Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Zoroastrian'

This thesis uncovers the presence of musical structures within Zoroastrian prayer performance and articulates the details of these structures and also the way in which they are manifested and are passed down through generations. Initial research included an amalgamation and examination of the few references to music in Zoroastrian prayer that there are to be found in existing literature. The bulk of the research involved travelling to different countries to make contemporary sound recordings of prayers and to conduct extensive interviews with priests. Archival recordings were also gathered as data for examination. The evolution of the status and role of priests within the Zoroastrian community from antiquity to the present day as well as the training they receive is presented in order to understand the social as well as religious context within which Zoroastrian prayer is performed and taught. A substantial body of evidence is provided in the form of musical notations of the prayers of over thirty men and boys as well as more than an hour of accompanying sound recordings. Interview data is also provided to illuminate the perspectives of the performers on their own material. The musical analysis of the notations uncovers musical structures in Zoroastrian prayer, and an examination of interview data first reveals the mechanism by which these structures are manifested and transmitted and then synthesises the conclusions into a model for music making which operates to shape the sound of Zoroastrian prayer. The final analysis explores the age of these musical structures from the most recent and provable point of existence to a possibly ancient origin.

This study develops a landscape design, which demonstrates how to change the microclimate in a historical public space (Towers of silence, in city of Yazd, designated as World Heritage Site, in the heart of Iran). The arid historic city of Yazd is getting hotter. The increasing temperatures make it more and more difficult to use the public space. Towers of silence inherited from Zoroastrianism are stone cylindrical structures located on top of the hills within infertile land located south east of the city of Yazd. This historic site brings visitors from around the world every year but the microclimate of the site it is not welcoming. The current layout does not provide information about the rich culture it entailed, and visitors are not able to understand the meaning that is behind these structures. This design aims to improve the current conditions of these magnificent towers and utilize techniques like historical plan analysis, comparative analysis and experimental design study. Using landscape architecture to address the climate issue the proposed design translates Zoroastrian's beliefs to visitors as well as creating a more hospitable environment.
Master of Landscape Architecture
All around the world people must deal with climate change and the effects of extreme weather. City of Yazd in the heart of Iran is not immune to such changes and has traditionally faced a harsh desert like climate. This study focuses on improving the climate surrounding a unique and magnificent historic site in city of Yazd called the Silent Towers (a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site). The design uses material and natural elements that are local to the site (stone, plants and trees) and infuse Zoroastrian and ancient Persian beliefs to bring about a more pleasant conditions (reducing the heat) for the visitors to this site. The outcome of merging tradition and natural elements to mitigate extreme temperatures brings about a layout that is inviting to visitors and hospitable to the local population without changing any of the values or the integrity of the main attraction: The Towers of Silence.

This study of the concept of glory across four different religions begins with Christianity. There the term 'glory' translates Greek doxa, a word which, deriving from a root meaning 'to seem', denotes 'outward appearance', and has in secular Greek the basic meaning 'opinion'. The New Testament, however, not only omits this connotation but gives doxa an entirely new one (radiance, divine Presence). Given that symbols are rooted in the experiential well-springs of a people, why did the Christian experience not bring a totally new symbol to birth. The answer is two-fold: (a) Christians took the word from the Septuagint version of the Hebrew Bible wherein it was used to translate Kavodh (glory) and (b) the meaning of doxa resonated with the Christian Encounter. It had first resonated with the Hebrew experience. It is this thesis that doxa was used by Christians and Greek-speaking Jews precisely because of its root meanings ('to seem' 'outward appearance' 'manifestation') and that these meanings, resonating also with the experience of Zoroastrians and Buddhists, are reflected in their ideas of glory, albeit within their different conceptual frameworks. 'Glory' in all four religions is related to man's experience of polarities: Immanence/Transcendence, Manifestation/Hiddenness, Presence/Absence, and it speaks of a Reality beyond appearance. Man longs for the Real; he seeks Self-transcendence. In the measure that he becomes 'selfless' he comes closer to that which he seeks and sees things as they really are. He grows from glory to glory until he becomes what he is. In Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism man is of the essence of glory.

For centuries, fire has been a sacred symbol from the eastern cultures to western regions. As one of the four states of matter, fire represents the great essence in our daily lives as an energy source with its warmth, light and aura, kindling feelings of truth and spirituality within us. In his poetic verses, fire was venerated by Zoroaster who led mankind to believe that there is one supreme lord that we may follow; a being that can only be known by the quest for truth (Asha). For Zoroaster truth was symbolic with fire as it brought people together in prayer. With the passage of time fire became consecrated in different orders with the higher ones being placed within covered buildings for protection. These buildings became temples of fire or Fire Temples where an eternal flame was kept and looked after by a priest so as to keep alive the salvation of humankind and continue our journey towards righteousness with the blessings of the supreme. With this, faith stayed alive as long as the Fire burned. Herein lies my celebration of fire where I announce it to the follower on the path to truth as an eternal flame burning, yet resting in a place worthy of all its glory; an ambiance created to venerate the flame and reassure the traveler that its light has more to offer than meets the eye.
Master of Architecture

The present thesis consists of an edition of an Iranian literary work whose theme is a journey to the Other World, namely the Ardāy-Vīrāf Nāma. The version of this work which is here edited and commented on is a prose version in the Zoroastrian Persian language. A discussion about Iranian conceptions of the Other World is also an integrated part of the thesis. The text of the Ardāy-Vīrāf Nāma is edited employing a text critical method by using six manuscripts. The oldest manuscript, which has been used as the base manuscript for editing the text, was written in 896 A.Y. (Yazdgirdī)/1527 A.D. The edited text is also translated into English, and followed by a Commentary on names, unusual words and Zoroastrian terms used in the text. Other Iranian documents about journeys to the Other World are studied in this thesis as well, and all are compared to the Ardāy-Vīrāf Nāma. The Zoroastrian Persian version of this work is also compared to its Parsig version. The differences between the Zoroastrian Persian and the Parsig versions indicate that they have their background in two different world views. To prove this theory, some significant elements in the Zoroastrian Persian version, which demonstrate that this is a pre-Zoroastrian epic narrative, have been compared to some elements in the Parsig version that show that this is a religious Zoroastrian account. Possible reasons for the change in Ardāy-Vīrāf Nāma from a pre-Zoroastrian epic narrative into a Zoroastrian-religious one are also suggested. A king named Davānūs is one of the Ardāy-Vīrāf Nāma personages. In an appendix, the historical personality of Davānūs is discussed with reference to Arabic, Persian and Greek historiography.

Cette thèse est consacrée au livre zoroastrien "Ayādgār ī Jāmāspīg" (le mémorial de Jāmāsp), texte de genre eschatologique, composé essentiellement de prévisions sur des évènements futurs attribués au sage Jāmāsp - une des figures les plus importantes de la tradition mythique zoroastrienne - dont la version originaire pehlevie doit avoir été composée à la même époque que les textes pehlevis du 9e-10e siècle. Ce travail est constitué par une édition philologique complète de l'oeuvre basée sur des matériels de diverses natures graphique et historique, dont la version pārsi, contenue dans le manuscrit M52, en représente la tradition la plus moderne et la mieux conservée. L'édition de l'oeuvre respecte tous les nouveaux critères scientifiques pour l'édition de textes anciens, qui prévoient une riche introduction thématique, la translittération, la transcription et traduction du texte, un commentaire historique-religieux des thématiques abordés et le glossaire. La thèse est complétée entre autre par la reproduction microfilmée de tous les codes aujourd'hui existants, qui comportent des problèmes d'accessibilité et qui se présentent souvent sous des formes corrompues et incomplètes. L'objet de la thèse est d'une part celui d'améliorer et de compléter les éditions anciennes de l'oeuvre, d'autre part d'attirer à nouveau l'attention des spécialistes des langues et des religions iraniennes anciennes sur un texte en ayant reçu trop peu ces dernières années
This thesis is devoted to the zoroastrian book "Ayādgār ī Jāmāspīg" (the memorial of Jāmāsp), an eschatological text composed primarily of forecasts on future events attributed to the wise Jāmāsp - one of the most important figures of the mythical zoroastrian tradition - whose pahlavi original version was composed at the same time that the pahlavi texts of the 9th-10th century. The present work consists of a complete philological edition of the work based on various graphic and historical materials, whose pārsi version contained in the manuscript M52 is the most modern and best preserved tradition. The edition of the work complies with all the new scientific criteria for editing ancient texts, by providing with a rich thematic introduction, the transliteration, the transcription and the translation, the review of historical and religious themes present in the text, as well as the glossary. The thesis is supplemented by the microfilms reproduction of all existing codes, wich are hardly accessible and often exist in corrupted and incomplete forms. The aim of the thesis is to improve and complete the ancient editions of this important text as well as to draw the attention of the specialists in languages and religions of Ancient Iran to a text which has received in recent years too few attentions

En Inde et au Pakistan, les Parsis – minorité ethno-religieuse présente sur le sous-continent indien depuis le VIIIème siècle après J. -C. – sont considérés comme autochtones, en dépit de leurs racines perses. Longtemps restés à la marge de la société indienne, ils ont traversé un âge d’or à l’époque coloniale britannique, au cours de laquelle ils ont contribué, en tant qu’élite « occidentalisée », à de multiples avancées d’ordre socio-économiques et politiques. L’indépendance de 1947 a marqué un tournant, en scindant les Parsis en deux communautés distinctes et désormais démunies de tout privilège ou statut particulier. De nombreux Parsis ont de fait choisi la voie de l’émigration, dans un premier temps en Grande-Bretagne puis, au cours des dernières décennies, vers le Nouveau Monde. A travers une analyse mêlant histoire et anthropologie, cette thèse explore les dynamiques identitaires, démographiques et migratoires qui en découlent en Inde et au Pakistan ainsi qu’au sein des pays de la diaspora. L’auteur souhaite montrer que les communautés parsies du sous-continent indien ont atteint un point de rupture, notamment avéré par une crise démographique aigüe. Au sein des pays de la diaspora, la thèse vise à dévoiler une situation marquée par l’ambivalence : la reproduction des traits identitaires parsis - en premier lieu la perpétuation d’un esprit pionnier - y est en effet concomitante à l’apparition de nouvelles tendances, dont le rapprochement entre Parsis et zoroastriens d’Iran ou des risques croissants d’assimilation. La question qui se pose est dès lors dans quelle mesure la constitution d’une diaspora implique une transformation de l’identité parsie, y compris au sein des pays d’origine. En se basant sur l’approche complexe, la thèse s’attache à faire ressortir les interactions liant les communautés parsies les unes aux autres, les tensions autour de la religion et les paradoxes marquant l’évolution de la communauté parsie à l’échelle mondiale, pour démontrer la « mutation » identitaire parsie qui est en jeu. La thèse entend contribuer à l’étude des communautés parsies-zoroastriennes à travers le monde, et prolonger l’œuvre des professeurs Mary Boyce et John Hinnells (SOAS), tout en innovant d’un point de vue méthodologique par la parole donnée aux acteurs. Une enquête ethnologique approfondie menée au Pakistan, ainsi que des sources issues des pays de la diaspora ou concernant le patrimoine culturel (y compris la pratique funéraire des tours du silence), permettent de présenter des éléments inédits sur l’histoire et la pratique contemporaine du zoroastrisme. La thèse participe aussi à la compréhension du phénomène diasporique et à l’émergence d’un nouveau champ d’étude sur l’e-diaspora, à travers l’analyse de l’espace web parsi-zoroastrien
In India and Pakistan, the Parsis - an ethno-religious minority present on the Indian sub-continent since the 8th century A. D. - are considered as indigenous, in spite of their Persian ancestry. They remained at the margins of Indian society for a long time and experienced a golden age during British colonial times, during which they contributed as a "westernized" elite to numerous socio-economic and political developments. In 1947, Indian independance was a turning point and split the Parsis into two distinct communities deprived of any specific privilege or status. As a result many Parsis decided to migrate, first to Great Britain then - in recent decades - to the New World. Through a mix of historical and anthropological analysis, this thesis explores the subsequent identity, demographic and migratory dynamics in India and Pakistan as well as in the diaspora. The author attempts to demonstrate that Parsi communities on the Indian subcontinent have reached a point of no return, revealed among other trends, by a severe demographic crisis. Regarding the diaspora, the thesis aims at unveiling the ambivalent situation that prevails: the reproduction of Parsi identity traits - beginning with the perpetuation of a pioneering spirit - is concomitant here with a=new developments, including the coming together of Parsis and Zoroastrians from Iran, or the increasing risks of assimilation. The question is therefore to what extent the constotution of a diaspora implies a transformation of the Parsi identity, including in the countries of origin. Based on the complex approach, the thesis endeavors to highlight the interactions linking Parsi communities to one another, tensions around religion and paradoxes that characterize the evolution of the Parsi community worldwide, in order to show the "mutation" of the Parsi identity which is at stake. The thesis is an attempt to contribute to the study of Parsi-Zoroastrian communities around the world, and to extend the work of Professors Mary Boyce and john Hinnells (SOAS), while innovating from a methodology perspective by giving voice to the actors. A thorough ethnological survey carried out in Pakistan, as well as sources from the countries of the diaspora or concerning the cultural heritage (including the funerary practice of the towers of silence) allows the presentation of new elements on the history and contemporary practice of Zoroastrianism. The thesis also contributes to the understanding of the diasporic phenomenon and the emergence of a new field of study on the e-diaspora, through the analysis of the Parsi-Zoroastrian web

It has since long been noticed that savior figures from different religions have reminded of each other, and there are different theories trying to explain why. This study examines religions operating in the same culture, and in this case, judaism and zoroastrianism, and their influence on each other. In particular, focus is on zoroastrianism's image of the savior figure Mithra, and how this representation may have influenced the description of the Messiah in the Talmud. How are the two figures represented in the scriptures and what similarities can be identified? By a thorough content analysis the studie examines the Avesta of zoroastrianism and the Talmud from judaism. When Avesta is written is uncertain, but it was compiled and edited by Shapur II in fourth century, same time as the Jewish oral traditions were written down in the persian empire in the form of the Babylonian Talmud. The theories used are Dimensional Accrual and Dissociation theory (DAD), this theory seeks to explain what happens when multiple religions are operating in the same area for a long time. The cultural phenomenon that before was exclusive to one culture may be dissolved and it becomes difficult to tell where this phenomenon came from. The farther two or more cultures co-exist, the harder it will be to say what culture is which. Together with DAD is the cultural Churning theory(CCT), CCT argues that when newly arrived immigrant ethnicities take residence in an already established culture, it requires an adaptation primarily from immigrants, i.e the minority culture. CCT also says that that both the society and the individual need to adapt to the new culture. What I have found is that the savior figures in Avesta and the Talmud are largely similar, in several respects. What I also found through historical studies is that these two faiths worked side by side in close to 800 years, and during this time a cultural exchange most likely took place.

Les sources relatives à l’Iran de l’époque sassanide (3ème-7ème s. De notre ère) nous permettent d’étudier deux systèmes éducatifs distincts : le religieux et le profane. Le premier est axé sur l’institution zoroastrienne du hērbed, le « prêtre-enseignant » chargé de transmettre oralement la connaissance des textes sacrés (l’Avesta et son exégèse). Pendant la période charnière du règne de Khosrow Ier (531-579), la nature et les méthodes de cette instruction ont dû s’adapter aux contraintes imposées par le conservatisme d’une élite sacerdotale. L’éducation profane est, quant à elle, centrée sur la sphère aulique. Calquée sur celle des princes, l’instruction aristocratique, qui a lieu à la cour royale, est décrite par des figures paradigmatiques tendant à dresser un tableau idéalisé de la noblesse sassanide. Ces deux modèles pédagogiques se rejoignent dans notre principal texte témoin, le récit intitulé Husraw ī Kawādān ud Rēdag-ē « Khosrow fils de Kawād et un page » qui est non seulement un manifeste de l’éducation aristocratique, mais aussi la source la plus informative sur les mœurs de cour (nourriture, jeux, musique, etc. ) de cette époque. En confrontant les sources de la période sassanide (moyen-perses, arabes, persanes et syriaques) et en identifiant la terminologie et les structures encore apparentes d’un double système éducatif normalisé, cette étude se conçoit comme une contribution à l’histoire de l’éducation de l’Iran préislamique
Sources dealing with Sasanian Iran (3rd-7th c. A. D. ) enable us to study two distinct systems of education : the religious and the profane. The first is centred on the zoroastrian institution of the hērbed, the « teacher-priest », who is in charge of transmitting the knowledge of sacred texts (the Avesta as well as its commentaries). During the transition period of the reign of Khosrow I, the nature and methods of this education had to fit the requirements imposed by the conservatism of the priestly elite. The profane education is centred on the court sphere. Modeled on the instruction of the princes, the instruction of the aristocracy takes place at the royal court and is described by paradigmatic figures which tend to depict an ideal picture of the Sasanian nobility. These two themes are assembled in a most representative text, the narrative Husraw ī Kawādān ud Rēdag-ē « Khosrow, son of Kawād, and a Page ». This text is not only a manifesto of aristocratic education but also the richest available source on courtly customs of this period (such as food, games, music, etc. ). By collating sources of the Sasanian era (in Middle Persian, Arabic, Persian and Syriac) and identifying the terminology and visible structures of a two-fold normalized educational system, the present study aims to contribute to the history of education in pre-islamic Iran

Pour les historiens de l’Iran, les XIXe et XXe siècles furent ceux du désir de modernisation après deux défaites devant l’armée russe (1813 et 1828) et le mouvement constitutionnel (1906-1911). Bien qu’en majorité musulman chiite, l’Iran a des communautés d’ethnies et religions diverses, y compris les communautés juives, chrétiennes, zoroastriennes et bahá’ies. Ces groupes avaient une identité, différente des musulmans, qui se manifestait à plusieurs niveaux : au niveau local, ces minorités religieuses habitaient dans des quartiers particuliers, avaient des vêtements, des langues, des accents et s’occupaient des métiers distincts de ceux des musulmans. Au niveau national, concernant les droits de citoyenneté, le cas des non-musulmans se référait à un bureau du ministère des Affaires étrangères. Au niveau international, l’intervention des occidentaux dans les affaires non-musulmanes iraniennes, modifiait de nouveau l’identité de ces minorités. Les affaires missionnaires amenaient également l’éducation et les hôpitaux modernes pour les Iraniens de même qu’elles causaient des troubles au sein de la société. Un changement de l’identité arrivait quand un Iranien décidait de changer de religion ; un changement non bienvenu de la part des ex-coreligionnaires et encouragé par les membres de la nouvelle religion. Les non-musulmans aidaient également aux changements politiques, sociaux et culturels de la société. Ils participaient au mouvement constitutionaliste. « L’Iran pour tous les Iraniens » était un but commun entre les musulmans et les non-musulmans. Cependant, le Parlement et la Constitution avaient un chemin long et compliqué à suivre pour gagner ce but
Iran’s history during the 19th and 20th centuries is known for its will to modernize (after two defeats at the hands of the Russian army in 1813 and 1828) as well as the Constitutional movement (1906-1911). With a Shiʻa Muslim majority, Iran has different ethnical and religious communities, including Jewish, Christians, Zoroastrians and Baha’is. These groups had a different identity from the Muslims and this differentiation was visible at different levels: at the local level, religious minorities lived in separated quarters, wore different clothes, either spoke different languages or were distinguished by different accents, not to mention their jobs. At the national level and citizenship rights, non-Muslim cases were referred to an office in the Foreign Affairs Ministry. At the international level, the interference of western countries in Iranian non-Muslim affairs, might redefine their identity. On the other hand, missionary activities in Iran would bring modern educational and health systems, as well as troubles for both themselves and Iranians. There would also be an identity change when an Iranian decided to convert to another religion; a change which was not welcome by ex-coreligionists but encouraged by the members of the new religion. Non-Muslims, like their Muslim fellow-citizens, were helping in political, social and cultural changes in the society. Apart from their educative and cultural activities to establish modern institutions, they also played important roles in the Constitutional movement. “Iran for all Iranians” was a common goal for both Muslims and non-Muslims. However, the new Parliament and the Constitution had still a long way to go to reach this goal

Notre intention est d'illustrer le mode de fonctionnement des parsi au travail aujourd'hui et de voir s'il existe une ethique au travail parmi les parsi de bombay distincte de celle partagee par les entreprises familiales importantes, hindoues, au travers d'une approche ethnologique et de l'etude de cas par cas (4 grandes entreprises paris). Ma premiere demarche sur le terrain est d'observer comment ces quatre entreprises sont construites (un suivi de la lignee familiale) et quels sont leurs modes d'organisation. Nous nous attarderons sur les interactions entre employes au travail, les relations d'egal a egal, de directeur a subordonne, les schemas de communication, l'autorisation, la gestion de carriere … nous observerons comment (100 mots) sont operees les transactions avec les autres entites du travail en inde, qu'elles soient parsi ou non. Les parsi ne constituant que 0,06% de la population de l'inde (75 000 a bombay et 100 000 dans le monde entier) nous observerons les employes parsi et non parsi dans ces entreprises parsis. Ce travail sur le terrain se fera au cours de plusieurs voyages a bombay (dont fevrier 2009, septembre 2009 et janvier 2010) dans les bureaux, usines, entrepots et lieux d'habitation des directeurs et employes des societes.

La dynastie des perses sassanides (224-651) a laissé un important répertoire d’images via le conséquent corpus de la glyptique. Son iconographie est caractérisée par une représentation répétitive et normée, et possède plusieurs thèmes, dont celui de la figuration animale. En quoi la représentation des animaux dans la glyptique d’époque sassanide est-elle l’enregistrement d’un savoir zoologique ? Peut-on trouver à son aspect répétitif et normé une forme de structuration ? Pour répondre à ces questions, nous avons suivi la méthode d’analyse iconologique d’E. Panofsky, en l’adaptant à notre corpus. La première étape est la description. Nous avons construit un système d’information documentaire permettant l’enregistrement dissocié de l’ensemble des informations iconographiques contenu dans un objet de la glyptique. L’étape intermédiaire est l’analyse iconographique, pour laquelle nous avons effectué une identification zoologique de chaque espèce. La dernière étape de cette méthode est l’analyse historique de ces informations iconographiques, ici dans le contexte de la glyptique et de la culture d’époque sassanide. Les principaux résultats de cette étude sont la construction d’un outil adapté à l’étude de la glyptique ; la mise en lumière de l’originalité du système zoroastrien de classification des espèces ; la correction d’identifications erronées pour celles-ci ; la structuration du système iconographique autour des deux pôles, quadrupèdes et oiseaux ; et enfin l’identification d’un double répertoire iconographique, zoroastrien et impérial comme préalable au choix de la figuration animale
The persian dynasty of the Sasanian (224-651) left an important repertoire of images through the consequent corpus of the glyptic. Its iconography is characterized by a repetitive and standardized representation, and has several themes, including that of animal figuration. In what way is the representation of animals in the Sasanian era’s glyptic the recording of a zoological knowledge? Can one find in the repetitive and standardized aspect a form of structuring? To answer these questions, we have followed the iconological analysis method of E. Panofsky, adapting it to the characteristics of our corpus. The first step is the description. We have built a documentary information system allowing dissociated recording of all iconographic informations contained in an object of the glyptic. The intermediate stage is the iconographic analysis, for which we carried out a zoological identification of each species. The last step is the historical analysis of the iconographic informations, here in the context of glyptic and sasanian culture. The main results of this study are: the construction of a tool adapted to the study of the glyptic, highlighting the originality of the Zoroastrian system of classification of species; the correction of erroneous identifications for these; the structuring of the iconographic system around two poles, quadrupeds and birds; and finally the identification of a double zoroastrian and imperial iconographic repertoire as a preliminary to the choice of animal figuration

A l'instar du droit romain, le droit successoral mazdéen distinguait les présomptions simples et irréfragables, connaissait la représentation successorale, la théorie des comourants, le droit d'accession le rapport des libéralités; en matière de règlement du passif, il appliquait la règle nemo liberalis nisi liberatus, permettait aux créanciers successoraux de bénéficier du privilège de la séparation des patrimoines, soumettait les cohéritiers débiteurs à une obligation in solidum ; en matière de droit de la filiation, il distinguait l'adoption simple de l'adoption plénière. Enfin, l'un des noms de l'héritier en moyen-perse, le xwāstagdār (litt. « possesseur de biens »), n'est sans doute rien d'autre que le bonorum possessor du droit romain, héritier qui tenait, à l'origine, son droit de l'Edit du préteur. L'obligation, pour tout paterfamilias, d'engendrer un garçon afin de perpétuer son lignage et d'assurer son existence future dans l'au-delà, est à l’origine de deux institutions successorales essentielles, l'ayōgēnīh (obligation pour l'épouse, la fille ou la soeur du défunt de mettre au service de celui-ci sa capacité reproductive afin de lui procurer un enfant mâle, sur le modèle de la putrikā indienne ou de la fille épiclère en Grèce) et la stūrīh (sorte de substitution fidéicommissaire), laquelle permettait à la fois la production d’un héritier mâle au profit du de cujus et la conservation des biens de famille, puisque le bien détenu en stūrīh l'était toujours à charge de conserver et de transmettre. La nécessité de conserver les biens de famille était également satisfaite par la création de biens de mainmorte, grâce aux fondations charitables (pad ahlawdād)
Like the roman law, the mazdean inheritance law knew the rebuttable and irrebuttable presumptions, the right of representation, the right of accession, the collatio bonorum (return of property to the mass of the succession), made application of the commorientes rule, the rule nemo liberalis nisi liberatus, protected the creditors of the deceased by reserving the estate for them and excluding the creditors of the heir when he was insolvent (separatio bonorum), subjected the debtor joint heirs to an obligation in solidum, distinguished between the adoptio plena and the adoptio de minus plena. Finally, one of the names of the heir in middle-persian, the xwāstagdār (litt. «possessor of the properties»), is doubtless nothing else than the bonorum possessor of the roman law, the heir to whom the possession of an estate was given by the praetor. The obligation, for every paterfamilias, to get a male child in order to secure his issue and its future existence in the afterlife, is at the source of two essential institutions of this law, namely the ayōgēnīh (obligation for the wife, the daughter, or the sister of a deceased to put her reproductive capacity to the service of the latter in order to provide him with a male child, on the model of the Indian putrikā or the epiclere daughter in Greece) and the trust (stūrīh), the latter allowing the production of a male heir for the benefit of the deceased as well as the preservation of the family's properties, because the goods held in stūrīh had always to be kept and conveyed. The necessity of keeping the family's properties was also fulfilled by the creation of the properties of mortmain, through charitable foundations (pad ahlawdād)

Den här uppsatsen handlar om Haoma som religiös rusdryck. Inom den rådande forskningen, både nationellt och internationellt har riter och rus påverkan ägnats mycket uppmärksamhet, detta gäller även för Haomadrycken. Syftet med denna text är att ge en övergripande bild över vilken huvudingrediensen i Haomadrycken kan ha varit, baserat på tidigare forskning inom ämnet. Med detta inte sagt att jag försöker ge en heltäckande bild av forskningsfältet eftersom det är stort. I detta ligger även min avgränsning, jag har valt de forskningsverk och arbeten som är aktuella för att ringa in de olika forskningsgrenarna vad gäller just vilken huvudingrediensen kan ha varit i den ursprungliga Haomadrycken. Texten kommer även att behandla dagens Haomaritual och hur den utövas idag och dess föregångare. I valet att studera just Haomadrycken ligger även en avgränsning i att inte ge en heltäckande bild av forskningen runt personen Zoroaster. Även om så är fallet är det nödvändigt att ge en kortare överblick över personen och dennes betydelse. För detta ändamål har jag gjort ett urval och valt att använda några forskares arbeten om Zoroaster och den miljö han kom ifrån som en ingång till själva bruket av drycken Haoma.

Uppsatsen har skrivits inom ramen för masterprogrammet "Forntida religioner" som ges i samarbete mellan Högskolan i Gävle, Uppsala universitet och Högskolan Dalarna. Uppsatsen har senare publicerats i "Amirani", nr 21, 2009, http://www.caucasology.com/amirani.htm Uppsatsförfattaren har senare bytt efternamn till Söderlind-Jaramillo.

'Free Agent or Automaton? Gnostic, Zoroastrian, Christian, and Jewish Free Will Doctrines in the Works of Jorge Luis Borges' examines several differing theories surrounding the nature of free will when confronted with the omniscience of God's perfect foreknowledge such as represented in the works of Argentine author Jorge Luis Borges. The first chapter investigates the Gnostic and Christian treatment of this debate in 'Tres versiones de Judas,' 'La secta de los treinta,' and 'El muerto.' The second chapter analyzes the Zoroastrian response in 'Las ruinas circulares.' The third and final chapter engages the Jewish response to the unanswerable question of 'To whom, if anyone, does mankind owe its existence?' in 'El milagro secreto.' Also, the third chapter examines the role of the reader in the author/character dynamic vis a vis 'Pierre Menard, autor del Quijote.' I propose a notion of a Gnostic Reader similar to the cosmogonies of Basilides' and Carpocrates' disciples, with the reader as the demi-urge removed from the Abraxas creator god by 365 degrees of separation. In reading these texts, I am interested in how literature, theology, and philosophy coincide in an attempt to foster skepticism toward orthodox traditions as a means to answering questions surrounding the nature of human destiny, existence, and free will. I argue that these encapsulations of existential dilemmas create highly compelling fictions that attempt to address the unknowable nature of agency while in mortality, prompting the reader to examine the great existential questions of life. Thus the dissertation, in addition to analyzing free will doctrines, encompasses a reflection on literature's position within religious belief and faith, as well as its intersection with other practices, such as philosophy, and theology
acase@tulane.edu

Abstract Iranian Cinema: The influences of Ancient Iranian visual Art and Mythology on the Contemporary Iranian Cinema, 1970 – 2009 with a focus on Bahram Beizai Morad Sadeghi This thesis will examine the influences of ancient Iranian art and mythology on the contemporary Iranian cinema from 1970 – 2009, with an emphasis on Bahram Beizai's works. Postrevolutionary Iranian cinema has gained international audiences while the wave of Iranian cinema presented itself as a particularly legible form of escapism. By the late 1990s, indeed, cinema in Iran appeared to be flourishing, its remarkable transformation paralleling wider changes in Iranian culture and society. The study of cultural and the mythological influences on cinema in the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) involves looking at cinema from a certain angle and taking into consideration the influences of ancient Iranian literature, painting, and architecture on the contemporary cinema without necessarily focusing too much on historical analysis of the films. I draw attention in my thesis to the presence and function of ancient culture in Iranian films, and the ways different filmmakers use it. The study of Iranian contemporary films with a focus on Beizai as prominent figure of the Iranian New Wave director lead us to apprehend a tension and counter point between Iranian postmodern and postrevolutionary society and the continuity of the myths and rituals in that society. The point of using ritual and myth, here in my thesis, is to achieve understanding and vision, accomplished through two means: metaphor and symbolism on the imagery of the Iranian ancient religion, Zoroastrian. However, one must know the entire ritual in order to see its structure and influence on Iranian postmodern art. In my thesis, I will begin to explain how the culture of Zoroastrianism in Iran can be set in comparison to Islam. Also, the forms of myth and religion in Zoroastrianism will be focused on. In the 1990s Iranian film became one of the most celebrated national film traditions on the international circuit. Here, I am interested in film first as a kind of register and second as a descriptive medium of cultural patterns. I am also interested in film as a complex vehicle of cultural critique. I will emphasize how film has become like a parable and a discourse with literature, the traditional painting, the epic traditions of ethical and moral reason, and the ancient Iranian architecture. In order to shed light on the influences of ancient Iranian art on the contemporary cinema of directors like Beizai, one has to inquire about the parables and mythical stories of the Shahnameh. My thesis forms part of a larger project to map out in some mythological detail the competing rhetoric in Iran, and by so doing, to contribute to a theory of culture that is dynamic, that illuminates historical and political – economic realities, and is sensitive to the hermeneutics of cultural rhetoric as seen from the inside. In my thesis, the written analyses of a series of films will focus in turn on the intelligentsia’s dilemmas of locating themselves between East and West, between Zoroastrianism and Islam, and between past and present. These films take as their central subjects the confusions resulting from the contradictory intertwining of pre – Islamic and Islamic heritage. The inability to escape into modernity, to be free from the legacy of the past, and to change the corrupt present by revolution are the main discourses of Iranian intellectuals’ films before and after the revolution.

Based on a broad survey of the reception of Firdausī’s Shāhnāma in medieval times, this dissertation argues that Firdausī’s oeuvre was primarily perceived as a book of wisdom and advice for kings and courtly élites. The medieval reception of the Shāhnāma is clearly manifested in the comments of medieval authors about Firdausī and his work, and in their use of the Shāhnāma in the composition of their own works. The production of ikhtiyārāt-i Shāhnāmas (selections from the Shāhnāma) in medieval times and the remarkable attention of the authors of mirrors for princes to Firdausī’s opus are particularly illuminating in this regard. The survey is complemented by a close textual reading of the Ardashīr cycle in the Shāhnāma in comparison with other medieval historical accounts about Ardashīr, in order to illustrate how history in the Shāhnāma is reduced to only a framework for the presentation of ideas and ideals of kingship. Based on ancient Persian beliefs regarding the ideal state of the world, I argue that Ardashīr in the Shāhnāma is represented as a Saviour of the world. Within this context, I offer new interpretations of the symbolic tale of Ardashīr’s fight against a giant worm, and explain why the idea of the union of kingship and religion, a major topic in almost all medieval Persian mirrors for princes, has often been attributed to Ardashīr. Finally, I compare the Ardashīr cycle in the Shāhnāma with nine medieval Persian mirrors for princes to demonstrate that the ethico-political concepts contained in them, as well as the portrayal of Ardashīr, remain more or less the same in all these works. Study of the Shāhnāma as a mirror for princes, as this study shows, not only reveals the meaning of its symbolic tales, but also sheds light on the pre-Islamic roots of some of the ethico-political concepts presented in the medieval Perso-Islamic literature of wisdom and advice for kings and courtiers.