Iraq after the Muslim Conquest - Michael G. Morony

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES

As Bailey, Zaehner, and de Menasce have pointed out, written copies

of the Avesta must have been rare; Avestan texts do not constitute a

separate "book" but survive imbedded in their commentary; and Ma-

gians do not appear to have distinguished between Middle Persian

translations of Avestan texts, and commentary on them or on texts

in the A vestan language. Above all, since the A vesta is basically litur-

gical in nature, its texts and commentary continued to be memorized

and recited, and many of them were known only by those priests who

specialized in specific rituals.^48 Only texts such as the Yashts which

were used in daily private worship and recited during festivals appear

to have been widely known and were even memorized and recited by

children.^49

DOCTRINE

It is equally difficult to define a single body of authoritative doctrine
in the late Sasanian period. Polytheist, dualist, and monotheist expres-
sions coexisted at different levels of interpretation, with the choice of
emphasis depending on the circumstances. Several old Iranian deities
were venerated in the Sasanian period. Sasanian monarchs received
their investiture from Ohrmazd, Mihr, or Anahit. One of the major
fires, as well as the annual autumn festival of Mihrajan, was named
after Mihr. Khusraw Parviz is believed to have been a personal devotee
of Anahit, and Varhran was identified with the royal fires. 50 The cult
of Tir survived in the festival of Tiragan by association with the Aves-
tan astral god Tishtrya (Sirius).51 Magians also venerated a number
of minor beneficent supernatural beings such as the six Amashaspends
who assisted Ohrmazd; Srosh and Rashn (who judged the dead to-
gether with Mihr); Vay; Horn; personifications of components of the
material world such as the sky, earth, water, sun, and moon; and
abstractions such as divine Wisdom (Danak) and Religion (Den).52
These were "beings worthy of worship" (Av. yazatan). In the Sa-
sanian period, the Middle Persian word yazdan was used for these
beneficent beings as a group and for Ohrmazd himself.53 The motto

48 Bailey, Zoroastrian Problems, pp. 151, 163, 167; de Menasce, Dinkart, p. 11;
Zaehner, Dawn and Twilight, p. 190.
49 de Menasce, Dinkart, p. 91; Devos, "Sainte Sirin," p. 96.
50 Duchesne-Guillemin, "Religion of Ancient Iran," pp. 349-50; idem, La religion
de l'Iran ancien, pp. 292-97.
51 Boyee, History, pp. 74-76.
52 Casartelli, Philosophy, pp. 33-42, 74-75, 79-82.
53 Bailey, Zoroastrian Problems, p. 68; Casartelli, Philosophy, pp. 19-20, 76-82.