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VENDÎDÂD.
Fargard I.
This chapter is an enumeration of sixteen perfect lands created by Ahura Mazda, and of as many plagues created in opposition by Angra Mainyu.
Many attempts have been made, not only to identify these sixteen lands, but also to draw historical conclusions from their order of succession, as representing the actual order of the migrations and setdements of the old Iranian tribes[1]. But there is nothing in the text to support such wide inferences. We have here nothing more than a geographical description of Iran, seen from the religious point of view.
Of these sixteen lands there are nine, as follows:—
| zend name. | old persian. | greek. | modern name. |
| Sughdha (2) | Suguda | Σογδιανή | Soghd سغد (Samarkand) |
| Môuru (3) | Margu | Μαργιανή | Marv مرو |
| Bâkhdhi (4) | Bâkhtri | Βάκτρα | Balkh بلخ |
| Harôyu (6) | Haraiva | Ἀρεία | Harê(rud) هری |
| Vehrkâna (9) | Varkâna | Ὑρκανία | Gurgân, Gorgân گرگانجرجان |
| Harahvaiti (10) | Harauvati | Ἀραχωσία | Ar-rokhag ارّخج |
| Arghand-(âb) ارغندآب | |||
| Haêtumant | Ἐτύμαυδρος | Helmend هلمند | |
| Ragha (12) | Ragâ[2] | Ῥαγαί | Raï ری |
| Hapta hindu (15) | Hindava | Ἰυδοί | Hind هند (Pañgâb) |
which can be identified with certainty, as we are able to follow their
- ↑ Rhode, Die heilige Sage des Zendvolks, p. 61; Heeren, Ideen zur Geschichte, I, p. 498; Lassen, Indische Alterthumskunde I, p. 526; Haug in Bunsen's work, Aegypten's Stellung, V, and part, p. 104; Kiepert, Monatsberichte der Berliner Akademie, 1856, p. 621. Cf. the mythological interpretation by M. Bréal, 'De la géographie de l'Avesta' (in the Mélanges de mythologie et de linguistique, p. 187 seq.)
- ↑ See however § 16, note 3.
