The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-18
sour NEW BOOKS


n
.n.,ant and modern we are INDEBTED to ELIZA
prIr A. REED, who recently performed Tor
uindu literature q corresponding service
The species of handbook which she mas pup
Iisbed through Messrs. s. c. GrIggs 20
tChicngol begins with an outline OF the poetry
and mythology OF tho cuneiiorm tabiets' men,
nth the help of Prof. Darmesteter. reviews
tha teachings OF tho Zcnd Avcsta. and finally
disoussos the masterworks oil Iorsian poetry
On modinyal and modern times. which, Tor
conyenience are distributed In seven periods
Only tho first Ave OF these periods deserve or
recciye extended notice. These are best ideh-
tiOed by their most distinguished names. to
wit. Firdusi. Miami, Sadi. Hailz ana JamL
About half OF tho volume Is allotted TO inc
writer's OF these relatively modern perious, anu
many apecimena OF Persian poetry ana ro-
nance are presented in English TRANSACTIONS.
word about tho Zend Aresta. the facts
and conjectures relating to which are collected
4, n cbap,er OF this book. According to tho
Parsis, Avesta means the sacred text 1850
eiated with the name OF Zoroaster. and Zenu
its pahavi translation. But by European
eebolars. tho word Zend is used to designate
the language In which tho greater part OF tho
Avesta is written. As regards antiquity, the
Zond language ranks next to the Sanskrt.
and there is an agreement OF competent opin-
ion that the two languages continued 10 i've
aide by side long after thcy were separated
from tho com m on stock OF tho Hindu European
tongues. The Zend Avesta, or sacred books OF
the Parsis, is q collection OF various fragments
handed down in the Zend language. The iirst
mart OF the hvcsta proper contains three DOCKS
the yendidad. tho Nisperad. and the fasna.
The yenddnd Is n compilation OF religious
law and NEUROLOGICAL tales: the Nisperad Is a
collection OF litanies for the sacrifice: while
the Yazna. though composed partly OF ii'ahies'
also contains i've hymns or gathas. written In
q different dialect, older than tho language OF
the creator part OF the Avesta These three
books are found in manuscripts in two different
forms. Sometimes one OF Thorn is found alone.
or accompanied by Pahlavi translation ran
lavi bearing the same relation to Zend whlch
tho daughter tongues OF Sanskrit do to their
parent. Sometimes the three books are MIN
pled together according to the requirements
of tho liturgy. The second portion OF the
Ayestn generally known as the hhorda Avesta
is com posed OF short prayers recited not only
nv the priests but by all the faithful at certain
moments OF the day month. or year. anu IN
the presence Of the different: elements
The classic authors agree with the Iarsis IN
averring that tho books OF tho Zend Aves'a
were originally much more cnpacious than at
preaent the sacred literature Of the Zoroas-
trians having suffered heavy losses in conse-
auence OF the ravaGes OF tho Persian empire
bv Greeks and Arahians. According to the
Behistun inscription Darius llystaspes was
tho frat to collect the Zoroastrian writings
and give them definite form in the Avesta.
but his collection rcrished and it was
not until eight centuries later-the author
is mistaken IN saying five centuries
that a second attempt was made by tho Sassa-
MAN king, Shapur ii. to gather tho sacred
books together, either from scattered manu-
scripts or from oral traditions Yet, although
there arc no facts to prove that tho text OF tho
Avesta, as We now possess it. was committed to
writing before the Sassanian dynasty. Prof
Darmesteten thinks it possible that "Hcrodotus
may have heard the MGgi sing in tho fifth GEN.
fury before Christ tho very same gathas which
arc sung nowadays by tho Mobeds of Bombay"
What has come down to US represents tho ruins
OF n religion. as tho Parss are the ruins OF q
people. There is no doubt that the compost
ton OF the extant books of tho Iend Aresta ex-
tended over period OF several centuries. and 1t
is therefore impossible to attribute them to any
single author. 1t is for this reason that some
Orientalists have been led to question whether
such a man as Zoroaster ever lived Even
among those who admit that no was q histori-
cal parsonage tho field Of his labors and the
time to which he belonged are subjects Of Wig
orous controversy.
As regards tho interest attaching to the
Zend Avesta, the author rightly says that
this depends not only on the place OF the
documents among the earliest records o.
the human race. but upon the reelection
that IL Persia had won the battles OF Mara.
thon and Salamis, and thus effected the
conquest Of Greece. the worship Of Ormuz'
might have become tho religion OF the who'll
Civilized world. As 1t is. the worship has ONLY
n few votnres upon the soil OF Persia. an
E. survives chiefly among the Parsis OF western
India. whose number is computed mt about
hundred thousand. Regarding the popula
name Are worshIppers. the Parsis protest
against 1t. as implying that they arr
mere idolaters. They admit that. In thcI
youth. they are taught to face some luminous
object while worshiDpng God. but they claim
that they look upon fire as merely nm emblem
Of divine power They undoubtedly exhibit
however. n strong national feeling in regar'
to both light and fire. They nre the only East
srn people who abstain entirely from smoking
and they will not even blow out a candle un
less compelled to do 80.
The modern Parsis believe In monothesm
and use table as we'll AS knives and forks n
their meals. Their prayers are recited in the
old lend language. although neither he witt
repeats nor they who listen can understand
word that is said. Among the whole body o
priests there are perhaps not more than TWEEN
ty who can pretend to any knowledge OF tn
Zend Avesta. and even these have only learne
tho meaning OF the words. without knowini
the language. either philosophically or gram
mntically. II Is also true that the nloier
Parsis. as distinguished from tho ancient Per
SLAMS, are monogamists. Like the Jews. tho
do not eat anything which Is prepared by
y. cook belonging to another creed. They ais
object to beef and pork. Their priesthood
hereditary; none but the son OF a priest en-
take orders. One may note finally that. a
though the Parsis are greatly attached to thei
religion on account OF its former glory the
have in many essential points. approache
more or less unconsciously the doctrines {
Christianity. and. II they could but read tn
Zend Avesta. they would find that thelr fat
Is no longer the faith OF tho Vendidad.
The whole OF modern Persian poetry belong!
OF course. to the NOLAN medan epoch and