#Amesha Spenta Spenta Armaiti

[druidicentropy]

There are also variations in the location from which Arash shot his arrow. It is Airyo khshaotha, an unknown place in the Middle Climate, as mentioned in the Avesta, which does not include any references to locations in Western Iran. According to sources from the Islamic era, the scene is usually located somewhere south of the Caspian Sea, either in Tabaristan (Tabari, Talebi, Maqdesi, Ibn al-Athir, Marashi) or in other parts of the region, such as al-Biruni, Gardīzī, Amol fortress, Mount Damavand (Balami), or Sari (Gorgani). The location where the arrow landed has been variously identified as follows: Bactria/Tokharistan (Maqdesi, Gardizi); the banks of the Oxus River (Balami); east of Balkh (Talebi); 'Mount Khvanavant' in the Avesta (likewise an unknown location); or Merv (Mojmal). Al-Biruni claims that it struck a walnut tree "in the furthest place" between "Fargana" and "Tabaristan's [Greater] Khorasan's reaches."

I also just want to mention briefly while doing research for this post the first few images that come up are from Fate Prototype which is kind of funny so here's some of that:

And I'd also personally recommend the video I've linked below by Five Minute Folklore if this post was a bit complicated to understand as they do a much better job at quickly summarizing then I do in this post.

Āraš

In Iranian mythology, Arash the Archer (Persian: آرش کمانگ\ر‎ Āraš-e Kamāngīr) is a brave archer-figure.

Persecuted folklore holds that Arash sacrificed his own life to launch an arrow that marked the border between Iran and Turan. After traveling for several days, the arrow eventually touched down on the bark of a walnut tree on the opposite side of the Oxus, hundreds of miles from its initial launch site atop a mountain.

While some sources (like al-Biruni) seem to believe that 'Arash' is the source of the name 'Arshak' (i.e. Arsaces), the Parthian dynasty name comes from an Eastern Iranian or Parthian version of 'Ardashir,' that is, 'Artaxerxes,' specifically Artaxerxes II, who the Arsacids claimed descent from. (In the context of the mythologically mixed lineages of Iranian dynasties, the Arsacids asserted that they descended from Kai Kobad through the other Arash.)

Like most names derived from oral tradition, 'Arash' has multiple variants. 'Erekhsha' (̎rəxša) means "of the swift arrow, having the swiftest arrow among the Iranians" in the Avesta (Yašt 8.6). This Avestan-language form is preserved as 'Erash' (Bundahishn, Shahrastanha-I Eran, Zand-i Vahuman Yasht, Mah i Frawardin) in Zoroastrian Middle Persian, from which 'Eruch' is anglicized. 'Erash' and 'Irash' in al-Tabari and ibn al-Atir; Aarashshebatir in al-Tabari; 'Arash' in al-Talebi; 'Aarash' in Maqdesi, Balami, Mojmal, Marasi, al-Biruni, and in the Vis o Ramin of Gorgani are among the innovative Persian forms. Some examples of names with a stock epithet referring to the Avestan "swift arrow" are 'Arash-e Shewatir' by Mojmal and 'Aarashshebatir' by al-Tabari. "Arash/Aarash kaman-gir" is a form of surname that means "Arash, bow-expert."

The bowman's basic tale goes like this: the Turanian general Afrasiab has surrounded the forces of the righteous Manuchehr in a war between the Iranians and Turanians over the "royal glory" (khwarrah), and the two sides decide to make peace. Both come to an understanding the Manuchehr and the Iranians will reclaim any land that is within bow-shot range, while Afrasiab and the Aniranians will inherit the remaining land. An angel (called Spendarmad in Middle Persian, Isfandaramad in al-Biruni, or the Amesha Spenta Spenta Armaiti) gives Manuchehr instructions to make a unique bow and arrow, and asks Arash to be the archer. At dawn, Arash then unleashes the specially-tuned arrow, which travels a considerable distance.

Arash is destroyed by the shot in Talebi and Bal'ami and vanishes. He is elevated by the populace in al-Tabari, given command of the archers, and leads a life of great honor. The arrow travels different distances: a thousand leagues (farsakhs) in one, and forty days' walk in another. The arrow went from dawn until noon in some, and from dawn until dusk in others. A few sources give the event's specific date. The 6th day of the first month, or Khordad of Frawardin, is mentioned in the Middle Persian Mah i Frawardin; later sources link the event to Tiregan's name-day celebrations (the 13th of Tir), "presumably" sparked by the homonymy with the Yazata Tir or tir "arrow." (Tafażżolī 1987, p. 266)

[lotusmuses]

@personontheswing

"no one will ever make this connection" actually nope, we do! all of the darshans are based off of zoroastrianism and a lot of sumeru is based off of persian culture

In both English and Chinese, the names of the Darshans are based on the deities in the Amesha Spenta:

Amurta is derived from Ameretat (Amerdad), goddess of immortality and plant life

Haravatat from Haurvatat, goddess of water, prosperity, and health

Kshahrewar from Kshatra Vairya (Šahrewar), god of metals and minerals

Spantamad from Spenta Armaiti (Spandarmad), goddess associated with the earth and death

Rtawahist from Asha Vahista (Ashawahist), the universal, fundamental truth which then writes reality and has an inherent moral quality

Vahumana from Vohu Manah (Wahman), the concept of being in a good state of mind that allows a person to accomplish their duties

Vohu Manah's concept is part of why I think Cyno is in the Vahumana Darshan since it's very similar to his own state of mind and purpose

[xenons-auxiliary-depths]

oh yeah (4/5 on the persora gang baybeee)

Name: Rin Okazaki (岡崎凜)

Age: 28

Height: 5'9"

Arcana: Judgement

Persona: Armaiti, one of the Amesha Spentas. Associated with the Earth.

Weapon of Choice: Beretta 92 and MP5

Bio: As an operative of the fledgling Shadow Investigations Unit (SIU), Rin has had many experiences delving into the various incarnations of the collective unconscious that have materialized over the years. Born in Sumaru City, Rin grew to be very curious about all the conspiracy theories surrounding it.

She eventually found her way into the realm of the collective unconscious and was immediately caught by the shadows within. During the encounter, Rin awakened to her Persona, but was forced to run and hide from them due to its paltry offensive qualities. The Shadow Investigations Unit saved her after she was reported missing by her family.

However, due to the SIU's involvement in the incident, Rin was forced into joining the organization after she grew up. Reluctant at first, she eventually appreciated the new perspective she gained from working in the SIU. She's now dedicated herself to help save whoever is at the mercy of the shadows in the collective unconscious.

Rin is a very perceptive person, and she picks up on details that ordinary people wouldn't take notice of. Her alma mater is Seven Sisters High. She tends to bounce around from location to location due to her occupation dealing with manifestations of the collective unconsciousness that appear everywhere. Her Persona serves as a navigator and support for missions.

[eirikrjs]

For me Sraosha and Armaiti are two extremes. I like Sraosha and I think her design and I like how her design conveys him. On the other hand, I think Armaiti is much more exaggerated and ungraceful, she just gives me an image of a bizarre alien

I'd forgotten I'd transcribed and translated their respective commentaries a while ago! I guarantee these are at least 90% accurate!

Sraosha's from Devil Summoner World Guidance:

今回はイスラムとかゾロアスターとか入ってきて、デザインラインではゾロアスター系は化け物的に描いてるんです。変化をつける意味も大きいんですけど、こういうのはちょっと楽しいですよね。どうも [if…]で出て来たアンリ・マンユ辺りからちょっと癖になってるみたいなんですよ。(笑)

"This time, Islam and Zoroaster have joined, and on the design line Zoroastrianism is depicted as monsterous. It's meant to be a big change, but this sort of thing is kinda fun. I've been in the habit of doing this since Angra Mainyu came out in if…. (laughs)"

Armaiti's from Soul Hackers no Subete:

アールマティはゾロアスターの最高神の���でもあるので、女の子っぽくしてみました。同系統のスラオシャの女性版ってことで、ピンクになってます。個人的にゾロアスターは好きなんですよ。[if...] のアンリ・マンユとかもすごく好きで、また出したいと思ってるんですけどね。一応自分の中では、そういう出典をちゃんと系統立てて描いてます。だからイスラム教のアズラエルとかイスラフィールとは違うんだぜ、というのをここで強調しておきますね ( 笑 )。

"Armaiti is the daughter of Zoroastrianism's supreme god, so I tried to make her look girlish. She is a female version in the same "lineage" as Sraosha, so she's pink. Personally, I like Zoroaster. I like if…'s Angra Mainyu and want to release it again. In a way, in my mind I draw those sources in a proper systematic way. So I want to emphasize here that these are different from Azrael or Israfel in Islam. (laughs)"

So these are actually quite similar. Kaneko seemingly loved the original Angra Mainyu design and he wanted the then-new designs from Islam and Zoroastrianism to be clearly distinct from one another.

My own speculation is that Kaneko interpreted Sraosha and Armaiti as primordial "angels," even if the connection between yazata and angel messengers is quite overstated and Armaiti is an Amesha Spenta. But from Kaneko's broad view and sense of design, those particulars were not as important as making them seem they belong together. So, they look like "incomplete" or not quite human, hence the "monstrous" comment (though I think that applies to all of the Zoroastrian designs, even Vohu Manah).

[gabriulio]

Persona World’s Demon Encyclopedia

Persona 1 and 2 do not have a compendium. The closest thing we got in-game are the small blurbs on the Analyze screen in P2... and the closest thing to an actual compendium is the Demon Encyclopedia at the end of Persona World.

I’ve translated some of those entries in the past for the Megaten Wiki, but now I intend to translate everything. That’s right, I’ll translate everything - one entry per day.

So, have this initial dump of profiles I’ve translated in the past few days and see you tomorrow for more! (I’m also posting the translations on twitter, for those interested)

Afanc

A giant beaver monster. It dwells in the Conwy river, which is located to the north of Wales.

It creates whirlpools and drags down those who look into them. Furthermore, the Afanc is strong enough to overpower a group of adult men.

However, it is weak to maidens. By using one as bait, it’s possible to lure Afanc into a trap and capture it.

Archangel

Angels originating from Israel. It is said that they carry out the Lord’s Divine Will.

There are many theories as to what their role is, but the most commonly accepted one is that Archangels hold a high position in Heaven’s hierarchy and are tasked with communicating the Divine Will to humans.

They are said to command nine armies of angels who fight against the armies of demons that try to guide humans down to Hell.

In ancient times, Archangels were considered the topmost position of the divine hierarchy, but during the Middle Ages many classes above them were created --such as the Seraphs and Virtues-- which knocked the Archangels down the list.

Arthur

The main character of the Arthurian Mythos, Arthur was an English hero from the Middle Ages.

It is said he went on expeditions both in and outside the British Isles, all the while accompanied by his loyal Knights of the Round Table.

He won multiple battles with the help of Merlin, his strategist and court mage. After successfully establishing his kingdom, Arthur began to expand its borders, and eventually conquered both Scandinavia and Rome.

According to the legends, Arthur possessed a multitude of weapons, including: the legendary sword Excalibur, the spear Ron, and the shield Prydwen, the latter of which depicts an image of the Virgin Mary.

It is believed that, out of all characters depicted in the Arthurian Mythos, only a few of them actually existed, but even so there is little historical evidence to back up this claim. Those characters are: Arthur, Mordred, Ambrosius, and Aurelianus.

Armaiti

Exemplary goddess from Zoroastrianism. She is a member of the Amesha Spenta, the children of the chief god Ahura Mazda.

Her name means “devotion,” and as such she represents godly and spiritual harmony as well as faith itself. She laments acts of evil and rejoices when those who follow the divine will cultivate the earth or have children.

Aizen Myouou

A Wisdom King of Buddhism born in India.

He rules over human lust and passions, and is also responsible for purging that lust. He’s also worshipped as the guardian deity of shops who work with indigo dye.

Aizen Myouou’s face is always depicting an angry expression, with his three eyes wide open and his hair standing up. His six arms are dyed red with the power of passion.

Aeshma

One of the seven demons of Zoroastrianism and a follower of Angra Mainyu. He rules over wrath and lust, enchanting people into performing evil deeds.

He’s always being pursued by the angel Sraosha. Whenever Aeshma does an evil deed, Sraosha will descend from the heavens to fight him.

Aeshma is also stated to be the archetype of the Christian demon Asmodeus.

Aello

The oldest of the harpy sisters from Greek mythology.

Her name means “storm-swift,” and as it suggests she is a spirit of storms and dust devils. Similarly to her fellow harpies Ocypete and Celaeno, she’s commonly depicted with a human head and a bird’s body.

She’s a servant of the sun god Apollo, and will sometimes carry out divine punishment in his stead.

Red Cloak and Blue Cloak

Spirit that appears in school bathrooms.

It will ask the following question to those who enter the bathroom: “Do you need a red cape? Or do you need a blue cape?”. If a person picks “red” they will become a bloodstained corpse, and if they pick “blue” they will become a corpse whose blood has been completely drained.

Argetlam

From Celtic mythology, this is another name for Nuada, the king of the Thuata De Danann. He has shining golden hair and wields the magic sword Claimh Solais.

He had one of his arms cut off during combat, and was given a silver prosthetic arm by the god of medicine. “Argetlam” means “one with a silver arm” and is from this incident that Nuada gained this second name.

Argetlam was killed in battle by the evil dragon Crom Cruach, which was summoned by the Fomorian king Balor.

Agathion

A general term for incorporeal familiars.

When employed by a magician, Agathion will do anything it is ordered to, from cursing people to household chores. Also, it will disappear in the blink of an eye once it has fulfilled its duty.

Since Agathion has no real form, it takes a different form each time it is summoned, such as a small bird or animal. It can change its size freely, allowing Agathion to hide inside small objects such as bottles, amulets, rings, etc.

Alladin’s genie in the lamp from Arabian Nights can be considered a kind of Agathion.

Agrippa

Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa.

A German alchemist and researcher of witchcraft and secrets who was active during the Renaissance. He wrote On the Vanity of the Sciences and the Arts and was known as the greatest magician of the Middle Ages.

He caught the eye of people by, among many things, arguing in favor of separating magic from demons, combining Kabbalah and Hermeticism together, and also his theories on the structure of the universe. He was also the first one to point out the existence of spiritual power in humans.

Agrippa was born in Cologne, Germany in the year 1486. After graduating from Cologne University, he served under Emperor Maximilian I. For a brief period, he worked as a lecturer in the University of Dole, but was forced to leave under suspicions of being a heretic.

After that, he wandered through many countries such as England and Italy working as a doctor for the nobility, but never managed to stay in one place for too long due to his short temper. He passed away in 1535, in the city of Grenoble.

See you tomorrow for: Azazel.

[suraanahita]

Sepandārmazgān (سپندارمذگان) is an Iranian or Zoroastrian festivity commonly called the “Iranian Valentine’s day” (more accurately it is like a mother’s or woman’s day). It is truly dedicated to one of the 7 Amesha Spentas, Spənta Ārmaiti (𐬁𐬭𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬙𐬌 𐬯𐬞𐬆𐬧𐬙𐬀). Physically represented by the Earth (zam, zamyad), her essence is the ‘focus of the mind’ to induce serenity, peace, and loving bliss. She is the “harmonious thought” that brings abundance through the furthering of life.

This celebration is celebrated on the day/ruz spandarmad of the month/mah of spandarmad (same name/day-month festival; around the 5th per Fasli calendar and 18th of February per Gregorian calendar), both of which are in reverence to this Bounteous Immortal. Revered on this day is the great Earth, and consequently, women, whom Spandarmad is a patron/protector of.

Armaiti is also one of the great protectors from evil, as seen in the Denkard where she is known to defend the souls of the just. In one passage, she shields the baby Zartosht/Zarathustra alongside two other feminine Yazatas.

It is clear that this day is very special for women. Men usually will give gifts to their wives, daughters, etc. Historically “maidens” would choose husbands for themselves and people would share treats like raisins and walnuts.

On this day as well is another festival known as Jashn-e Barzegaran (festival of agriculture/farming). Spenta Armaiti is also honoured on this day, and prayers for a good harvest are observed. Special charms or signs are posted on doors to protect against evil.

In the modern day, jashn-e barzegaran is also known as the Iranian version of “Mother’s Day”...

————

Here’s A Fun Fact: Artaxerxes II prayed to Spenta Armaiti to heal his daughter (Atossa) when she fell ill. She is recognized in-text as “Hera”, the Greek goddess of women, family, and child-birth.

————

(A little etymology and info about Spenta Armaiti)

Root Ar- means “to flow”/“to fit in rightly” (PIE root *h2er-; shared also with Aša, cosmic flow/order). -Maiti means “contemplation, meditation”. The epithet of the her name is Spənta, which means an auspicious or bounteous life-force.

The noun Av. ārmaiti- may derive from PIIr. *harámatiš. It has a cognate in Sanskrit ‘aramati’, piety/devotion. Although Old Indic arámati- may stem instead from the verb arəm man-, ‘thinking in correct measure’; balanced thinking.

She is seen related to Tušnamaiti, “quiet mediation”, as well as Daēna, “conscience; to observe/reflect” (spiritual insight). Both Yazatas directly correspond with something of the mind; the ‘sacred focus’, and thus great wisdom that is gained; new-found awareness.

Throughout the Gathas specifically, she has powers that “give regeneration”, “thrives” , “blossoms”, or “grows” (e.g., varedaitī ārmaitiš, also see: Y 34.10-11, Y 51.4-5). Another epithet given to her is “vaηuhīm”, brilliant and generous, for she brings us good things. To support this as well is her association with another yazata, Rata, who personifies charity and abundance.

Y 16.10: “We worship you, Spəntā Ārmaiti, as (our) dwelling”; “he struck this earth… saying: “go forth, beloved Spəntā Ārmaiti.”

Bundahišn 26.78: “The duty of Spandārmad is the nurturing of creatures […] her abundance is such that all creatures live through her.”

“Ármaiti is the perfect silence of contemplation which widens to the highest, most blissful consciousness.”

(A. Farahmand)

So I would really explain her as ‘Calm Thinking’, or perhaps ‘Devoted Zeal’. Abstractly speaking, she’s the life-furthering state of peace that musical thoughts can flourish out from. In this tranquility, negative energies cannot affect one’s mind and self. Devotion to divinity is simply a mental state of peace and love.

Furthermore, we choose HARMONY/Armaiti the same way we choose Ushta (Joy), we must continue to earnestly walk upon the three-fold path of Asha, divine truth.

She is the daughter (MPers. dugeda) of Ahura Mazda and his wife, as well as one of his holy abstractions (as an Amesha Spenta). She is also the mother of humanity. Technically speaking she is the Iranian chthonic Earth-Mother… which has relevant Indo-European mythological relations, the father-sky (Ohrmazd) + mother-earth (Spandarmad) = physical life, allowing our intangible selves to be birthed into the physical reality. It was though Ohrmazd’s first creation/son, Gayomard, that his “seed”/essence mixed with Spandarmad’s, and from the plant that sprouted, the human race (mashya and mashyane). What Ahura Mazda engenders in the heavens, Spenta Armaiti births and furthers on Earth.

••• •••

Yasna 12.2: “I choose the good Spenta Armaiti for myself; let her be mine. I renounce the theft and robbery of the Cow, and the damaging and plundering of the Mazdayasnian settlements.”

Yasna 48.6: “She shall indeed give us good dwelling, she shall give us enduring, desired strength of good purpose. Then through Asha, Mazdā made plants grow for her.”

••• •••

Going back to her meditative qualities, the incense Esfand (or Espand) used in modern negativity clearing rituals (cleanses “evil eye”) most Iranians practice is said to be derived from Spenta Armaiti herself, etymologically. This would not be surprising as this Immortal protects humankind from the Destructive/Evil spirit. Thought this was interesting to note!

————

To conclude,

Zoroastrian culture clearly acknowledges the “divine feminine” in God-hood, and reveres in it fervently.

[noblecrumpet-dorkvision]

Angel Week: Angelology

image source: Ezekiel’s Chariot Vision, Matthäus Merian

I ultimately went with the Christian pantheon of angels for the archons I created and melded them with ideas from the D&D hebdomad to create my own hierarchy and mythology. But for those that want to know about angels and archons, here are some of the mythological inspirations behind this week's content! 

Christian Angelic Choirs

In Christianity, the angels below God are divided into several “choirs” and are then put into three spheres, with the first sphere being at the top. Some angels are a lot more alien than you might think!

First Sphere:

Seraphim: These beings are literally burning with passion for the Lord. Like, they are on fire. The seraphim are the highest angels just below God. Each has six wings, two covering the face, two covering the feet, and two to fly. The inside of their wings were covered in eyes. They continuously shout praises of God.

Cherubim: Probably the weirdest one. They have the feet of a calf, four wings that are covered in eyes, and four faces. Each of its faces are of a different animal likely symbolic of different virtues. A lion's face for strength, a man's face for wisdom, a bull's face for diligence, and an eagle's face for freedom. The cherubim are said to record all that happens in the universe.

Thrones/Ophanim: Okay nevermind this is the weirdest one. Two blue-colored wheels perpendicular to each other and one inside of the other. Their rims are covered in eyeballs. They spin and move from the force of faith directly from the cherubim and serve as God's throne.

Second Sphere:

Dominions: The dominions are divinely beautiful, winged, and wield orbs of light on scepters or swords. They deliver justice to unjust, show mercy to mortals, and relegate lower angels. They carry out acts of god like the obliteration of Sodom and Gomorrah. They answer prayers of powerful world leaders whose decisions affect many.

Virtues: The virtues send good vibes to people's minds like peace and hope. They encourage and empower those who would become saints after death. God empowers them to perform miracles for mortals. Their job is to instill faith in mortals.

Powers: The powers protect mortals from temptation and control the movement of the heavens. They are depicted as warrior angels that cast fiends to prisons. They regulate the powers of and between mankind and are sometimes known for shepherding souls to heaven.

Third Sphere:

Principalities/Authorities: These beings guide and protect nations and groups. They are depicted wearing a crown and scepter. They inspire arts and sciences. They encourage mortals to practice prayers and rituals that will bring them closer to God.

Archangels: God's messengers and protectors of nations and the events surrounding them, including politics, commerce, and warfare. Kinda strange that archangels are so low in the power structure since their modern depiction in fantasy is that of "leader" angels.

Angels: The lowest in the hierarchy and most concerned with specific living beings and their affairs. They provide aid and send word of miracles to mortals.

Zoroastrian Spirits

There are some angelic spirits in Zoroastrianism. They come in three different classes:

Amesha Spenta: Literally "beneficent immortals." These are just below the Ahura Mazda, the Supreme Being, in power level. There are six types:

Vohu Mano (Good Mind): They preside over cattle

Asha Vahishta (Highest Asha): They preside over fire

Khshathra Vairya (Desirable Dominion): They preside over metals

Spenta Armaiti (Holy Devotion): They preside over the earth

Haurvatat (Perfection): They preside over water

Ameretat (Immortality): They preside over the earth

Fravashi: Holy Guardian Angels. Each person is accompanied by one and guides them throughout their lives. Each serves an ideal which the soul should strive to emulate, so that the person they guard can become a fravashi themselves after death.

Yazata: "Adorable ones." These personify abstract ideas and virtues or objects in nature. They try to protect men from evil and there are wayyyy too many of them to list here.

Gnostic Archons

Ever wonder where the term Archon came from? Well the term itself is from a Greek political leader, but as a divine being it stems from Gnosticism and they are NOT lawful-good. This is also the place where the idea of a Celestial Hebdomad of D&D lore comes from (especially considering one of the D&D paragons is named after the Pistis Sophia, a Gnostic text).

The hebdomad of Gnosticism is a group of seven creatures called archons that created the world. They are servants of the Demiurge, a creator god (but not the actual God). They were seen as malevolent forces only slightly less evil than demons. The idea of the hebdomad itself originates from observation of seven celestial bodies: the sun, moon, and five other planets.

Yaldabaoth: His name means Child of Chaos and he is depicted as a lion-faced bronze serpent of fire. He represents the planet Saturn. After he was created by Sophia (wisdom), he basically said "I am God and there is no other God beside me" and proceeded to steal creative power to create six other archons:

Iao (a serpent with seven heads, represents Jupiter)

Sabaoth (dragon's face, represents Mars)

Astaphanos (hyena's face, represents Venus)

Adonaios (monkey's face, represents the sun)

Elaios (donkey's face, represents Mercury)

Horaios (represents the moon)

Then those archons went and made a ton of other angels, one for each day of the year. It's very complicated and I really gotta pick up a book about it because it sounds very interesting (and web searches show a lot of conflicting content!)

The Celestial Hebdomad (D&D)

I can't explicitly mention Celestia or the proper names of the hebdomad's members in my homebrew content for copyright reasons, but I can explain it in a Tumblr post (with no homebrew content whatsoever) for those that wanted to know!

The seven mounting heavens of Celestia is the plane of ultimate law and good in the Great Wheel Cosmology. It has seven layers and is populated by the archons. The highest seven Tome Archons rule among the seven layers as Celestial Paragons:

Barachiel the Messenger: Ruler of Lunia the Silver Heaven, the first layer. He coordinates Celestia’s defenses and serves as a herald. He is a patron of those bringing news.

Domiel the Mercy-Bringer: Ruler of Mercuria the Golden Heaven, the second layer. He protects the holy mausoleums in his realm.

Erathaol the Seer: Ruler of Venya the Pearly Heaven, the third layer. He is a patron of divine divination magic.

Pistis Sophia the Ascetic: Ruler of Solania the Crystal Heaven, the fourth layer. She is a patron of monk and embodies charity and truth.

Raziel the Crusader: Ruler of Mertion the Platinum Heaven, the fifth layer. He is a patron to paladins and opposes tyranny.

Sealtiel the Defender: Ruler of Jovar the Glittering Heaven, the sixth layer. He is the patron of Warden Archons and defends Chronias from incursions by impure creatures. Aspiring celestials see him for guidance to help reach the seventh heaven.

Zaphkiel the Watcher: Ruler of Chronias the Illuminated Heaven, the seventh layer. His light consumes all but the most pure.

Anyway, these are the sorts of things I’ve been looking at as I worked on Angel Week. I’ll have my new archons up later tonight so stay tuned! I’m mostly just formatting the images ;)

Side note: I’m not a scholar of this stuff but it does interest me. If you know more about these mythological beings outside of what’s here, lemme know!

[recentanimenews]

Archers In the Fate Universe Who ACTUALLY Use Bows

Happy Archery Day, everybody! The second Saturday of May is reserved for one of the oldest sports in existence. Bows have been used as weapons since as early as the Paleolithic era, replacing supplementing and eventually replacing spear-throwing entirely. Large parts of armies were often dedicated to archers, and the development of skilled archers on horeseback helped armies successfully conquer much of Europe. Eventually, archery fell by the wayside as the creation of firearms left the practice largely outdated. However, it's still practiced mainly as a sport to this day. It's also the only sport recognized as its own class in the Fate franchise: Archer! But why do we lambast this as the class that is so often not about its namesake?

      That's exactly what I'm here for. Here's every single Archer-class servant that prominently uses a bow, and why exactly they use it, because no one asked!

Archer

    The original, who can forget, Unless, of course, you haven't seen Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, which I won't spoil for you here (but you should totally watch it). Although his main weapons are a pair of blades, he does use a general bow that is capable of handling Noble Phantasm-tier weapons, though he more often uses regular arrows to preserve magical energy. He also has the ability to land blows as accurately as four kilometers away, as well as hit two targets with a single arrow. She's not listed here, but Chloe von Einzbern inherits Archer's skills and is in the Archer class for that reason. As for why he's connected to archery, you're just gonna have to watch the show to find out!

  Atalanta

This is where things start getting complicated. There was a man named King Oeneus who forgot to offer a sacrifice to Artemis; reasonably, Artemis responded by sending a rampaging boar to destroy his land and people. Atalanta was among those who stopped that boar, and Artemis recognized her. In Fate lore, she eventually grants her the bow Tauropolos, a reference to how Artemis herself is revered as "Artemis Tauropolos" or "hunting bull goddess."

Also, there was once a woman named Niobe, daughter of Tantalus, who had such high fertility she bragged about it to the being Leto. Leto, in return, sent her children Apollo and Artems to kill Niobe's children. Atalanta is, however, a character representitive of purity, and in Fate lore she has an inclination against the mistreatment of kids, so her Noble Phantasm here is very relevant. She fires two arrows into the air—both complaint letters to Artemis and Apollo for their treatment of children in general, with a request for protection in return. Their answer is to grant that request with a payment of calamity in return, but it works out; said calamity is a torrent of arrows upon Atalanta's enemies.

  Euryale

This one was hard. She clearly uses a bow and arrow in all of her animations in Fate/Grand Order, but there is extremely thin reasoning for that. Even worse, why does her Noble Phantasm seemingly require her to pierce you with her arrow to paralyze you when she is one of the Gorgon sisters? Here's the complicated answer. In the first Fate/Grand Order material book, Medusa is quoted describing Euryale's Noble Phantasm with "Isn't that Cupid's..."! Now, we all know Cupid as the cherub who ignites our love with arrows, so maybe we can stop there. Arrows, infatuation, it explains everything! Right? Wrong! If we dig deeper, "Cupid" comes from the Latin word "cupido", which means a focus on intense desire. In the Augustan epic "Aeneid," there is a couple named Nisus and Euryalus who are so in love that's the whole point of their story. In one instance, Nisus thinks to himself, "Euryale, an sua cuique deus fit dira cupido?" or in English, "Is it the gods who put passion in men's mind, Euryalus, or does each person's fierce desire become his own God?" Now, putting aside how deep and interesting Nisus' question is, the connection between Cupid and Euryale here seems impossible to ignore, especially considering there is really no other reason to connect Euryale to bows and arrows.

  Arash

  In Fate/Grand Order, Arash is known as one of the most powerful and useful servants of all despite his low rarity. This is reflected in his legend. In Iranian mythology, the war between the Iranians and Turanians is ended with an agreement that the shot of a bow would determine what land would be returned to Iran. Spenta Armaiti, an Amesha Spenta, tells the ruler Manuchehr to create a special bow and arrow, which Arash then fires, landing in a variety of extreme distances depending on the source referenced. Arash's own fate also varies, either being destroyed by the shot or spending the rest of his life a respected commander. In Fate, his range is 2500 kilometers, but his destiny is certain death, with the result of one of the strongest Noble Phantasms of all. Because of Armaiti's order, Arash as a servant is capable of forming a bow out of various materials, and arrows just out of magic, so he is combat capable in most situations. He is also praised for his general usage of the bow by Arthur Pendragon himself, comparing Arash to his own knight Tristan who could not miss a shot.

  Orion

Orion is a womanizing huntsman from Greek mythology, originally appearing in the Odyssey, and perhaps most famous now for his winter contellation. However, none of this is particularly relevant, because when he is summoned as an Archer in the Grand Order, his summoning is interrupted by the Moon Goddess Artemis, who ends up doing most of the fighting, while Orion himself has somehow become a small bear. In their stories, Artemis fell in love with the handsome Orion, who did not return her feelings. Despite being rejected, Artemis' brother Apollo disapproved of the rumors of their relationship, and tricked Artemis into shooting Orion down, which is when he died and became a constellation. This part seems to be where Artemis' use of a bow as a Servant is most directly inspired, including her Noble Phantasm Tri-Star Amore Mio, in which she fires her bow powered entirely by her love for Orion.

Arjuna

  As you might suspect so far, there are few who are simply archers with little fanfare. Arjuna may have a lot of magical baggage—probably more than everyone listed so far combined—but his bow is surprisingly simple. He received his Gandiva from the fire God Agni in the epic of Mahabharata purely for his natural skills, and he uses it well. Does that mean it has no special powers? Of course not; being from Agni himself, it features flaming arrows. Arjuna can also, naturally, fire them as if they were homing missiles, because he's Arjuna, and Arjuna is awesome. But otherwise, he is a relatively normal archer.

  Tristan

  I doubted including Tristan. He uses a bow, also his Noble Phantasm, the aptly named Failnaught. In many circles, his bow is known as "Fail-Not." As you might imagine, it doesn't fail, meaning that it always hits its target. However, there isn't as much information about it compared to many other parts of Arthurian legend. Tristan doesn't even have to fire actual weapons; his bow is more like a harp, and the sound he makes with it are the weapons it fires. I included him because he is who Arthur directly compares Arash (an actual archer) to, and I'm sure someone would call me out because his harp-thing is also technically a bow.

  Tawara Touta

  I love this big rice boy, but he also has little reason being an archer. Tawara is a kind soldier that uses a golden sword passed down to him from his ancestor Fujiwara no Kamatari, so perhaps he could also be summoned as a Saber. He's included because he used a bow to kill a huge centipede on Mount Mikami, as directed by a dragon god. His Noble Phantasm, Hachiman Prayer, invokes the dragon god from that event as he fires his arrow as he did that day. He also uses his bow for some command cards, so I'm glad they didn't just ignore his class to fit in rice man.

  Ishtar

  The farther we get through this, the less "archer" seems to mean. In the Fate universe, Ishtar rides her Boat of Heaven, which is extremely relevant to her role as the goddess of Heaven as opposed to Ereshikal's opposite role. However, Ishtar is also an archer only because she uses the boat itself as a bow to fire the literal concept of Venus at her enemies. This is made most clear in her Noble Phantasm, An Gal Tā Kigal Shē. This attack references the time Ishtar climbed the Sacred Mountain Ebih and thrust a spear into its summit, causing he entire mountain range to collapse, all because she was "displeased with it." It's also worth noting that while she is selfish and whimsically cruel, she's also incredibly powerful; the "Venus" that she loads into the Boat of Heaven is not our current Venus, but the planet as it was during Mesopotamian times, transposted to modern times in the form of a bullet.

  Tomoe Gozen

  There are few historical figures as solidly cool as Tomoe Gozen. She's renowned as a swordswoman, archer, and open to fighting demons. In a certain story, Gilgamesh himself even summons her. However, there's little reason for her to be an archer specifically. Her Noble Phantasm, Oṃ Ālolik Svāhā, isn't even a celebration of herself, but of how much she misses her husband.

  Chiron

  The teacher of teachers, Chiron is a jack of all trades. Apollo and Artemis taught him how to practice medicine and music, and his skill Wisdom of Divine Gift grants him the ability to be proficient in all skills that aren't inherently unique to others. Naturally, as a teacher, he is also able to pass down his skills to other Servants if his master wishes him to. He's even good at close combat, utilizing judo techniques and able to deflect waponty with his hands. Because of the rules of the Grail War, Chiron is typically summoned in human form because his nature as a centaur would quickly give away his true identity. However, he loses no skill with bows in this form, so even if he's not specialized in it, Archer is a fitting class for him.

    And that's every single Archer in Fate who, in one way or another, uses a bow. There are many other Archers, but beyond this list they truly begin to stretch the definition of "archery". There are a few who use guns, such as Nobunaga and Billy the Kid, which is fitting given how firearms were the natural evolution of archery. In her summer form, Altria even uses a water gun! David uses the famous slingshot he uses to slay Goliath in his Noble Phantasm, but otherwise largely attacks with his staff. Napoleon and Moriarty use large long-range projectiles, as does Helena in her summer form. Robin Hood uses a crossbow, which is similar, and his Yew Bow is used but largely for the purpose of making his poisons stronger. Perhaps the strangest of all, Nikola Tesla himself bends lightning to his will, a truly unique long-range attack. But are they really befitting of the class of Archer? If the Fate universe wills it, then that's that!

  Who is your favorite, and who are you hoping to see added to the ever-expanding list of Servants in the future? Sound off in the comments below!

  ----

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[legitbabynames]

Armita

Photo by Irina Iriser on Pexels.com

Origin: Persian آرمیتا

Meaning: “holy devotion; creative harmony.”

Gender: feminine

Pronunciation: ar-MEE-tah

The name is derived from the Avestan Ārmaiti which refers to “holy devotion��� or “divine creativity.”

In Zoroastrianism, Spenta Armaiti is one of the Amesha Spentas, which emanate from the Ahura Mazda. Later, Spenta Armaiti came to be personified as a…

[wildcardjoey]

Creator made seven Amesha Spenta, Spenta Mainyu as Spirit and its properties which allow those with it to engage in Creation, Vohu Mana as the conscious mind in its pure form, Asha Vahishta as good intention and, far more so, Truth, Xshathrs Vairya as desire, Spent Armaiti as order taken as a base free if form or existence, Haurvatat as wholeness and the flow of time, Amaratat as immortality. These went on to produce many more Aeons, axamples including Sophia, Hedone, and Danu.

Corruptor then made the antithesis of each, three of which are not named in the present state of the building of the setting are unnamed, but those that are are Angra Mainyu as a corrupted spirit and its destructive tendencies, Akem Manah as a corrupted mind, Druj as Falsehood, and Eris as discord. They also produced more of assorted beings, Akem Manah in particular being Odin's great grandfather on his mother's side.

Dreamer created a number of Chaospawn, including the nameless mist, Nott, Erebus, Alvaldi, and Nyaralathotep. These would go on to produce a majority of the outer gods, including the alves as stated previously.

Destroyer produced, among others, Naglfari, Mynoghra, and Nataraja (who is also Surtr.) From his creations came the Muspell (here used as a name of a group.)

Upholder made, in particular, the Vyuha, those being Vasudeva, Sanakarsana, Pradyumma, and Aniruddha.

Unknown made primeval monsters later generations of gods would brag of slaying or taming. They included Bashmu, Usamgallu, Mushmahhu, Mushussu, Lamma the primeval cow and bull of Heaven, Uggalu, Uridimmu, Girtablulu, Umu Dabrutu, Kulullu the ancestor of the finfolk, Kusarikku, and Kingu the king of primordial monsters.

(this was going to be about more than just the elves but it got long, this is in the setting I was talking about for the Miscatonic University pit h, the setting was orriginally divided for a series on King Arthur.)

Our elves are different: Alves, a race who's shared ancestor was Alvaldi, also called Cx Ax Cluth, son of Chaos The Dreaming One herself, are an amorphous species. They count themselves among the loosely aligned tribes and confederations the Aesir collectively calls 'the Outer Gods', as the alignment is mased on mutual distrust or hatred of the Aesir, and such a name makes the mortals born of their prison for them much less likely to aid in their escapes. The hatred the Alves bear is old, as it seemed the marriage of one Alve princes to a Titan noble was enough just cause to the Aesir to conquer a number of Alvan tribes. Those conquered tribes live among the Primum Mobil, the outermost ring of islands the Aesir control, and their slums. The conquered have taken on primarily Avian and mechanical characteristics, and are called Angels and Light Elves by the Mythgarthans (a name that won't come about until long after the heat death of the universe within the prison, collectively for any mortal race that historically occupied it, but more commonly for the descendants who escaped across the web Bridge to the dream lands, in this case it refers to the peoples of the Axis world, Earth.) The unconquered remain much more varied in appearance, and are called Dark Elves.

that's cool as fuck

[suraanahita]

The Amesha Spentas.

Spenta Armaiti: Lovely (spirit of) serenity, divine bliss.

Vohumanah: Good/best mind, good thinking.

Amererat: “Immortality”/longetivity.

Haurvatat: Wholeness/completeness.

Khshatra Vairya: Ideal dominion/power.

Asha Vahista: Highest/best truth.

Spenta Mainyu: Progressive Spirit/mentality.

—————————

The Amesha Spentas are known as Ahura Mazda’s “7 sparks” which govern and uphold the creation and symbolize a certain key part of it. They are ultimately the highest in the order of the spiritual beings made by Mazda; like His manifested “Aspects” or (idealized) abstractions.

Often they are written as personified beings or a powerful spiritual virtue. There also exists both a physical and non-physical dimension to them.

Aside from that, they aided in making different parts of the Creation, which they have claim over and ultimately embody.

•••——

“The Amesha Spentas or Ameshaspands are the effulgent luminaries or bountiful immortals created by Ahura Mazda from His own aura.”

“The Amesha Spentas are the six immortal beings created by Ahura Mazda in the spiritual realm to protect the worlds from the evil deeds of Ahirman or Angra Mainyu and his army of evil spirits. In an abstract sense, the Amesha Spentas are the personifications of the various attributes of Ahura Mazda Himself.”

[Jayaram V.]

•••——

It would be okay for one to say “aspects of God.” Many of them are also called Yazatas, “worthy of veneration.” “Amesha Spenta” in non-specific usage also refers to Ahuras/Yazatas/Bagas too...

It is by such great aspects that we come to know and appreciate God’s fullness in Creation and beyond.

“Through their connection with creation, unites ethereal and spiritual concepts with material and manifest objects in a uniquely Zoroastrian way.”

I would like to mention that the Amesha Spentas aren’t really archangels, per say. Although many often equate them as such.

(Like I said, they’re divine abstractions.)

Anywho:

Asha guards over/is the Fire.

Khshatra guards over/is the precious minerals and stones (or the sky; it is said to be made of these things).

Ameretat guards/is the plants.

Haurvatat guards/is the waters.

Vohumanah guards/is the animals (notably cattle. The cow is considered a sacred and symbolic of animal-life anyways). Every human must utilize his Vohumanah / good mind to discern right from wrong!

Armaiti guards/is the Earth.

Spenta Mainyu guards human beings. (chosen via adherence to aša through our free will)