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Zoroaster
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This is my first message to this list, although I am a very big fan of the
Dawkins book that spawned this field of discussion.
What prompted me to write, and not about Memes exactly, was the
reference to Zoroastrianism, which is important in many ways to those
of us who study cultural archaeology.
At 12:46 PM 5.12.96, Hans-Cees Speel wrote:
>One of the examples that exited me was that of the dichotomy of good and
>bad, or good and evil. Some inquiery tought me that the meme that
>makes the distinction between 'good and bad' has started 4000 years ago,
>in a religion called Zoroastrianism in the Irak/Iran region. . A religion
>with one god of good, and one of bad. The words good and bad nowadays
>represent very deep emotions [bad/good], and if true, they have been
>copied 4000 years almost unchanged. The thought that the words I attach
>emotions to are that old makes me think twice about what thinking really
>is, and what little new things we think of.
>
I am afraid that this is probably not the case. The concept of good
and evil comes from before Zoroastrianism and certainly is widespread
throughout many cultures, independent of the huge impact that this
prophet had.
Zoroaster, better known in this country as Zarathustra, reinterpreted
an earlier religion / belief system of the period. There is the belief of
a final battle between the soldiers of good (all believers are soldiers)
and the evil one. They wear the belt of horsehair as a mark of their
initiation, and always burn the fire of the Pure One in their hearth. The
reinterpretation is so important because it is a direct link to stone age
cultures further back in the misunderstood prehistory of our planet.
They were not fire worshippers, they were not monotheistic, exactly,
but then neither are Christians, as I understand it, and they are incredibly
important in our cultural history. For example, the "three wise men" who
visited Christ on his birth bearing gifts were Magi, or priests of Zoroaster.
I could go on and on. In fact, good and evil may not come from them,
or maybe it does... but many other things do. More later, if anyone else
is interested.
" I will not steal cattle from any home that burns the fire of the pure one
in their hearth ... " etc.
Michael
Michael Wahrman
One West 85th Street 3D New York City New York 10024
Voice Mail : 212 873 2664 Fax: 212 595 7754 Pager: 800 864 8444
Internet: wahrman@tribeca.ios.com
"Res Ipsa Loquitur"
"Saigon ... sh*t. I'm still in Saigon."
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