The Image of the Zoroastrian God Srōsh
- 22 July 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Brill in Ancient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia
- Vol. 27 (1), 154-173
- https://doi.org/10.1163/15700577-12341389
Abstract
This paper presents new and decisive evidence relative to the identification of one of the colossal depictions of deities discovered by the Karakalpak-Australian Expedition (KAE) at Akchakhan-kala with the Avestan yazata Sraosha. Besides the therianthropic Sraošāvarez, the explicit Zoroastrian symbol that decorates the tunic of this god, new iconographic details are seen. One is the sraošō.caranā, which is a whip, “the instrument of Srōsh”, held in the hands of one of these “bird-priests” instead of the customary barsom. The symbols are presented and discussed in their historical context. This paper presents new and decisive evidence relative to the identification of one of the colossal depictions of deities discovered by the Karakalpak-Australian Expedition (KAE) at Akchakhan-kala with the Avestan yazata Sraosha. Besides the therianthropic Sraošāvarez, the explicit Zoroastrian symbol that decorates the tunic of this god, new iconographic details are seen. One is the sraošō.caranā, which is a whip, “the instrument of Srōsh”, held in the hands of one of these “bird-priests” instead of the customary barsom. The symbols are presented and discussed in their historical context.Keywords
This publication has 2 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Oxus Route toward the SouthAncient Civilizations from Scythia to Siberia, 2018
- Intangible Spirits and Graven Images: The Iconography of Deities in the Pre-Islamic Iranian WorldPublished by Brill ,2014