Gáthy - Úvod do zoroastrismu – Cvrkal Zdeněk (2026)

This Czech-language introduction to Zoroastrianism first briefly presents the Iranian gods before examining Zoroastrian beliefs, the sacred texts of the Avesta and the related Pahlavi religious and philosophical writings, as well as the life, work and religious reform of the faith’s founder, Zarathushtra. It covers theology, ethics, rituals, the calendar, festivals, the philosophy of fire, Zurvanism, and the historical development of Zoroastrianism from antiquity to present-day communities, including its influence on Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The largest section contains the first complete Czech translation of the oldest part of the Avesta, the Gathas (Yasna 28–34, 43–51 and 53), with detailed commentary. The appendices include further extracts from the Avesta, a translation of the Pahlavi text Šahrestānīhā ī Ērān, a description of the Iranian cultural and geographical area, and an extensive explanation of Iranian mythology. Zarathushtra’s religious reform brought a radical change to the earlier polytheistic Iranian world: the prophet elevated Ahura Mazda to the status of sole creator and supreme God, transformed the old gods into ethical abstractions and set against them the strict dualist counterpart of the evil Angra Mainyu and his demons. This shift from ritual polytheism to ethical dualism linked cosmology with morality, made human beings active participants in the cosmic struggle through “good thoughts, words and deeds,” and emphasized free choice, personal responsibility and a universal message of truth intended for all people. The reform established a new type of prophetic religion centred on the continual struggle of light against darkness, truth against falsehood and life against death, culminating in the coming of a saviour and the final triumph of good.