10. Okt 2024
Alberto Cantera
Freie Universität Berlin, Fachbereich Geschichts- und Kulturwissenschaften,
Institut für Iranistik
Avestan texts in context:
The services preliminary to the Zoroastrian Long Liturgy
Gemeinsame Veranstaltung mit dem Institut für Iranistik der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften.
Abstract: In the 19th century, editions of Avestan texts often presented them decontextualized from their liturgical settings. However, recent scholarship in Avestan studies has undergone a significant "liturgical shift", recognizing these texts as integral components of a comprehensive liturgical system. This system, which emerged in antiquity when Avestan was still a living language, has demonstrated remarkable adaptability, allowing for ongoing adaptations and innovations in the liturgical practice even long after Avestan ceased to be productive. This evolving perspective presents new challenges for contemporary editions of Avestan texts, necessitating a reevaluation of their objectives and defined historical frameworks. In this lecture, I will highlight these complexities through the lens of the nērangīhā ī urwēs, or Paragnā—a set of preliminary services for the Long Liturgy. This liturgical complex has largely been overlooked in 19th-century editions and remains underexplored in current Avestan studies.