PERSIAN AND CENTRAL ASIAN ICONOGRAPHY

"We are working with iconography as a journey, rather than as entertainment or excitement or cultural fascination. We are talking about personal experience, how we actually see this world."....(Trungpa: Dharma Art.:1996...pg 94)

There is a basic iconographic pattern in the universe, like the existence of the seasons and the elements, but how we react to that is individual."...(Trungpa: 1996..pg 92)...

MOUNTED HORSEMEN..."In Mithraic iconography, a mounted horseman armed with a bow and arrows and accompanied by the lion, Mithra was the 'verethraghnem' bearer of invisible 'hvareno'. The wings of the arrow represents the radiant energy of invisible wind or 'pneuma' which brings about vital change."..(Campbell: 1968..pg 201)..."Sassanian Kings were mounted on horseback whereas the old Persian and Assyrian Kings were mounted on chariots. A similar change took place between the time of the Trojan hero and the classical Greek warrior. The mounting of gods on horseback became a widespread phenomenon during the early centuries BC. Mithra is mounted on horseback in the Dura frescoes."(Campbell: 1968..pg 191)...The Fravashi warriors are Persia ancestor gods or warrior gods. Restorers of a cosmic order. Persian equivalents of the Tibetan dGra lha.

ARROW..."The Indo-European root of the word for arrow, means to set in motion, seek for...Sanskrit: isu...Greek: ios...Persian:tir."..(Humbach: 1978..pg 253)..."An arrow on the string of a drawn bow in the hands of a sky god emphasises 'sky-power'."..(Campbell: 1968..pg 94)...."In the Rig Veda, Indra shoots an arrow that passed through a mountain. The words for the bow (drumbhuli) and the arrow (bunda) are of Munda origin." (Neuser: 1968..pg 467)..."Arrow divination was used by the Tibetan Bonpo, the Ostyak, the Buryat, and the Turks." (Campbell:1968..pg 468)...the Tibetans mixed meteoric iron with their arrow tips...

TURBAN....The historical origin of the Turban (thod bcings, la thod) in Central Asia:... "many protective deities, especially those of Tibetan origin, wear a kind of turban (thod) made of silks of various colours, wound in some cases around a helmet. The lha wear a white turban. Occasionally, the helmet or turban is decorated with an aigrette of peacock feathers or with triangular flags. (Nebesky: 1956..pg 12)...Photo of Tibetan warrior in ceremonial helmet in: (Richardson: 1962..pg 215)..."as the sign of being a king, he wears a turban" (Norbu: 1995..pg 57)..."In the steppes near the Syr Darya, the Chu, and the Aral Sea, the shaman wears a turban that is always blue in color."..(Eliade: 1964..pg 155)..."Jaribol is the Palmyrene Sun God. His headdress is arranged to suggest solar fires. His hand touches the head of Barnaadath, who wears a turban which suggests a sky-cap, in front of which is a large jewel, identifying with the powers of the sky." (Campbell: 1968..pg 191)...

SWORD...."The king of Tibet pretends that he has come from heaven and has a cuirass (sword?) made of light!" (Beckwith:1987, pg 13)...."he received as a gift the 'incincible sword' (Ya Zi) of Prince Dralha Tsegyel of Ling. It was to be used as a 'support' for the spiritual practices." (Norbu:1995..pg 4)...

MIRROR...."For the Altaic shaman, the mirror they wear on their chest helps them to 'see the world'. Some see in their mirror the 'white horse of the shaman'."..(Eliade: 1964..pg 154)..."the most sacred moment in the Incan summer solstice ceremony was when a concave mirror of burnished bronze was used to start the sacred fire." (Hawkes: 1962..pg 133)...

JEWEL...Wish granting jewel (yid bzhin nor bu)(Sk: chintamani) (nor bu me 'bar)..."flaming jewel: (nor bu barsa) is the mystical wish-fulfilling jewell (yid bzhin nor bu: cintamani).."The jewel in his turban or sky-cap represents the blazing sun, or heavenly Ahu, the embodiment of vital power." (Campbell: 1968..pg 190)...

ARMOUR......"the Lha Chen Po, like Kings, he is enclosed in golden armour." (Tucci: 1980..pg 243)..."nine kinds of armour worn by the dgra lha and symbolically presented to them during the ceremony." (Nebesky: 1956..pg 337)..

WEAPONS...."Nine kinds of supernatural weapons carried by the dgra lha" (Nebesky: 1956..pg 337)...

HAT..."For the Altaic shaman, the cap is considered the most important part of their dress. A great part of their power is hidden in these caps."...(Eliade: 1964..pg 154)

SPEAR..."To the left of the horsemen stands a warrior (artestar) an 'order establisher' in high crested helmet and carrying a spear. The warrior inconography corresponds to the Mithra tauroctonos motive." (Campbell: 1968..pg 332)...

AUREOLE OF LIGHT...the Kvarenah (Xwarenah) is a sacred light that surrounds the Fravashi warriors. Manifestation of glory or splendor. Spiritual radiance.

SHRINES....."In Shinto, the shrine is a palace for a deity. It is a place where the spirit of a definite deity or deities have been summoned. It is customary for each shrine to represent a different deity. In Shinto, the atmosphere flowing through life accords with the mystery of the shrine. It is traditionally arranged to give joy and mysterious excitement especially to the young."...(Jinja: 1958..pps 8-10)...."Many shrines to Mithra have been discovered throughout the Roman and Greek empires, especially where the troops were stationed." (Neuser: 1968..pg 586)...