HOME | DD

Avapithecus — Haurvatat

#character #design #iran #mythology #persian #referencesheet #zoroastrianism #ameshaspenta #haurvatat
Published: 2023-04-21 13:26:54 +0000 UTC; Views: 2525; Favourites: 36; Downloads: 1
Redirect to original
Description Yes I messed up the positioning of the wings relative to the body, yes it irritates me too, yes I'm too lazy to redo an entire drawing just to fix it.

Haurvatat is one in the list of six (sometimes seven) celestial beings in Zoroastrian cosmology known as the Amesha Spentas. While often compared to of Christian archangels, I think a better equivalent is the Christian Trinity. These beings are considered spiritual emanations of the one supreme god Ahura Mazda, and are simultaneously their own individuals and inseparable parts of the larger whole that is the singular god. It is said that through these emanations, Ahura Mazda created the various facets of the world, and it is by emulating the works of the Amesha Spentas through "good thoughts, good words, good deeds", us mortal humans can also come to embody the spirit of the Zoroastrian creator. For all their reverence, the exact origins of the Amesha Spentas are a bit unclear. Their names do appear in the Gathas, a set of sacred scriptures believed to be composed by the prophet Zarathustra himself, but they are used more in a broad context. It seems most likely that originally, the Amesha Spentas were more vague philosophical notions related to Ahura Mazda which were personified into actual entities in later centuries of Iranian history.

Haurvatat specifically is the emanation of "Wholeness" or "Perfection". She is often represented by water, alongside another Amesha Spenta, Ameretat, who represents food. Like food and water, the human spirit needs regular sustenance to feel full and healthy on a day to day basis. Haurvatat and Ameretat represent the ideal state of being where thirst and hunger no longer exist, and thus the spirit is perpetually nourished and satisfied. Indeed, Haurvatat is said to be in direct opposition to the daeva (demon) Tarshna (literally "thirst"), whom she will destroy in the final battle at the end of time. Interestingly, Haurvatat and Ameretat seem to appear in the Quran under the etymologically linked names of Harut and Marut. As expanded on in later Islamic writings, these were angels given mortal desires by God after they challenged Him, saying they would never have succumbed to the same temptations as Adam and Eve. Taking them up on their challenge, the angels are sent to Earth and almost immediately fall in love with a mortal woman who convinces them to commit idolatry. For their sins and hubris, the two angels are strung up by their ankles for eternity, teaching men passing by the ways of magic, but warning them that in doing so, they are but a temptation. I couldn't find any details on the exact source of this transplantation from Zoroastrianism into Islam, though of course it seems likely that the early Arabs would've been familiar with these as the names of foreign angels from up north.

Design notes, there's next to zero artwork of the Amesha Spentas out there. If you type "Amesha Spentas" into Google Images, you'll likely get this set of beautiful trading-card-looking art pieces, but these are obviously modern digital works. I scoured the internet as much as I could, but I still cannot find the original artist behind these pieces, only second-hand repostings of them. If anyone knows the origin of these drawings, do please let me know. Either way, I didn't want to use them as reference since again, they're clearly modern and thus not likely public domain. I think the only thing I took from them as a nod to the most famous images of the Amesha Spentas is the broad color scheme of each one. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any historical works depicting these entities, so I had to get a little creative. Like my angel designs, I wanted them to look like gleaming porcelain, though for the Amesha Spentas I leaned more into the aspects of a porcelain doll than a clockwork drone. Wanting them to reflect the notion of being a part of the greater whole that is Ahura Mazda, I designed each of them with the faravahar silhouette, just using different thematically appropriate birds. For Haurvatat specifically, I referenced the wings of the Mute Swan, a waterfowl which serves as an obvious symbol of beauty. I also threw in as much water symbolism as possible, even turning what would be her veil into a gentle waterfall. Overall, aside from the really annoying wings, I'm quite happy with how this piece came out. Hopefully these pieces will give me more insight on other people's depictions of these mysterious entities.
Related content
Comments: 0