Spenta Armaiti Explained

In Zoroastrianism, Spənta Ārmaiti (Avestan for "Holy Devotion") is one of the Amesha Spentas, the seven divine manifestations of Wisdom and Ahura Mazda. While older sources present the Amesha Spentas more as abstract entities, in later sources Spenta Armaiti is personified as a female divinity with connotations of harmony and devotion.^[1]

Name

Spenta Armaiti is known in later Iranian languages as Spandarmad (in Middle Persian) and Isfandārmaḏ (in Modern Persian).^[2]

Sometimes Armaiti is paired with other Zoroastrian deity, Zam ('earth'), another being associated with the Earth,^[3] thus forming a compound Zam-Armaiti or Zam-Armatay.^[4]

Cultic role

Just like every other member within the Heptad, Ārmaiti shares an intimate bond with Ahura Mazdā, a connection metaphorically described by Zoroaster as that of a "daughter" to him.^[5]

She is associated with earth^{[6] [7] [8]} and sacred literature describes her role as a Mother Nature character. Thus, she is linked to fertility and to farmers.^[9]

She is also associated with the dead and the underworld.^{[10] [11]}

Religious legacy

In the Zoroastrian calendar, she is associated with the twelfth month (Persian: سپندارمذ) and the fifth day of the month. The fifth day of the twelfth month is hence her holy day, Sepandārmazgān. Sepandārmazgān is an ancient festival to celebrate eternal love. Iranian lovers give each other gifts on this day.^[12]

Parallels

Scholarship states that Armaiti is equivalent to a RigVedic entity named Aramati.^{[13] [14]}

In Armenian mythology, her name appears as Sandaramet (Armenian: Սանդարամետ).^{[15] [16]}

External links

• Armaiti in Encyclopedia Iranica

Notes and References

1. Leeming, David. The Oxford Companion to World Mythology. Oxford University Press. 2005. p. 29.
2. Safaee Y. (2020). "Scythian and Zoroastrian Earth Goddesses: A Comparative Study on Api and Ārmaiti". In: Niknami KA., Hozhabri A. (eds). Archaeology of Iran in the Historical Period. University of Tehran Science and Humanities Series. Springer, Cham. p. 65. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41776-5_6
3. Book: de Jong, Albert F. . Traditions of the Magi: Zoroastrianism in Greek and Latin Literature . Leiden; New York; Köln . Brill . 1997 . 100 . 90-04-10844-0.
4. Coulter, Charles Russell; Turner, Patricia (2012). Encyclopedia of Ancient Deities. McFarland/Routledge. p. 520.
5. Web site: Foundation . Encyclopaedia Iranica . Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica . 2024-02-18 . iranicaonline.org . en-US.
6. Book: Russell . James R. . James R. Russell . Zoroastrianism in Armenia . 1987 . Harvard University Press . 978-0674968509 . 323.
7. Skjærvø, Prods Oktor. "Ahura Mazdā and Ārmaiti, Heaven and Earth, in the Old Avesta". In: Journal of the American Oriental Society 122, no. 2 (2002): 404-409. doi:10.2307/3087636.
8. Safaee, Yazdan (2020). "Scythian and Zoroastrian Earth Goddesses: A Comparative Study on Api and Ārmaiti". In: Niknami KA., Hozhabri A. (eds). Archaeology of Iran in the Historical Period. University of Tehran Science and Humanities Series. Springer, Cham. pp. 65-66. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41776-5_6
9. "[Armaiti] was the cornucopia of the fruits of the land (...) the personification of the land itself, and the earth was, thus, her proper realm (...) [She was also] responsible for its growth". Dexter, Miriam Robbins. Whence the goddesses: a source book. The Athene Series. New York and London: Teachers College Press, Teachers College, Columbia University. 1990. p. 72. .
10. Book: Russell . James R. . James R. Russell . Zoroastrianism in Armenia . 1987 . Harvard University Press . 978-0674968509 . 323–324.
11. Boyce, Mary. A History of Zoroastrianism. Volume One: The Early Period. Third impression with corrections. Leiden, New York, Köln: E. J. Brill. 1996. p. 206. .
12. Book: Taheri, Sadreddin. Goddesses in Iranian Culture and Mythology. 2014. Tehran: Roshangaran va Motale’at-e Zanan Publications. 9789641940821.
13. Safaee, Yazdan (2020). "Scythian and Zoroastrian Earth Goddesses: A Comparative Study on Api and Ārmaiti". In: Niknami KA., Hozhabri A. (eds). Archaeology of Iran in the Historical Period. University of Tehran Science and Humanities Series. Springer, Cham. p. 66. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41776-5_6
14. Pinault, Georges-Jean. "La langue des Scythes et le nom des Arimaspes". In: Comptes rendus des séances de l'Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres, 152e année, N. 1, 2008. pp. 133-134. [DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/crai.2008.92104]; www.persee.fr/doc/crai_0065-0536_2008_num_152_1_92104
15. Book: Encyclopædia of Religion and Ethics, Volume 1. 1908. Charles Scribner's Sons. New York. 795. Hastings, James. James Hastings.
16. Book: Kurkjian, Vahan M.. A History of Armenia. 2008. Indo-European Publishing. Los Angeles, California. 9781604440126. Vahan Kurkjian. 249.