Zoroastrianism is perhaps one of the most mysterious and least understood faiths in the world today. And yet it was the first-ever monotheistic religion, and its influence was huge. It has had an enormous impact on Western culture, and it underwrites and underpins the (at times very thin) strands which hold Iranian society together.
There are few books on the subject (of which the best is the fabulous In Search of Zarathustra by Paul Kriwaczek), and the holy scripture of the Zoroastrians, the Avesta, is effectively impossible to obtain. To be fair, the original exists only in the form of fragments and oral tradition, but the best translation (by James Darmesteter, 1882) has mysteriously gone out of print in recent years. Sections are available on the Internet (see Bibliography), but the situation still gives the impression that the Zoroastrians are extraordinarily secretive. It is true that parts of the texts could be open to misinterpretation but, when properly understood, they are a key to one of the most peaceable and attractive religions on earth. And one which offers the original ‘green’ code of practice.
