Blackwell Reference Online

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[ xxxvi ] ‘Beings worthy of worship’, in Z oroastrianism (P ahlavi : yazad ). A hura mazda and A mesha spentas are worthy of worship, and therefore can be considered yazatas , but the term usually refers to a class of heavenly beings who are often compared to A ngels in J udaism , C hristianity and I slam (scholars believe that Zoroastrianism may have influenced the other religions in this respect [29: pt ii ]). They are mostly the ‘gods’ of the ancient Iranians, who have been incorporated into Zoroastrianism by making them the created heavenly helpers of Mazda. One of the most popular is Mithra; another is Verethraghna (later Bahram), the yazata of victory to whom the highest grades of F ire temples are dedicated. An important female yazata is Anahita (later Anahid). Yashts (A vesta ) days ( roz ) of the month, and the months ( mah ) are named after, or dedicated to, the most popular yazatas [8 vol. 1: index; 10: index]. ... log in or subscribe to read full text