Tales From the Persian Avesta

Across the mountains and deserts of ancient Persia, tales of gods and heroes shaped a vision of the world where light and darkness struggled for mastery. Within these pages are stories first told in the Avesta, the sacred writings of the Zoroastrian faith. Here you will meet Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord who shaped creation, and Angra Mainyu, the spirit of destruction who seeks to unravel it. Their struggle is not distant myth but a drama that echoes through fire and water, earth and sky, and within the hearts of humankind.The beings who walk this world are radiant and terrible. The Amesha Spentas guard the elements of truth, devotion, plants, waters, metals, and the Good Mind that guides all. Mighty Yazatas rise to defend creation: Mithra, lord of light and oaths; Anahita, who pours out rivers and fertility; Tishtrya, the star that brings the rains; and Atar, the holy fire that burns against the demons of chaos. Each story is alive with imagery of gods in chariots, rivers flowing with divine power, and stars locked in battle with drought and disease.These tales are not only of gods but of heroes blessed by them. You will read of Thraetaona who struck down the dragon Azi Dahaka, and of the Fravashis, guardian spirits who shield the righteous even before birth. Through their voices you will glimpse a vision of the universe ordered by truth, endangered by the Lie, and sustained by the devotion of those who choose to stand with light. Ancient Persia’s oldest stories still speak with fire, inviting you to enter a world where the sacred and the human are bound together in an eternal struggle.