348 Persian myth the prototypes of creation destroyed or spoiled by Ahriman After Kiumarth’s death, Ormazd reproduces the human prototype It is said that Kiumarth’s seed falls on the earth while passing away, is purified by the Sun’s rays, and after 40 years turn, into Rivas, a holy plant with two stems These stems become the first human couple, Mashya and Mashayana Evil forces lie in wait for the couple The first couple tells the first lie, attributing creation to Ahriman To punish their wrongdoing they are deprived of having children for a long time, before their reparation is accepted At last they have seven sons and seven daughters Each of the pairs marries and leaves for one of the seven territories or realms—according to Iranian mythology, ancient Iran was made up of seven countries Humans expanded in number in the seven countries The last part of the fourth quarter deals mainly with Zoroaster This was the 10th millennium of creation when “Good Religion” expanded and developed throughout the world Zoroaster visits Ormazd by the Daieti River in ancient Iran and stays with him for 10 years, when Ormazd reveals the religion’s mysteries to him Zoroaster announces his prophethood, and based on the Pahlavi writings, Zoroaster is a complete human being in mazdaism (praising and worshipping Ahura Mazda) The middle texts and the Sassanids’ writings tell of the end of the world The prophetical literature of Zoroastrians is simultaneous with the internal conflicts in the Sassanid Empire, expanding during Bahram Chubin’s rebellion After the collapse of the Sassanids by the Muslim Arabs such literature is encouraged and revived According to Sassanid texts, there are three saviors of the world Houshidar, Houshidarmah, and Saoshyanth appear in the millennium after Zoroaster and expand good All are miraculously born of Zoroaster’s seed and are his sons Bahram (the victorious) and Pashootan are among the most famous Bahram is a warrior, seeking truth by coming to Iran, riding on a white elephant He defeats cruelty and clears Iran from impurity, providing a tranquillity that had been long lost The middle texts report the birth of the trichotomous Saoshyanth as follows: Zoroaster makes love with his wife three times during a three-month period, after which his wife washes in the Kiyanseh River and Zoroaster’s seed is mixed with the river’s water Naryousang, the lord, leaves the seeds with Anahita to mix with that of a mother at the proper time A 15-year-old virgin swims in the Kiyanseh River, and she becomes pregnant and gives birth to the first savior, Houshidar At the age of 30 he meets Ormazd and learns all the teachings of Mazdims and continues the prophethood, previously held by his father Zoroaster Houshidar cleanses religion, destroys Ahriman’s traditions, decreases famine and starvation, and helps expand the forces of good In his reign children are born smarter, rivers become full, and plants only experience autumn every three years Wild animals and predators disappear Thirty years before Houshidar’s millennium ends, again a 15-year-old virgin swims in the Kiyanseh River and becomes pregnant, giving birth to Houshidarmah Houshidarmah visits Ormazd when he is 30 years old and becomes responsible for bringing salvation to the world The 20-day stoppage of the Sun is one of the signs of his emergence At the beginning of his millennium plants experience autumn every six years, and all forces of evil are defeated The thirst and hunger ghoul becomes too weak, and everybody can live on one meal a day In the last 53 years of his millennium people become vegetarians and milk drinkers rather than flesh eaters Medicine flourishes during this era, and life expectancy increases However, Zahak’s rebellion again unbalances good and evil in Iran Ormazd resurrects Garshasb’s spirits to fight with Zahak and destroy him, and the golden years restart Thirty years before the end of Houshidarmah’s millennium, Saoshyanth, the last creature of Ormazd, would be born miraculously of the prophet Zoroaster’s seed by a virgin mother and would become the world’s savior At his revelation the Sun stays unmoved in the sky for 30 days Saoshyanth is received warmly by Kay Xusraw who is riding on Izadwai (God of wind) Saoshyanth appreciates Kay Xusras’s braveries by destroying the idols and defeating Afrasyab and thereby making way for the reconstruction and renovation of the world Kay Xusraw becomes king of all seven countries during the Saoshyanth’s millennium, while Saoshyanth is Moubad-e-Mubadan (lord of clergies) During Saoshyanth’s millennium, which lasts 57 years, everything would be accomplished according to Gathas (Zoroaster’s original teachings) He gathers an army and fights the infidelity ghoul, who then hides in a hole Shahrivar (the guard of metals in the mundane world) pours metal into the hole to imprison the evil ghoul and send him to hell Saoshyanth overcomes all ghouls and evil forces through his five prayers Ahriman and his evil emblems are forgotten, and the wicked evil spirits are destroyed The world becomes full of kindness, and happiness reigns Ahriman’s creatures—ugliness, diseases, pain, lies, and greediness—disappear and plants and trees never experience autumn; they are evergreen In the first 17 years of Saoshyanth’s millennium, people eat plants For 30 years they drink only water, and in