Editing Zoroaster (section)

==Life==
[[File:Zoroaster 1.jpg|thumb|19th century painting depicting the events of Zoroaster's life]]

Zoroaster is recorded as the son of Pourushaspa of the Spitama family,<ref name="West 2010 17"/> and Dugdōw,<ref name="NigosianPlace" /> while his great-grandfather was Haēčataspa. All the names appear appropriate to the nomadic tradition. His father's name means 'possessing gray horses' (with the word {{transliteration|ae|aspa}} meaning 'horse'), while his mother's means 'milkmaid'. According to the tradition, he had four brothers, two older and two younger, whose names are given in much later [[Pahlavi literature|Pahlavi]] work.<ref>{{harvnb|Boyce|1996|pp=182–183}}</ref>

Zoroaster's training for priesthood probably started very early around seven years of age.<ref>{{harvnb|Boyce|1996|pp=183}}</ref> He became a priest probably around the age of 15, and according to Gathas, gaining knowledge from other teachers and personal experience from traveling when he left his parents at age 20.<ref>{{harvnb|Boyce|1996|pp=184}}</ref> By the age of 30, Zoroaster experienced a revelation during a spring festival; on the river bank he saw a shining being, who revealed himself as {{transliteration|ae|[[Vohu Manah]]}} (Good Purpose) and taught him about {{transliteration|ae|[[Ahura Mazda]]}} (Wise Lord) and five other radiant figures. Zoroaster soon became aware of the existence of two primal spirits, the second being {{transliteration|ae|[[Angra Mainyu]]}} (Destructive Spirit), with opposing concepts of {{transliteration|ae|[[Asha]]}} (order) and {{transliteration|ae|[[Asha|Druj]]}} (deception). Thus he decided to spend his life teaching people to seek {{transliteration|ae|Asha}}.<ref>{{harvnb|West|2010|pp=19–20}}</ref> He received further revelations and saw a vision of the seven {{transliteration|ae|[[Amesha Spenta]]}}, and his teachings were collected in the {{transliteration|ae|[[Gathas]]}} and the {{transliteration|ae|[[Avesta]]}}.<ref>{{harvnb|West|2010|p=24}}</ref>

[[File:Iranianhistory-tekyemoaven.jpg|left|thumb|The rings of the {{transliteration|ae|[[Fravashi]]}}]]

Eventually, at the age of about 42, Zoroaster received the patronage of queen Hutaosa and a ruler named [[Vishtaspa]], an early adherent of Zoroastrianism (possibly from Bactria according to the [[Shahnameh]]).<ref>{{harvnb|Boyce|1996|pp=187}}</ref>

According to the tradition, he lived for many years after Vishtaspa's conversion, managed to establish a faithful community,<ref>{{harvnb|West|2010|p=9}}</ref> and married three times. His first two wives bore him three sons, Isat Vâstra, Urvatat Nara, and Hvare Chithra, and three daughters, Freni, Thriti, and Pouruchista. His third wife, Hvōvi, was childless.<ref name="Boyce 1975 188">{{harvnb|Boyce|1996|pp=188}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|West|2010|p=31}}</ref> Zoroaster died when he was 77 years and 40 days old.<ref name="Boyce 1975 188"/> There are conflicting traditions on Zoroaster's manner of death. The most common is that he was murdered by a {{transliteration|fa|karapan}} (priest of the [[Ancient Iranian religion|old religion]]) named Brādrēs, while performing at an altar. The [[Dēnkart|{{transliteration|pal|Dēnkart}}]], and the [[Epic poem|epic]] {{transliteration|fa|Shahnameh}}, ascribe his death to a [[Turya (Avesta)|Turanian]] soldier named Baraturish, potentially a spin on the same figure, while other traditions combine both accounts or hold that he died of [[Death by natural causes|old age]].<ref>{{harvnb|Boyce|1996|pp=192}}</ref>

=== Cypress of Kashmar ===
{{Main|Cypress of Kashmar}}

The Cypress of Kashmar is a mythical cypress tree of legendary beauty and gargantuan dimensions. It is said to have sprung from a branch brought by Zoroaster from Paradise and to have stood in today's [[Kashmar]] in northeastern Iran and to have been planted by Zoroaster in honor of the conversion of [[Vishtaspa|King Vishtaspa]] to Zoroastrianism. According to the Iranian physicist and historian [[Zakariya al-Qazwini]], King Vishtaspa had been a patron of Zoroaster who planted the tree himself. In his {{transliteration|ar|[[ʿAjā'ib al-makhlūqāt wa gharā'ib al-mawjūdāt]]}} ('The Wonders of Creatures and the Marvels of Creation'), he further describes how the [[Al-Mutawakkil]] in 247 AH ([[861|861 AD]]) caused the mighty cypress to be felled, and then transported it across Iran, to be used for beams in his new palace at [[Samarra]]. Before, he wanted the tree to be reconstructed before his eyes. This was done in spite of protests by the Iranians, who offered a very great sum of money to save the tree. Al-Mutawakkil never saw the cypress, because he was murdered by a [[Turkic peoples|Turkic]] soldier (possibly in the employ of his son) on the night when it arrived on the banks of the Tigris.<ref name="cypress of kashmar">{{cite web|url=http://www.zoroastrian.org.uk/vohuman/Library/The%20Cypress%20of%20Kashmar%20and%20Zoroaster.htm|title=The Cypress of Kashmar and Zoroaster|publisher=www.zoroastrian.org.uk|access-date=6 February 2020}}</ref>