Document Type : review paper
Abstract
Since the ancient times, the Iranians have regarded ‘fire’ as significant, sacred, and as having special functions. They believed that both their worldly life and their other-worldly fate are somehow affected by the function of fire. For them, fire is manifested in two opposing forms of material (as in religious rituals) and spiritual (presence in the world), has therefore organized the world. According to the teachings of Gātha, the functions of fire seem to emerge out of this ancient belief that there exists a close affinity between fire and truth (Esheh); because, Ordibehesht relies upon fires. Hence, fire might be considered a material and worldly symbol of truth (Esheh). Moreover, because of all its good traits, fire can be regarded as the symbol of the essential traits of Ahura Mazda and also the order which rules over the world. This article is an attempt to go through the function of fire in Persian myths. Using a descriptive-analytical method and relying upon the religious texts of ancient Persia, this research propounds that the function of fire is the bedrock of Persian Myths. One of the most significant findings of this research is the idea that the function of fire has two (material and spiritual) approaches.
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