Verethragna is the Yazata of victory in the Zoroastrism also know as Bahram, he is who kills the obstacles for that the heroes can continue his path to the victory.
Mythology[]
Indo-Aryan[]
The name Verethragna come from the Proto-Indo-Iranian *Wr̥trás that means 'defence', is etymologically connected with the Puranic Vishnu, the similarities between Verethragna and Vishnu are just not etymological, so both are deities associates with the war and even Verethragna have some elements from the avatars of Vishnu.
The boar is the symbol of Verethragna, normally in some areas was very common represent Verethragna like the animal mentioned above, this may be conect Verethragna with Varaha, who is the boar avatar of Vishnu, curiously both figures ares symbols of victory and restorers of order over chaos.
Other dashavatara similar to Verethragna is Rama, due to both are symbols of victory, that defeat the demons in the name of good, besides Verethragna was originally a yazata that transcended to Amesha Spenta when he defeat to Ahriman, curiously the Hindu equivalent of Ahriman is Ravana who was killed by Rama, so presumably both the persian myth of Verethragna and the hindu Ramayana has origin in an unknown lost Prori-Indo-Iranian myth.
Krishna is also an avartar of Visnu like Verethragna because both has a similar iconography related with the youngful, the child for Krishna and the teenger for Verethragna, Krishna is a leader warrior, which is similar to Verethragna as god helper of warrior that give the vistory to the heroes.
Syncretism[]
Verethragna was identified with Heracles by the geeks, so both are gods of strength, curiously both Verethragna and Herakles are related with the obstacles, the name Verethragna 'breaking of defence, victory', and Heracles in his myth pass every obstacle for get the redemtion, this syncretism was too popular in Persia that even the Verethragna´s iconography had various elements from Heracles, even exist a statue dedicated to Verethragna named as "Herakles Kallinikos" (Hercules glorious in victory). The Verethragna´s iconography as Heracles was common until the early Sasanian period.
Although the normal was identify Verethragna with Heracles, however rarely Verethragna also was identify as Apollo the god of wisdom and sun, besides be the half brother of Heracles.
Dragon Slayer[]
Verethragna is conect etymologically with Vishnu but ironically also is connected with Vitra and his killer Vṛtrahan, the avestan scholars think that as Indra kills Vritra in his mythology like the persian myth of Zahhak killed by Fereydun, this takes many scholars think that presumably the vedic Indra takes from various elements from diferents heroes, and Verethragna was of one them heroes that Indra takes his elements.
However this is it's wrong due to the myths of Persia and Indian evoluves in different ways, so meanwhile the dragons were an important creatures in the persian cosmology as malevolent beings, nevertheless in the Vedic cosmology they barely exist two dragons, the malevolent Vritra and budhnya, the benevolent "dragon of the deep". Besides the from the Proto-Indo-European times the Slayer (Indra) always a god (Perkʷūnos) that killed a sea snake (Vritra), instead the rol slaying the snake/dragon were the heroes (who were humans) but not the gods.
Curiously the armenian Vahagn (whose name is clearly is a loanword from Iranian) was a divine hero slayer of Vishap, this may be evidence that in a past Verethragna was a dragon slayer, but even if Vahagn was a dragon slayer this does not check the status of Verethragna as dragon slayer, beacuase Vahagn is just not an adaptation of Verethragna in an armenian context, but in turn takes elements from the semetic Baalshamin (who was worshipped in Armenia), therefore myth of Vahagn vs Vishap likely comes from the myth of Baalshamin vs a sea snake rather thant have evolved from the Proto-Indo-European Myth of Perkʷūnos vs H₂n̥gʷʰis.
Culture popular[]
Anime[]
- Verethragna is a minor character in Campione.
Video Games[]
- In Majin Tensei II Verethragna is a boss.
- In Megami Iboruko Persona/Persona 1 ,Verethragna is persona related with the arcana of Justice.
- curiously Verethragna does not appear in the manga adaption.
Music[]
- Exist a Band call Verethragna.