Separation Bridge,
Chinvat (sarat bridge in Quran) and finally all the hostile spirits will
be defeated.
The Lord of Wisdom, in order to defeat the hostile spirits, creates
many forces and beings to help him. There are three groups of metaphysical
beings, some more important than others. The first group is the six Amesha
Spenta. With the Lord of Wisdom they form the seven Holy Immortals that
protect the first seven creations when the material world (geety) is created.
They are the protectors of sky, waters, earth, fire, plants, animals and
humans.
Six of the twelve months are in their names. Khashtra Vairya (Shahrevar),
is the lord of the sky, all stones, metals, and warriors as wel as the
protector of the poor and the weak. It means the desirable dominion (keshvar
e arezoo shodeh). Shahr means country or land and Var means desirable.
Asha Vahishta (Ordibehesht) lord of fire and noontime heat means ultimate
righteousness (behtarin rasty). Asha has many meanings - righteousness,
law, purity, sacred (Asha Zardosht) are only some of the commonly used
ones. Vohu Manah (Bahman) the protector of animals, means good purpose
(nik nahad). He is a powerful symbol of creative goodness and the divinity
personifying the principle of Asha (cosmic order). Haurvatat (Khordad)
protects all waters and means health or wholeness (rasaei and kamali).
Spenta Armaiti (Esphand / Espandarmaz) a female deity who protects mother
earth is Holy Devotion (Foroutani Moghadas). Espand means holy and Armaiti
equals devotion and unconditional love. She is also the guardian of herdsmen
and farmers. She is identified by the Greeks as Demeter and in Armenia
she is known as Spendaramet. Ameretat (Mordad), the supporter of all plant
life, represents immortality (na mira). Mar (marg in modern Persian) means
death, "a" at the beginning of any word changes the meaning into
the opposite. Mordad means death, while Amordad means immortality. Mordad
is used incorrectly in the modern Persian calendar and should be Amordad.
These immortals also represent different aspects of Ahura Mazda's attributes.
One of their functions is to transfer these attributes to humans. For example
Vohu Manah (Bahman) is a symbol of "Good Purpose". Zoroastrians
through Bahman Yasht (Prayers specific to Bahman) would discipline themselves
to always do good and have noble purposes. Ordibehesht Yasht (yasht means
prayer) will teach Zoroastrians to follow righteousness, one of the Lord
of Wisdom's attributes.
The second group of metaphysical beings are Yazata (Eyzad), "a
being worthy of worship". There are hundreds of them. Every good force
in nature and all deeds and attributes beneficial to humans have their
own Eyzad. Azar, Aban, Khorshid, Mihr, Tir and Bahram are some of the best
known Eyzads.
Azar (Atar/Adur) is yazata of fire (Agni in Indian Rig-Veda). It is
one of the most important of all Eyzads. In Avestan mythology it helps
legendary king Takhmorup (Tahmoureth) and Yima Khshaeta (Jamshid) to overcome
many obstacles. The word has become synonymous with fire (atash) in modern
Persian. Aban, is Avestan "Apas", "Api" in middle Persian
and "Ap" in Phalavi. It means water (aub, in modern Persian).
It is the protector Eyzad of the "waters" and an assistant to
Spenta Armaiti.
Mihr is Mithra in Avesta and Mitrah in Phahlavi. It is the yazata of
the convenant and of loyalty. It has come from the word mei, meaning exchange.
In Avesta he is the protector of "Payman e Dousti" (contract
of friendship). In modern Persian it means love and kindness. He is the
lord of ordeal by fire (walking through fire to prove innocence, story
of Siavash in Shahnameh) and presides over judgment of the soul at death.
Ancient Greeks identified him with Apollo.
Tiri, Tir (Tishtrya), is an assimilation of Babylonian Nabu, lord of
scribe and of the planet Mercury into Avestan mythology. It means the swift
one (tond va chabok) and protects rain. In Persian-Islamic mythology Tir
(Attarod in Arabic) is still the lord of scribe (setareh dabir).
The last groups of metaphysical beings are "Foruhars", the
guardian angels created by Ahura Mazda to protect all living beings after
the material world (geety) was created. Farevashi are Foruhars specific
to humans and the word means guardian. The word has become synonymous with
fereshteh in modern Persian. Farvardin, is the descent of Farevashi to
earth in order to visit and help their human counterparts. It also means
"Farr e Din", glory of religious consciousness. A major festival
celebrating departed souls, it was changed into celebrating guardian angels
coming to earth before the start of the New Year. Farvardegan is 'Jashn
e Farevashi' and is still celebrated by Zoroastrians today.
"Day" (dadar) means creator (afaridegar). The whole month
was dedicated to Ahura Mazda. The eight, fifteenth and twenty-third of
every month were also called "Day". The first day of this month
was celebrated as "Khoram Ruz" -- a feast of charity -- when
people were expected to be charitable and help others.
The twelve deities have survived as months of the year in the modern
Persian calendar. In the Islamic period the same structure was taken and
transformed into the Iranian version of Shiite Islam. Twelve Imams replaced
Yazata and Saoshyant; the last saviour was changed into the Time Lord,
Imam Zaman. However the meanings, the importance of following and practicing
divine attributes as part of the monthly rituals are lost. So are the joys,
monthly feasts and celebrations associated with them.
| Modern
Persian |
Pahlavi |
Meaning |
| Farvardin |
Farvardin |
Farr e Din |
| Ordibehesht |
Asha Vahishta |
Behtarin Rasty |
| Khordad |
Haurvatat |
Rasaei & Kamali |
| Tir |
Tishtrya |
Tond & chabok |
| Mordad |
Ameretat |
Na mira |
| Shahrevar |
Khashtra Vairya |
Keshvare e Arezoo Shodeh |
| Mihr |
Mitrah |
Payman e doustie |
| Aban |
Ap |
Aub |
| Azar |
Atar / Adur |
Atash |
| Day |
Dadar |
Afaridegar |
| Bahman |
Vohu Manah |
Nik Nahad |
| Esphand |
Espandarmaz |
Foroutani Moghadas |
Author
Massoume Price is a social
anthropologist and human ecologist from London University, Kings and University
Colleges. She live in Canada and works with minority groups including women.
She is also a freelance writer. Top top
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