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History

Origin[]

Allegedly, according to the ancient Zoroastrian lore, Ahura Mazda, the creator god, emerged from the personification of infinite time, Zurvan. A wise and benevolent being representing truth, order and justice, Ahura Mazda started populating his domain with life. His birth was soon followed in the one of his twisted mirror image and antithesis, Ahriman, who personified deceit and chaos. Ahriman rejected the peace offerings of Ahura Mazda and tried to kill the life who had been imbued in his domain. After a prolonged battle, Ahura Mazda narrowly overcame and banished Ahriman to the Nether Realms.

Mithra, god of light and justice was one of the Yazatas created by Ahura Mazda to uphold order and justice and in preparation for Ahriman's return.

Banished, Ahriman created the Divs, demonic gods with the sole purpose of opposing the Yazatas. Since then, the two groups have waged an endless war against each often, often using mortals as pawn in attempt to gain the upper hand.[1]

In the guise of the priestess to the Oracle of Ophir, presenting herself as far wiser and ancient that Mitra, voiced during the Hyborian Age of Conan by Renquis (either from the oracle's inspiration, or from Renquis' insanity), claimed to have nursed him when he was a baby.[8]

Pre-Cataclysmic Age[]

At some point in the Pre-Cataclysmic Age, or possibly between the Great Cataclysm and the Lesser Cataclysm (see notes on Lahrentz's page), Mitra was seemingly worshiped, and was invoked by pirate Captain Lahrentz as he shipwrecked on the coast.[9]

Age of Acheron[]

At the time Acheron was an ally of the independent kingdom of Ophir, Mitra was among the gods of Ophir, and was disregarded by the Acheronians as a weakling,[10] and was considered by an unnamed Ophirean wizard as "a puny deity" and "a young godling whose day is not yet"[11] (that wizard self-styled himself a "man of the gods").[10]

Ahura Mazda sent Mithra to serve on Earth as his representative over 15,000 years ago,[1] before the end of the Age of Acheron.

The first worshipers of Mitra hired a sorcerer who used a crystal skull, the Skull of Set, to bound Khorus and demons from Hell summoned by the worshipers of Set in the city of Eidoran.[12]

Hyborian Age[]

He was himself served by a heavenly host of angels and saints,[13] the formers including the Phantom.[14] He also had a warrior-son, Shamahs, worshiped as well in the Western Kingdoms.[15]

From 11,000 to 8,000 B.C., as Mitra, he had a strong worship,[3] being worshiped by a number of monotheistic religions.[1] His worship was almost universal in Aquilonia, Argos, Nemedia, Ophir, and Zingara, though there was small cults of such deities as Asura, Ibis, Ishtar, and even Set, the serpent-god of Stygia. While most in the Hyborian Age acknowledged rival deities to their own,[13] some priests and followers of Mitra declared him the one true god,[16][13] deserving a monotheistic devotion and worship. Koth, Khauran and Khoraja also followed the faith of Mitra. His cult was also known in Corinthia, despite its city-states' patron gods.[13] Though its worship was imported in Zamora,[17] Zamora never adopted Mitra, hosting a number weird and mysterious cults and divinities.

Koth, when falling under Shem's and Stygia's influence, abandoned Mitra's worship, as did Khoraja and Khauran, in favor for Ishtar, whose rites were more sensual.[13] The Gundermen adopted Mitra in Bori's place at the time they joined Aquilonia (that being their greatest concession).[18]

Age of Conan[]

During the Age of Conan, Mitra was served many priests and adventurers, among the Followers of Mitra in Argos (including the guards in Eidoran and the Brides of Mitra such as Tamara),[12] a strange, untypical offshoot of the worship of Mitra" in D'Eim[19] whose Oracle in fact served an unnamed Dark Lord,[20] the Mitran Knights order of Aquilonia,[21] or Vitellus, warrior-priest of the Cult of Mitra.[22] The dark sorcerer Orastes used to be a priest of Mitra,[23] as was the adventurer Ixastophanis, a lapsed priest of Mitra.[24][verification needed]

Mitra occasionally intervened directly to protect humanity from the likes of the Elder God Set or Demons such as Molub or Xotli. He and his priests became frequent allies of Conan, who would become king of Aquilonia.[1]

Antiquity to modern days[]

The Yazatas ended up being worshiped on Earth in the Persian/Iranian plateau, as well as in Central Asia and India, from 1000 BC into modern days,[1] eventually supplanting the worship of the Vedic Gods.

Mithra retained a strong following in believers of Zoroastrianism.[3]

Mitran Religion[]

The belief of Mitra presented him as a gentle god ruling over a heavenly host of saints and angels, and preaching mercy above vengeance. He was humanity's eternal judge, and either rewarded in heaven or punished in hell each soul regarding their deeds in life.

Rites[]

The Mitran religion expressly forbade blood sacrifices[13] (though it is known that Mitran priests did sacrifice once two pigs and a catamite boy),[25] its rites being distinguished by their simplicity, dignity, and beauty.[13]

Statues and Idols[]

The statues of Mitra weren't meant to be worshiped themselves as idols, but were to represent Mitra in idealized forms,[13] though one representation of him was a bull.[25] Khoraja had statues of him in its temples.[26]

Though the Hyborians didn't usually carved images of Mitra out of sublime respect, at least not in their capitals.[15] A statue was set at the altar of the Temple of Mitra in Tarantia, Aquilonia.[27][28]

His warrior-son Shamahs had statues looming above shrines at the fringes of the Western Kingdoms (one such existed in Venarium, an Aquilonian outpost in Cimmeria, during the Age of Conan).[15]

Attributes

Powers

Presumably all of the Yazatas' powers.

See Also

Links and References

References

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