BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
1 of 15
News
Sport
Weather
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Shop
Earth
Travel
ADVERTISEMENT
By Joobin Bekhrad
6 April 2017
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
2 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Talk of ‘us’ and ‘them’ has long dominated Iran-related politics in the West. At
the same time, Christianity has frequently been used to define the identity
and values of the US and Europe, as well as to contrast those values with
those of a Middle Eastern ‘other’. Yet, a brief glance at an ancient religion –
still being practised today – suggests that what many take for granted as
wholesome Western ideals, beliefs and culture may in fact have Iranian roots.
It is generally believed by scholars that the ancient
Iranian prophet Zarathustra (known in Persian as
Even the idea of Satan
is a fundamentally
Zoroastrian one
Zartosht and Greek as Zoroaster) lived sometime
between 1500 and 1000 BC. Prior to Zarathustra, the
ancient Persians worshipped the deities of the old
Irano-Aryan religion, a counterpart to the Indo-Aryan
religion that would come to be known as Hinduism.
Zarathustra, however, condemned this practice, and
preached that God alone – Ahura Mazda, the Lord of Wisdom – should be
worshipped. In doing so, he not only contributed to the great divide between
the Iranian and Indian Aryans, but arguably introduced to mankind its first
monotheistic faith.
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
3 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Zoroaster likely lived between 1500 and 1000 BC, but some scholarship suggests he may have
been a contemporary of Persian emperors Cyrus the Great and Darius I (Credit: Alamy)
The idea of a single god was not the only essentially Zoroastrian tenet to find
its way into other major faiths, most notably the ‘big three’: Judaism,
Christianity and Islam. The concepts of Heaven and Hell, Judgment Day and
the final revelation of the world, and angels and demons all originated in the
teachings of Zarathustra, as well as the later canon of Zoroastrian literature
they inspired. Even the idea of Satan is a fundamentally Zoroastrian one; in
fact, the entire faith of Zoroastrianism is predicated on the struggle between
God and the forces of goodness and light (represented by the Holy Spirit,
Spenta Manyu) and Ahriman, who presides over the forces of darkness and
evil. While man has to choose to which side he belongs, the religion teaches
that ultimately, God will prevail, and even those condemned to hellfire will
enjoy the blessings of Paradise (an Old Persian word).
Zoroastrianism may have been the first monotheistic religion, and its emphasis on dualities,
such as heaven and hell, appear in Judaism, Christianity and Islam (Credit: Alamy)
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
4 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
How did Zoroastrian ideas find their way into the Abrahamic faiths and
elsewhere? According to scholars, many of these concepts were introduced
to the Jews of Babylon upon being liberated by the Persian emperor Cyrus
the Great. They trickled into mainstream Jewish thought, and figures like
Beelzebub emerged. And after Persia’s conquests of Greek lands during the
heyday of the Achaemenid Empire, Greek philosophy took a different course.
The Greeks had previously believed humans had little agency, and that their
fates were at the mercy of their many gods, who often acted according to
whim and fancy. After their acquaintance with Iranian religion and philosophy,
however, they began to feel more as if they were the masters of their
destinies, and that their decisions were in their own hands.
Though it was once the state religion of Iran and
widely practised in other regions inhabited by Persian
Could Dante have been
influenced by
Zoroastrianism?
peoples (eg Afghanistan, Tajikistan and much of
Central Asia), Zoroastrianism is today a minority
religion in Iran, and boasts few adherents worldwide.
The religion’s cultural legacy, however, is another
matter. Many Zoroastrian traditions continue to
underpin and distinguish Iranian culture, and outside
the country, it has also had a noted impact, particularly in Western Europe.
Zoroastrian rhapsody
Centuries before Dante’s Divine Comedy, the Book of Arda Virafdescribed in
vivid detail a journey to Heaven and Hell. Could Dante have possibly heard
about the cosmic Zoroastrian traveller’s report, which assumed its final form
around the 10th Century AD? The similarity of the two works is uncanny, but
one can only offer hypotheses.
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
5 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Zoroastrians worship in fire temples, such as this one in Yazd, Iran – they believe fire and water
are the twin agents of purity and necessary for ritual cleansing (Credit: Alamy)
Elsewhere, however, the Zoroastrian ‘connection’ is less murky. The Iranian
prophet appears holding a sparkling globe in Raphael’s 16th Century School
of Athens. Likewise, the Clavis Artis, a late 17th/early 18th-Century German
work on alchemy was dedicated to Zarathustra, and featured numerous
Christian-themed depictions of him. Zoroaster “came to be regarded [in
Christian Europe] as a master of magic, a philosopher and an astrologer,
especially after the Renaissance," says Ursula Sims-Williams of the School of
Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
6 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Towers of Silence, such as this one in Chilpyk, Uzbekistan, are where Zoroastrians would leave
the bodies of the dead to be consumed by birds (Credit: Alamy)
Today, mention of the name Zadig immediately brings to mind the French
fashion label Zadig & Voltaire. While the clothes may not be Zoroastrian, the
story behind the name certainly is. Written in the mid-18th Century by none
other than Voltaire, Zadigtells the tale of its eponymous Persian Zoroastrian
hero, who, after a series of trials and tribulations, ultimately weds a
Babylonian princess. Although flippant at times and not rooted in history,
Voltaire’s philosophical tale sprouted from a genuine interest in Iran also
shared by other leaders of the Enlightenment. So enamoured with Iranian
culture was Voltaire that he was known in his circles as ‘Sa’di’. In the same
spirit, Goethe’s West-East Divan, dedicated to the Persian poet Hafez,
featured a Zoroastrian-themed chapter, while Thomas Moore lamented the
fate of Iran’s Zoroastrians in Lalla Rookh.
It wasn’t only in Western art and literature that
Zoroastrianism made its mark; indeed, the ancient
Freddie Mercury was
intensely proud of his
Persian Zoroastrian
heritage
faith also made a number of musical appearances on
the European stage.
In addition to the priestly character Sarastro, the
libretto of Mozart’s The Magic Flute is laden with
Zoroastrian themes, such as light versus darkness,
trials by fire and water, and the pursuit of wisdom and
goodness above all else. And the late Farrokh Bulsara – aka Freddie Mercury
– was intensely proud of his Persian Zoroastrian heritage. “I’ll always walk
around like a Persian popinjay,” he once remarked in an interview, “and no
one’s gonna stop me, honey!” Likewise, his sister Kashmira Cooke in a 2014
interview reflected on the role of Zoroastrianism in the family. “We as a family
were very proud of being Zoroastrian,” she said. “I think what [Freddie’s]
Zoroastrian faith gave him was to work hard, to persevere, and to follow your
dreams.”
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
7 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Ice and fire
When it comes to music, though, perhaps no single example best reflects the
influence of Zoroastrianism’s legacy than Richard Strauss’ Thus Spoke
Zarathustra, which famously provided the booming backbone to much of
Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey. The score owes its inspiration to
Nietzsche’s magnum opus of the same name, which follows a prophet named
Zarathustra, although many of the ideas Nietzsche proposes are, in fact,
anti-Zoroastrian. The German philosopher rejects the dichotomy of good and
evil so characteristic of Zoroastrianism – and, as an avowed atheist, he had
no use for monotheism at all.
Raphael’s The School of Athens, finished in 1511, includes a figure, seen in this detail from the
larger work, many historians think is Zoroaster, holding a globe (Credit: Alamy)
Freddie Mercury and Zadig & Voltaire aside, there are other overt examples
of Zoroastrianism’s impact on contemporary popular culture in the West.
Ahura Mazda served as the namesake for the Mazda car company, as well
as the inspiration for the legend of Azor Ahai – a demigod who triumphs over
darkness – in George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones, as many of its fans
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
8 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
discovered last year. As well, one could well argue that the cosmic battle
between the Light and Dark sides of the Force in Star Wars has, quite
ostensibly, Zoroastrianism written all over it.
Freddie Mercury, the legendary lead singer of Queen, drew inspiration from the Zoroastrian
faith of his Persian family (Credit: Alamy)
For all its contributions to Western thought, religion and culture, relatively little
is known about the world’s first monotheistic faith and its Iranian founder. In
the mainstream, and to many US and European politicians, Iran is assumed
to be the polar opposite of everything the free world stands for and
champions. Iran’s many other legacies and influences aside, the all but
forgotten religion of Zoroastrianism just might provide the key to
understanding how similar ‘we’ are to ‘them’.
Vote for BBC Culture to win Best Cultural Website at the Webby Awards
here. And if you like our Facebook page, vote for it to win Best Social Media
– Culture & Lifestyle here.
If you would like to comment on this story or anything else you have seen on
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
9 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
BBC Culture, head over to our Facebook page or message us on Twitter.
And if you liked this story, sign up for the weekly bbc.com features
newsletter, called “If You Only Read 6 Things This Week”. A handpicked
selection of stories from BBC Future, Earth, Culture, Capital and Travel,
delivered to your inbox every Friday.
ADVERTISEMENT
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
10 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Facebook
History
Literature
Popular culture
Hollywood
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
11 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Twitter
Are these waxworks
The 10 most beautiful ceilings
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
12 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
disgusting?
Architecture
Art history
Century’s 100 greatest films
s picked by 177 film critics
The clothes that make you
invisible
The army that conquered the
world
Designers are inventing new ways to stay under the
radar
How thousands of terracotta figures were
discovered
Fashion
History
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
13 of 15
Vote for BBC Culture in the
Webby
Awards!
This urinal
changed how we
Do
actors
have
to be human?
think
The robots taking to the stage
Theatre
Contemporary art
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
The strange allure of the
pillow fight
Why these fluffy flurries are weightier than you think
Art history
Art history
The monster ships that
changed travel
The 19 types of smile
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
14 of 15
135,000 miles
Catching
lying a
candidates
year for work
Where 10 Tube stops get their
names
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
The jet engines with 'digital
twins'
Explore the BBC
News
Sport
Weather
Shop
Earth
Travel
Capital
Culture
Autos
Future
TV
Radio
CBBC
CBeebies
Food
iWonder
Bitesize
Music
Arts
Make It Digital
Taster
Nature
Local
Terms of Use
About the BBC
Privacy Policy
Cookies
Accessibility Help
Parental Guidance
Contact the BBC
Advertise with us
4/13/2017 2:34 PM
BBC - Culture - The obscure religion that shaped the West
15 of 15
http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20170406-this-obscure-religion-shape...
Copyright
Ad
choices © 2017 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to
external linking.
4/13/2017 2:34 PM