Mehregan: Encyclopedia II - Mehregan - Roots

Mehregan - Roots

There are many accounts as to the beginning of Mehregan. A few, different versions are listed below: Mehregan is a day of victory when Angels helped Fereydoun and Kaveh become victorious over Zahak. They imprisoned and chained him to the mount Damavand. Mehregan is the day God gave light to the world, that had previously been dark. On this day Mashya and Mashyaneh (a concept of Semitic Adam and Eve) were created. On this day the sun was created. Among all Iranian festivities, the two most important feasts were considered to be Norouz and Mehregan. During the time when the Avestan calendar was used, the year began at the cold season. The Christian year also starting in the cold season, follows the same concept as the Avestan calendar.

Some scholars believe that the month of Mehr was the beginning month of the calendar year during the Achaemenian era. The Mehregan feast celebrated the beginning of a new year. Later, Mehregan was especially important for the people of southern Iran who considered it still to be their Norouz.

In some form or another, the feast day of Mehregan has always been honored for many hundreds of years in Iran. Mehr is also the time of harvest.

Mehr in Avestan is Miora and in ancient Persian and in Sanskrit is Mitra and in Pahlavi Mitr. In modern Persian, it has become Mehr. Although it can be slightly confusing, it should be remembered the word Mehr has been used for a God, an angel, a symbol of the sun, as well as the seventh month of the Iranian calendar.

During the Achaemenian period, the name of the God Mehr was mentioned many times on the stone carvings. The Achaemenian army always came behind a flag, depicting Mehr as the sun shining. Mehregan was celebrated in an extravagant style at Persepolis. Not only was it the time for harvest, but it was also the time when the taxes were collected. Visitors from different parts of the empire brought gifts for the king all contributing to a lively festival.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Roots", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki