Anthropology of gold

To cite: Nikolova, L. (2009). Gold and silver in Avesta-Yasna. Retrieved from http://www.
iianthropology.org/anth_gold_avesta

Avesta-Yasna and gold
    The earliest variants of Avesta are dated as early as early second millennium cal BCE.
    Yasna consists of Sacred Liturgy and Gathas/Hymns of Zarathushtra. In the English
translation online we found 6 mentions of gold:
1.        golden-hued (Yasna 9-16) [color]
2.        growest golden (Yasna 10-12) [color, metaphor]
3.        golden chalice over [Yasna 10-17] [material]
4.        golden-flowered [Yasna 42-5] [color, metaphor]
5.        golden eye [Yasna 57-8-19] [metaphor]
6.        gold-covered [Yasna 11-27] [gilt]
In contrast to gold, silver is mentioned only once (Yasna 10-17) – silver cup. Interestingly, the
silver cup is mentioned together with a golden chalice.

Excerpts from Avesta-Yasna (online)
    YASNA 9.
16. Thereupon spake Zarathushtra: Praise to Haoma. Good is Haoma, and the well-endowed,
exact and righteous in its nature, and good inherently, and healing, beautiful of form, and good in
deed, and most successful in its working, golden-hued [italic bold - L.N.], with bending sprouts.
As it is the best for drinking, so (through its sacred stimulus) is it the most nutritious for the soul.
    YASNA 10
12. There, Haoma, on the ranges dost thou grow of many kinds. Now thou growest of milky
whiteness, and now thou growest golden [Italic bold - L.N.]; and forth thine healing liquors flow
for the inspiring of the pious. So terrify away from me the (death's) aim of the curser. So terrify
and crush his thought who stands as my maligner.
    17. Thereupon spake Zarathushtra: Praise to Haoma, Mazda-made. Good is Haoma, Mazda-
made. All the plants of Haoma praise I, on the heights of lofty mountains, in the gorges of the
valleys, in the clefts (of sundered hill-sides) cut for the bundles bound by women. From the silver
cup I pour Thee to the golden [Italic bold - L.N.] chalice over. Let me not thy (sacred) liquor spill to
earth, of precious cost.
    YASNA 42
    4.
    And we worship the Good Mind (in the living) and the spirits of the saints. And we sacrifice to
the fish of fifty-fins, and to that sacred beast the Unicorn (?) which stands in Vouru-kasha, and
we sacrifice to that sea of Vouru-kasha where he stands, (5) and to the Haoma, golden-flowered
[Italic bold - L.N.], growing on the heights; yea, to the Haoma that restores us, and aids this
world's advance. We sacrifice to Haoma that driveth death afar, (6) and to the flood-streams of
the waters, and to the great flights of the birds, and to the approaches of the Fire-priests, as they
approach us from afar, and seek to gain the provinces, and spread the ritual lore. And we
sacrifice to the Bountiful Immortals all!

YASNA 57 -- THE SROSH YASHT.

[8]
19.
We worship Sraosha (Obedience) the blessed, whom Haoma worshipped on the highest height
of high Haraiti, he Haoma, the reviver, and the healer, the beautiful, the kingly, of the golden [Italic
bold - L.N.] eye, (20) of the gracious words, of the warning and the guarding words, who intones
our hymns on every side, who possesses understanding and of every brilliant form, which
abounds in many an explanation and revelation of the word, who has the first place in the Mathra.
For his splendor and his glory, for his might....

[11]
27.
We worship Sraosha (Obedience) the blessed, whom four racers draw in harness, white and
shining, beautiful, and powerful, quick to learn, and fleet, obeying before speech, heeding orders
from the mind, with their hoofs of horn gold-covered (Italic bold – L.N.), (28) fleeter than (our)
horses, swifter than the winds, more rapid than the rain(-drops as they fall); yea, fleeter than the
clouds, or well-winged birds, or the we shot arrow as it flies, (29) which overtake these swift
ones all, as they fly after them pursuing, but which are never overtaken when they flee, which
plunge away from both the weapons (hurled on this side and on that) and draw Sraosha with
them, the good Sraosha and the blessed; which from both the weapons (those on this side and
on that) bear the good Obedience the blessed, plunging forward in their zeal, when he takes his
course from India on the East, and when he lights down in the West.
For his splendor and his glory, for his might....

Avesta and silver
    YASNA 10
    17. Thereupon spake Zarathushtra: Praise to Haoma, Mazda-made. Good is Haoma, Mazda-
made. All the plants of Haoma praise I, on the heights of lofty mountains, in the gorges of the
valleys, in the clefts (of sundered hill-sides) cut for the bundles bound by women. From the silver
[Italic bold - L.N.] cup I pour Thee to the golden chalice over. Let me not thy (sacred) liquor spill to
earth, of precious cost.

Afghanistan. 1st century. (ex-link)

See also The value of g old in prehistory and today published by examiner.doc