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| '''Zurvan''' is the name of the first principle (creator deity) in several different religious systems: | |||
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| {{Zoroastrianism}} | |||
| '''Zurvan''' is the ] ] of ] ], ], and ]. In ancient times the deity was worshipped among other ancient ] as well. | |||
| * In ] (Zurvanite Zoroastrianism) as ''Zurwān Akarāna'', the progenitor of ] and ]. | |||
| ==Etymology and derivatives== | |||
| * In ], where ''Zurvan'' is the Middle Persian name that ] used in his ''Shapurgan'' to signify his "Father of Greatness" (]: ''{{Unicode|Abbā dəRabbūṯā}}''), the primordial deity of light. | |||
| Zurvan represents ] ''zurwān'', "time", corresponding to ] ''zruvā'', stem ''zruvan-''. In the ] the name is not used as the name of a deity. Zurwān was also called ''Akanārag'', meaning "boundless" or "unlimited" in Middle Persian. | |||
| * In ] ], as ''ʔzrwʔ'' (where both instances of ''ʔ'' represent some vowel) referred to the high deity '']''. | |||
| * In ], where the adherents of the Roman cult applied the Persian word for 'time' to their ''Causa Prima'' (creator god). The Mithraic use of ''Zurvan'' is a translation of Greek ''Cronus''/''Aeon'' - conceptually, the Mithraic deity was a conflation of Hellenic ] and Roman ]. | |||
| * In ], which incorporated elements of Zurvanite Zoroastrianism. | |||
| <!-- sorry about not using {{hndis}}. It doesn't make sense in this context --> | |||
| Among the East Iranian ], Zurvan's name was written with characters corresponding to ''ʔzrwʔ'' (where both instances of ''ʔ'' represent some vowel). This seems to have been the name of the highest deity among the Sogdians, for it was used by the ] Sogdians to refer to the high deity '']'' and by the ] Sogdians to refer to their ultimate deity ''Abbā dəRabbūthā'' ("the Father of Greatness"). In both of these systems, ''ʔzrwʔ'' was senior to ''xwrmztʔ'' (the Sogdian equivalent of ]). | |||
| <div class="notice metadata" id="disambig">''This is a ] page: a list of articles that refer to ''Zurvan''. If an ] referred you to this page, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.''</div> | |||
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| The Sogdian name was borrowed into Old Turkish as ''Äzrua'', from which it passed into ] as ''Esrua'', where it is still used today by Mongolian Buddhists as a name for Brahmā. | |||
| ==Characteristics== | |||
| The deity is represented as being nameless (the name ''Zurvan'' being an appellative title), ] and passions, and neutral in regard to ] and ]. In certain strains of ], Zurvan is also the father of the good deity, ], and the evil deity, ]. | |||
| Zurvan is often depicted as a winged figure with the head of a lion and a serpent wrapped around the body. | |||
| There are three different opinions among scholars regarding the origin of this teaching: | |||
| * Some assert that Zurvan was part of the original teachings of Zoroastrianism | |||
| * Some assert that Zurvan was a local deity who predated the Zoroastrian religion | |||
| * Some assert that Zurvan was a later addition to Zoroastrian belief | |||
| The earliest solid evidence for a belief in Zurvan seems to date from the ], which ruled ] from ] to ]. | |||
| Historians who differentiate between orthodox Zoroastrianism and the "Zurvanite heresy" sometimes refer to the latter as '''Zurvanism'''. Other scholars question whether or not "Zurvanism" can be considered a separate faith. | |||
| ==Zurvan in Western esoteric thought== | |||
| The ] ] asserted that ] taught that Zurvan was the father of Ahura Mazda and Angra Mainyu. | |||
| ==External links== | |||
| * | |||
| ==Additional Reading== | |||
| *Zaehner, Robert Charles. ''Zurvan: A Zoroastrian Dilemma.'' Biblo-Moser (1972), ISBN 0819602809. The classic work examining the uncertain history of belief in Zurvan. | |||
| *Cumont, Franz. ''The Mysteries of Mithra''. ISBN 0486203239 | |||
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Revision as of 16:50, 2 August 2006
Zurvan is the name of the first principle (creator deity) in several different religious systems:
- In Zurvanism (Zurvanite Zoroastrianism) as Zurwān Akarāna, the progenitor of Ohrmuzd and Ahriman.
- In Manichaeism, where Zurvan is the Middle Persian name that Mani used in his Shapurgan to signify his "Father of Greatness" (Aramaic: Abbā dəRabbūṯā), the primordial deity of light.
- In Sogdian Buddhism, as ʔzrwʔ (where both instances of ʔ represent some vowel) referred to the high deity Brahmā.
- In Mithraism, where the adherents of the Roman cult applied the Persian word for 'time' to their Causa Prima (creator god). The Mithraic use of Zurvan is a translation of Greek Cronus/Aeon - conceptually, the Mithraic deity was a conflation of Hellenic Cronus and Roman Saturnus.
- In Theosophy, which incorporated elements of Zurvanite Zoroastrianism.