Vaetha nask
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The Vaetha nask is the name of a short Avestan text, which is extant through only eight manuscripts.[1] Despite its name, the Vaetha nask was not part of the 21 nasks of the Sasanian Avesta and its origins remain unclear.[2]
Name
[edit | edit source]The Vaetha nask is not referenced in other Avestan literature. Its name is instead derived from the first words in the text reading: vaeθā daēniiå māzdaiiasnōiš ahurahē mazda mraōt̰, which translates to "the knowledge of the Mazdayasnian religion, Ahura Mazdā said."[2] The Avestan term is commonly transliterated into Latin and Greek script phonetically as either vaēθā or vaēϑā.
Content
[edit | edit source]The text of the Vaetha nask covers various topics. A major focus is the marital relationship between Zoroastrians and non-Zoroastrians, children born from such a union, their inheritance and conversions to Zoroastrianism.[2] It has been speculated that this topic reflects the situation when Zoroastrianism existed as a minority religion and the problems arising from that situation.[3] Large parts of the text are quotations from the Vendidad, whereas other parts mirror passages in the Frahang-i Oim-evak[2]
Provenance
[edit | edit source]According to the text itself, the Vaetha nask was one of the fragards, i.e., chapters, of the Nikatum nask, which in turn was one of the 21 nasks, i.e., volumes, of the Sasanian Avesta. This origin was accepted initially by Western scholars.[4] Due to the corrupt Avestan and Middle Persian of the text, however, this provenance was soon doubted. According to F. M. Kotwal for example, the text is a 19th century forgery.[5] In their 1969 edition of the text, Humbach and Kaikhusroo, however, assumed it to be an apocryphical text, which predates the 18th century.[6] More recently, Hamid Moein has also affirmed its apocryphical nature.[3]
Manuscripts
[edit | edit source]The Vaetha nask is extant through eight manucripts belonging to two different manuscript traditions: one with the Avestan text alone and one with a translation and commentary in Middle Persian.[7] A complete list of all available manuscripts was presented by Humbach and Kaikhusroo in their 1969 edition of the text.[8] Digital versions of manuscripts F3d[9] and T38[10] are available through the Avestan Digital Archive.
References
[edit | edit source]Citations
[edit | edit source]- ^ Andrés-Toledo 2015, p. 523.
- ^ a b c d Moazami 2014.
- ^ a b Moein 2020.
- ^ Boyce 1967, p. 699: "The text, thus hitherto treated as an authentic fragment".
- ^ Kotwal 1966.
- ^ Humbach & Kaikhusroo 1969.
- ^ Moazami 2014, "Vaeθā is preserved in two principal manuscripts from the nineteenth century, one of which has an interlinear Persian translation. ".
- ^ Humbach & Kaikhusroo 1969, pp. 11-16.
- ^ Ferrer-Losilla 2011.
- ^ Andrés-Toledo 2011.
Bibliography
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External links
[edit | edit source]- Avestan text of the Vaetha nask at avesta.org
- English translation of the Vaetha nask by Humbach and Jamaspasa
