# Zoroaster explained — Bulfinch’s Mythology

> Chapter companion for Bulfinch’s Mythology by Thomas Bulfinch.

## What happens

This chapter describes the ancient Persian religion founded by Zoroaster, focusing on the dualistic cosmology of Ormuzd (good) and Ahriman (evil), the simple religious rites involving fire and mountain worship, and the historical persistence of Zoroastrianism through the rise of Christianity and Islam, culminating in the modern Parsees of India.

## Themes in this chapter

### Mortality and Immortality

The chapter describes the eventual victory of Ormuzd's followers and the consignment of Ahriman to darkness forever, reflecting a cosmic struggle between good and evil with an ultimate resolution.

### Cultural Transmission and Education

The chapter traces the transmission of Zoroastrian religion from ancient Persia through periods of corruption and revival, and its survival among the Parsees in India.

## Key lines

> Zoroaster taught the existence of a supreme being, who created two other mighty beings and imparted to them as much of his own nature as seemed good to him.

Zoroaster taught that a supreme being created two powerful beings, giving them a portion of his own nature.

_Explains the origin of the dualistic forces Ormuzd and Ahriman._

> The religious rites of the ancient Persians were exceedingly simple. They used neither temples, altars, nor statues, and performed their sacrifices on the tops of mountains.

Ancient Persian worship was very simple, without temples, altars, or statues; sacrifices were made on mountaintops.

_Highlights the simplicity and natural setting of Persian religious practices._

> Those who refused to abandon the religion of their ancestors fled to the deserts of Kerman and to Hindustan, where they still exist under the name of Parsees.

Those who refused to give up their ancestral religion escaped to the deserts of Kerman and India, where they are still known as Parsees.

_Describes the diaspora and survival of Zoroastrianism as the Parsee community._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters/zoroaster
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/bulfinch_s_mythology_se/chapters