Water as a Field of Cosmogony: The Transition from Chaos to Order in Pre-Islamic Iranian Texts

Abstract

Pre-Islamic Iranian texts, particularly the Yashts and Avestan sources, demonstrate that water and the divine forces associated with it—especially Anāhitā and Mithra—play a central role in the transition of the world from primordial chaos to cosmic order. The present study aims to analyze the role of natural elements and the guardian deities of water and life through a comparative mythological and symbolic analysis of Avestan and Vedic texts. The sources examined include the Yashts, the Bundahišn, and texts related to Tishtrya, Apām Napāt, Haurvatāt, and Amərətāt, which are analyzed using a descriptive–analytical approach. The findings indicate that water, as the primal element and the field of cosmic action, under the guidance of Anāhitā—the goddess of water and fertility—and Mithra—the god of covenant and cosmic order—restrains opposing natural and destructive forces. The battle of Tishtrya against Apaoša, the manifestation of Apām Napāt in the union of water and fire, and the guardianship of Haurvatāt and Amərətāt exemplify the interaction between forces of chaos and order which, through the participation of deities and human supplication, lead to the regeneration of life and the stabilization of cosmic order. These interactions not only regulate the flow of energy and water in the material world but also consolidate the bond between the spiritual (mēnōg) and material (gētīg) realms. The conclusion of the study emphasizes that, in the pre-Islamic Iranian worldview, cosmic order is a dynamic process emerging from the heart of chaos and the tension among natural elements, and that water—together with Anāhitā and Mithra—functions as the axis of cosmogony and regeneration, ensuring the cycles of life, fertility, and the continuity of being. This analysis provides a new perspective for understanding the role of natural elements and deities in structuring the world, reconstructing life, and shaping human interaction with divine forces, and it opens the possibility for comparative studies with other mythological and religious traditions of the world.