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Faravahar (
OP *fravarti >
MP:
prʾwhr) is one of the best-known symbols of
Zoroastrianism, the state religion of
ancient Iran. This religious-cultural symbol was adapted by the
Pahlavi dynasty to represent the Iranian nation.
The etymology of Faravahar is the Middle Persian root /frwr/ (the Pahlavi script of Middle Persian did not represent short vowels), and the word is thus variously pronounced/written farohar, frohar, frawahr, fravahr and so forth, as there is no agreed upon method of transliterating the Middle Persian word into English. In Dekhoda's dictionary and the 17th century Persian dictionary Burhan Qati', it appears as "furuhar". The Encyclopedia Iranica renders it as frawahr (this reflects the Pazend dibacheh form, corresponding to Book Pahlavi prʾwhr).
The winged disc has a long history in the art and culture of the ancient Near and Middle East. Historically, the symbol is influenced by the "winged sun" hieroglyph appearing on Bronze Age royal seals (Luwian SOL SUUS, symbolizing royal power in particular) . In Neo-Assyrian times, a human bust is added to the disk, the "feather-robed archer" interpreted as symbolizing Ashur.
While the symbol is currently thought to represent a Fravashi (c. a guardian angel) and from which it derives its name (see below), what it represented in the minds of those who adapted it from earlier Mesopotamian and Egyptian reliefs is unclear. Because the symbol first appears on royal inscriptions, it is also thought to represent the 'Divine Royal Glory' (khvarenah), or the Fravashi of the king, or represented the divine mandate that was the foundation of a king's authority.
This relationship between the name of the symbol and the class of divine entities it represents, reflects the current belief that the symbol represents a Fravashi. However, there is no physical description of the Fravashis in the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, and in Avestan the entities are grammatically feminine.
In present-day Zoroastrianism, the faravahar is said to be a reminder of one's purpose in life, which is to live in such a way that the soul progresses towards frasho-kereti, or union with Ahura Mazda, the supreme divinity in Zoroastrianism. Although there are a number of interpretations of the individual elements of the symbol, none of them are older than the 20th century.
In Iranian Culture
Even after the Islamic conquest of
Persia Zoroastrianism continued to be part of Iranian culture in which throughout the year festivities are celebrated such as the Persian New Year or
Nowrouz,
Mehregan and
ChaharShanbe Souri which are remnants of Zoroastrian traditions. From the start of the 20th century the Farvahar icon found itself in public places and became a known icon amongst all Iranians.
The
Shahname by
Ferdowsi is Iran's national epic and contains stories (partly historical and partly mythical) from
pre-islamic Zoroastrian times. The tumb of Ferdowsi which is visited by numerous Iranians every year, contains the Farvahar icon as well.
After the
Islamic Revolution of 1979 the
Lion and Sun which was part of Iran's original national flag had been banned by the government from public places in order to prevent people from being reminded of life prior to the revolution, nevertheless Farvahar icons were not removed. As a result, the Farvahar icon became a national symbol amongst the people which became somewhat tolerated by the government compared to the
Lion and Sun. The Farvahar is the most worn pendant amongst Iranians and has become a national symbol rather than a religious icon, although it's Zoroastrian roots are certainly not ignored.
References
Further reading
Category:Zoroastrian symbols
