Zam
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{{Zoroastrianism}}
{{seealso|ZAM}}
{{for|the town in Burkina Faso|Zam, Burkina Faso}}
'''Zam''' (Zām) is the Indo-Iranian<!-- p. 174 of --><ref name="Dhalla">{{cite book|last=Dhalla|first=Maneckji Nusservanji|publisher=OUP|location=New York|year=1938|title=History of Zoroastrianism}}</ref> concept for "earth" (as in soil, land, ground), prototyped as a chemical element in ancient philosophy, and as a minor ''[[Yazata]]'' in [[Zoroastrianism]] and later [[Persian mythology]].
The term 'Zam' exists with the same meaning in both [[Avestan language|Avestan]] and [[middle Persian]] languages. Zam is occasionally paired with the [[Amesha Spenta]] ''Armaiti'', with whom Zam shares some attributes. The rare ''dvandvah'' expression Zam-Armaiti occurs in ''Yasht'' 1.16, 16.6 and 42.3. According to [[Xenophon]], [[Cyrus the Great|Cyrus]] sacrificed animals to the earth as the [[Magi]]ans directed. ([[Cyropaedia (Xenophon)|Cyropaedia]], 8.24<ref name="Dhalla" /><!-- pp. 230 -->)
Zam of the earth is not related to the other Zam of Persian mythology: ''[[Zahhak|Zahhak-e-Maar-Doosh]]'' (''Aži Dahāka'' in Avestan, ''Azhdshak'' in middle Persian), the king of dragons that slew [[Jamshid]].
==In the Avesta==
The ''Zamyad Yasht'', the devotional text of the [[Avesta]] named after Zam, has little to do with "earth": The first eight chapters of that hymn simply enumerate geographical landmarks, while the rest of the hymn is in praise of those who possess ''[[Khvarenah|kavaem khareno]]''<!-- (MP: ''khwarrah'')--> "royal glory". These remaining verses begin with the creation of the earth, that is with a verse to [[Ahura Mazda]] (chapter 10), and closes with a verse to the Saoshyant (89). In between, it contains verses invoking the [[Amesha Spenta]] (15), [[Mithra]] (35). Mortals invoked include [[Jamshed|Yima]] (31), [[Fereydun|Thraetaona]] (36), the [[Kayanian|Kayanian dynasts]] (66-72), [[Zoroaster|Zarathushtra]] (79) and [[Vishtaspa]] (84). According to [[James Darmesteter|Darmesteter]], "this Yasht would serve as a short history of the Iranian monarchy, an abridged [[Shahnameh]]."<ref name="west_trans">{{cite encyclopedia|last=Darmesteter|first=James|authorlink=James Darmesteter|title=[[Yasht]] 19: Hymn to the Earth|encyclopedia=[[Sacred Books of the East]]|volume=23|year=1883|location=Oxford|publisher=OUP}}</ref>
Dhalla<!-- pp 145-146 --> considers the Zamyad Yasht an example of a simple concept being elevated to the rank of an angel.<ref name="Dhalla">{{cite book|last=Dhalla|first=Maneckji Nusservanji|publisher=OUP|location=New York|year=1938|title=History of Zoroastrianism}}</ref> For Zam, this probably occurred as a linguistic conciliation between Zam and Armaiti (Avestan, middle Persian: ''Spendarmad''), the [[Amesha Spenta]] responsible for the world. Notwithstanding the dedication of the 28th day of the month, and in ancient philosophical belief, Zam's manifestation as one of the chemical elements (earth, fire, water, air), Zam is not a particularly significant divinity. Dhalla goes so far as to say "her personality is very insipid as compared with Armaiti, who, as we have seen, has the earth under her care and is, in fact, a more active guardian genius"<ref name="Dhalla" /><!-- pp 230 -->
==In Zoroastrian tradition==
In the [[Pahlavi]] ''Shayest Na-Shayest'' ("[what is] Proper and Improper"), an enumeration of the qualities that each divinity epitomizes associates Zam ([[Middle Persian|MP]]: ''Zamyad'') with "conclusiveness". What this is supposed to mean remains unclear. In contrast, [[Armaiti]] is identified with "fruitfulness".<ref>{{cite book|last=West|first=Edward William|authorlink=E. W. West|title=[[Sacred Books of the East]]|volume=5|year=1880|location=Oxford|publisher=OUP}} ch. 23.</ref>
In the [[Pahlavi]] ''Counsels of Adarbad Mahraspandan'' <!-- to whom also the collation of the [[Avesta]] texts is attributed --> the author advises his readership not to take medicine on the day of the month dedicated to Zam.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|author=Jamasp-Asa, J. D. (ed., trans.)|year=1897|title=Counsels of Adarbad Mahraspandan|encyclopedia=Pahlavi Texts|location=Bombay|publisher=K. R. Cama Oriental Institute}} p. 71.</ref>
In the [[Pazend]] ''Afrin-i haft Amshespand'' ("Blessings of the seven Amesha Spenta"), Zam is joined by Amardad, Rashn and Ashtad ([[Ameretat]], [[Rashnu]] and [[Arshtat]]) in withstanding the demons of hunger and thirst.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia|author=Antia, E. E. Kersaspji (ed., trans)|year=1909|title=Afrin-i haft Amshespand|encyclopedia=Pazend texts collected and collated|location=Bombay|publisher=K. R. Cama Oriental Institute}} pp. 86-88.</ref>
The last hymn recited in the procedure for the establishment of a [[Fire temple]] is the ''Zamyad Yasht''. This is done because to achieve the required 91 recitals in honor of the Yazatas, would in principle require each of the 30 hymns associated with the divinites of the 30 days to be recited thrice with one additional one. However, the first three recited are dedicated to [[Ahura Mazda]], leaving 88, and 88 modulo 30 is 28, the day-number dedication of Zam.<ref>{{cite book|last=Modi|first=Jivanji Jamshedji |year=1922|title=The Religious Ceremonies and Customs of the Parsees|location=Bombay|publisher=British India Press}} pp. 219-220.</ref>
From among the flowers associated with the [[yazata]]s, Zam's is the [[Basil]] (''Bundahishn'' 27<!-- 16? -->).<ref>{{cite book|last=Anklesaria|first=Behramgore Tehmuras (ed., trans.)|title=Zand-Akasih: Iranian or Greater Bundahishn|year=1956|location=Bombay|publisher=Rahnumae Mazdayasnan Sabha}} pp. 153</ref>
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==See also==
* Zoroastrian divinities: [[Yazata]]s and [[Amesha Spenta]]s
* day-of-the-month dedications in the [[Zoroastrian calendar]]
==External links==
* West's<ref name="west_trans" /> translation of the [http://www.avesta.org/ka/yt19sbe.htm Zamyad ''Yasht'']
[[Category:Persian mythology]]
[[Category:Yazatas]]
[[ro:Zam-Armatay]]