Mithra
Mithra West AsiaOf all the celestial beings ruling over the earth he was the most popular with the Persians, who represented him as the son of Ahura Mazdah. He was the light that preceded the sun when it rose, the one who dispelled darkness; and from his penetrating gaze could nothing be hidden. Mithra was aware of every happening, no matter how insignificant each might appear. In pre-Zoroastrian times Mithra and Ahura were most likely twin sky gods, looked upon as payu-thworeshtara, ‘the two creator-preservers’ of the cosmic order. Later theological adjustment to Zoroaster's elevation of Ahura Mazdah as the supreme being indicates how potent a divinity Mithra actually remained. ‘When I created Mithra of wide pastures,’ said Ahura Mazdah, ‘I made him as worthy of veneration and of reverence as I am myself’.
As a terrible war god Mithra was the special protector of the warriors, the rathaeshtar or ‘riders on chariots’....
[The entire page is 626 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Oxford University Press Titles
