Blackwell Reference Online

Extract

[ xxxvi ] ( Adur ; older atar ) One of the seven creations of A hura M azda , protected by the A mesha spenta of righteousness. Fire in all its forms, from the sun to the household fire, is sacred. The living warmth of the element of fire is thought to pervade all other creations. It has a unique ritual place in Z oroastrianism , much of which derives from its role in Indo-Iranian tradition ( see I ndo-europeans ), as recipient of the sacrificial offering and conveyor of it to the gods (cf. Agni in H induism ). Prayers were addressed to the fire itself [translation 18: 134–87]. In ancient times ritual offerings were made to the household fire but in Achaemenid times ( c. 4th century bce ) the temple cult of fire was introduced [10: 60–5, 85–90]. It is the fire, not the temple, which is the focus for worship. Fires may be moved from temple to temple, but they may not be extinguished. The three most famous ancient fires were those of Farnbag, Gushnasp and Burzen-mihr. All were centres of pilgrimage. Gushnasp was the object of lavish royal patronage and the only one whose ruins (Takht i Suleyman) have been identified [27: 113–18]. In modern Zoroastrianism, especially among the P arsis , temples have become increasingly important as they provide pure shrines for the sacred fires. Ritual fires are consecrated for private devotion and they are used in higher liturgies, but they ... log in or subscribe to read full text