Verethragna the most highly armed.
Verethragna the most highly armed.
Classification God
Culture: Persian Iranian
His sacred animal is the Wild Boar whose iron-shoden feet
crush opponents and is perceived to be ever present in the fierce wind.
"as a giver of victory Verethragna plainly enjoyed the
greatest popularity of old." In Zoroastrian Middle Persian,
the figure of Verethragna is highly complex, parallels have
also been drawn between, Puranic Vishnu, Manichaean Adamas, Chaldean/Babylonian
Nergal, Egyptian Horus, Hellenic Ares and Heracles.
In the Bahram Yasht
Verethragna is described as "the most highly
armed" the "best equipped with might" , with "effervescent
glory" , has "conquering superiority" , and is in constant
battle with men and daemons.
he is connected with sexual potency and "confers
virility" , has the "ability to heal" and "renders wonderful"
ten forms in which the divinity appears: As an impetuous
wind; as an armed warrior and as an adolescent of fifteen and in the remaining
seven forms as animals: a bull with horns of gold ; a white horse with ears and
a muzzle of gold; a camel in heat, a boar a bird of prey (veregna,; a ram ; and
a wild goat.
Verethragna was both identified as Ares and associated with Heracles,
and given the Greek name Artagnes.
