Proto-Indo-Iranian religion was the religion of the Indo-Iranian peoples and includes topics such as the mythology, legendry, folk tales, and folk beliefs of early Indo-Iranian culture. Reconstructed concepts include the universal force *Hṛta- (Sanskrit rta, Avestan asha), the sacred plant and drink *sawHma- (Sanskrit Soma, Avestan Haoma) and gods of social order such as *mitra- (Sanskrit Mitra, Avestan and Old Persian Mithra, ) and *bʰaga- (Sanskrit Bhaga, Avestan and Old Persian Baga). Proto-Indo-Iranian religion is an archaic offshoot of Indo-European religion.

Origins and development Indo-Iranian languages include three subgroups: the Indo-Aryan languages (including the Dardic languages), the Iranian languages (east and west), and the Nuristani languages. From these various and dispersed cultures, a set of common ideas may be reconstructed from which a common, unattested proto-Indo-Iranian source may be deduced.

Relationship to Proto-Indo-European religion

When Vedic texts were the oldest surviving evidence of early Indo-European-speaking peoples, it was assumed that these texts preserved aspects of Proto-Indo-European culture with particular accuracy. Many ethnologists hoped to unify Indo-Iranian, Celtic, Norse, Greek, Germanic and Roman into a Proto-Indo-European religion. Max Müller believed that Indo-Iranian religion began as sun worship. Georges Dumézil stressed the tripartite social system of Indo-European religion and society. Later scholarship has moved away from considering all these religions near-identical.

Development Some beliefs developed in different ways as cultures separated and evolved. For example, the word 'daeva,' which appears in the Avesta, also bears a linguistic relationship to the Sanskrit word 'deva,' referring to one of the principal classes of gods, as well as other related words throughout the Indo-European traditions. Indra, the greatest of the devas from Vedic literature, is often listed in Zoroastrian texts as one of the greatest of the evil forces, sometimes second only to Angra Mainyu himself. In the traditional Zoroastrian confession of faith as recorded in the Avesta, the rejection of the daevas is one of the most significant qualifiers for a follower of the tradition, alongside worshipping Ahura Mazda and following the teachings of Zarathustra. Similarly, the parallels between the malevolent Vedic Asuras and benevolent Zoroastrian Ahuras are particularly obvious and striking.Varuna, the most powerful of the Asuras, does not directly correspond to Ahura Mazda but shares several traits in common with him, particularly in terms of his role as king among the lesser gods and arbiter of law and morality among mortals. Even as Ahura Mazda rules by and upholds asha, the cosmic moral order, in the Avesta, so too do Varuna and the Asuras uphold the analogous concept of rta in the Vedas.

Additionally, the Avestan *Haraxvaitī Ārəduuī Sūrā Anāhitā is a 'composite' of Sarasvati and an Elamite goddess associated with fertility.Ricl, Marijana. "The cult of the Iranian goddess Anahita in Anatolia before and after Alexander." Antiquiť vivante (2002): 197-210. In the Rig-Veda (6,61,5–7) Sarasvati battles a serpent called Vritra, who has hoarded all of the Earth's water. In contrast, in early portions of the Avesta, Iranian *Harahvati is the world-river that flows down from the mythical central Mount Hara. But *Harahvati does no battle — she is blocked by an obstacle (Avestan for obstacle: ) placed there by Angra Mainyu .

Contemporary traces The pre-Islamic religion of the Nuristani people and extant religion of the Kalash people is significantly influenced by the original religion of the Indo-Iranians, though mostly infused with accretions developed locally from Hinduism.Halfmann, Jakob. "Nuristani Theonyms in Light of Historical Phonology". In: 6th Indo-European Research Colloquium, 2022. [DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.31805.54244]; https://www.researchgate.net/publication/380269159_Nuristani_Theonyms_in_Light_of_Historical_Phonology

Cognate terms By way of the comparative method, Indo-Iranian philologists, a variety of historical linguist, have proposed reconstructions of entities, locations, and concepts with various levels of security in early Indo-Iranian folklore and mythology (reconstructions are indicated by the presence of an asterisk). The present section includes both reconstructed forms and proposed motifs from the Proto-Indo-Iranian period, generally associated with the Sintashta culture (2050–1900 BCE).

The following is a list of cognate terms that may be gleaned from comparative linguistic analysis of the Rigveda and Avesta. Both collections are from the period after the proposed date of separation (ca. 2nd millennium BCE) of the Proto-Indo-Iranians into their respective Indic Iranian branches.

Divine beings

Proto-Indo-Iranian reconstructionIndo-AryanIranianMitanniEtymologyNotes*HáǰʰišAhiAži – –*Aryamā́Skt AryamanAv. Airiiaman – – *BʰagásSkt BhagaOPers. *Baga –OPers. *Baga is inferred from Bāgayādi, month of the feast *Bagayāda- ('worshiping Baga = Mithra'). The etymology indicates a societal deity that distributes wealth and prosperity.Thieme, Paul. "Classical Literature". In: India, Pakistan, Ceylon. Edited by W. Norman Brown, Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 1960, p. 75. https://doi.org/10.9783/9781512814866-014Boyce, Mary (1996). "THE GODS OF PAGAN IRAN". In: A History of Zoroastrianism, The Early Period. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. pp. 57-58. doi: https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004294004_003 Slavic bog ('god') and bogátyj ('rich') are generally seen as loanwords from Iranian.*Ćarwa, s.v. śarva-.Skt ŚarvaYAv. Sauruua –Perhaps related to ToB śer(u)we, ToA śaru 'hunter'.Probably meaning 'hunter' (cf. Khot. hasirä 'quarry, hunted beast', Oss. suryn 'to chase, hunt', syrd 'wild beast'). An epithet of Rudra or Śiva in Sanskrit. Name of one the daēuua (demons) in Young Avestan. *Dyauš, s.v. dyáv-.Skt DyáuṣOAv. diiaoš –From PIE *dyēus, the daylight-sky god.Meaning 'heaven, daylight sky'. Name of the inherited Proto-Indo-European sky-god (cf. Hitt. šīuš, Grk Zeus, Lat. Jove) See Dyēus for further information.*Hagníš, s.v. agni-.Skt AgniYAv. Dāšt-āɣniFrom PIE *h₁n̥gʷnis, the fire as an active force.Name of the inherited Proto-Indo-European fire-god (cf. Lith. Ugnis, Alb. enjte). See H1n̥gʷnis for further information.*Hāpam-nápāts, s.v. nápāt-.Skt Apā́m nápātYAv. apᶏm napāt –From PIE *h2ep- ('water') and *h2nepot- ('grandson, descendant'). Meaning 'Grandsons of the Waters'. See Apam Napat for further information.*Haramati, s.v. arámati-.Skt ArámatiAv. Ārmaiti –No known IE cognate.Goddess of obedience and piety. Cf. Skt arámanas ('obedient') and Av. ārmaiti ('piety, devotion').*HatHarwan, s.v. ártharvan-.Skt ÁtharvanYAv. Āθrauuan –Perhaps a borrowing from a Central Asian language (cf. ToA atär, ToB etre 'hero').Name of a primordial priest. The Sanskrit cognate is the name of the primordial priest, while the Young Avestan form designates the first social class (i.e. the priests). Scholars have rendered the stem *HatHar- as a 'religious-magical fluid' or 'magical potency'.*Hwi(H)waswant, s.v. vivásvant-.Skt VivásvantYAv. Vīuuanhvant –From PIE *h2ues- 'dawn'.Meaning 'morning dawn'. Father of *YamHa (see below). Cf. Skt vaivasvatá and Av. vīuuaŋhuša- ('descending from Vivasvant').(?) *Wr̥trás, s.v. vṛtrá-.Skt VṛtráYAv. Vǝrǝθraɣna –No known IE cognate.*wr̥trás means 'defence' (the original meaning may have been 'cover'). Skt Vṛtrá is the name of a demon slain by Indra, often depicted as a cobra. YAv. Vǝrǝθraɣna, meaning 'breaking of defence, victory', is the name of a god. Cf. also Middle Persian Wahrām ('war god, god of victory'). The Arm. god Vahagn is a loanword from Iranian.*Hušā́s, s.v. usás-.Skt UṣásOAv. Ušå –From PIE *h₂éws-ōs, the Dawn-goddess.Name of the dawn-goddess. See H₂éwsōs for further information.*Índras, s.v. índra-.Skt ÍndraYAv. IndraMit. IndaraNo known IE cognate. –*Krćānu ~ *Krćāni, s.v. kṛśā́nu-.Skt Kṛśā́nuYAv. Kərəsāni –No known IE cognate.Divine being associated with the Soma. In Sanskrit, the divine archer that guards the celestial Soma; in Young Avestan, name of a hostile king driven away by Haoma.*MánušSkt ManuAv. *Manūš –From PIE *Manu- ('Man', 'ancestor of humankind'; cf. Germ. Mannus).Av. *Manūš.čiθra ('image of Manuš') is inferred from Old Persian Manūščihr, the name of a high priest.*MitrásSkt MitráAv. MiθraMit. MitraSee Mitra.Skt Nā́satyāAv. Nā̊ŋhaiθyaMit. NašattiyaProbably from PIE *nes- ('save, heal'; cf. Goth. nasjan).Skt Nā́satyā is another name for the Aśvínā ('horse-possessors'); Nā̊ŋhaiθya is the name of a demon in the Zoroastrian religious system. According to scholar Douglas Frame, "the Iranian singular suggests that in Common Indo-Iranian the twins’ dual name also occurred in the singular to name one twin in opposition to the other". See Divine Twins.*Pr̥tHwíH, s.v. pṛithvī́-.Skt Pṛth(i)vī́YAv. ząm pərəθβīm –From PIE *pleth₂wih₁ 'the broad one'.Name of the deified earth. The Sanskrit poetic formula kṣā́m ... pṛthivī́m ('broad earth') is identical to YAv. ząm pərəθβīm (id.) See Dʰéǵʰōm for further information.*PuHšā́, s.v. pisán-.Skt Pisán – –From PIE *p(e)h2uson (cf. Grk Πάων < *pausōn).Name of a herding-god, protector of roads, inspector of creatures.*Sušna, s.v. śúsna-.Skt ŚúsnaSh. sāɣ(d) –From PIE ḱues-.Name of a malevolent being. Proto-Iranian *sušnā- is inferred from Sh. sāɣ̌(d) ('big snake, dragon').*Tritá, s.v. tritá-.Skt TritáYAv. θrita –From PIE trito 'third'.Mythical hero; one of the first preparers of the Soma.Skt VáruṇaAv. *Vouruna(?)Mit. ArunaThe Indo-Iranian ancestry is supported by Mitanni Aruna. The Avestan *Vouruna is postulated as the form the god would have taken in Iran, perhaps later replaced by Ahura Mazdā or Apam Napat.*Ućan, s.v. uśánā-.Skt UśánāYAv. Usan –Probably a non-IE name based on the same root as *ućig- ('sacrificer').Name of a sage.*HwaHyúš and *HwáHatas, s.v. vā́ta- and vāyú-.Skt Vāyú and Vā́taOAv. Vaiiu and Vāta –From PIE *h2ueh1iu and *h2ueh1nto.Gods of winds.*YámHas, s.v. yamáSkt YamáOAv. yə̃ma- YAv. Yima –From PIE *imH-o 'twin'.Meaning 'twin'; inherited from Proto-Indo-European (cf. Old Norse Ymir, the primeval giant). In Indo-Iranian, name of the mythical primeval man, first presser of the Soma, and son of the god *Hui(H)uasuant . Cognate to the Indic goddess Yamuna, a deified river. See Indo-European cosmogony for further information.

Locations Proto-Indo-Iranian reconstructionIndo-AryanIranianEtymologyNotes*Háćmā, s.v. áśman-.Skt áśmanYAv. asmanFrom PIE *h₂éḱmōn, 'stone, stone-made weapon; heavenly vault of stone'.Skt áśman means 'stone, rock, sling-stone, thunderbolt', YAv. asman 'stone, sling-stone, heaven'. The original PIE meaning appears to have been 'stone(-made weapon)' > 'heavenly vault of stone' (cf. Grk ákmōn 'anvil, meteoric stone, thunderbolt, heaven', Goth. himins 'heaven', Lith. akmuõ 'stone'). See Perkwunos (Heavenly vault of stone) for further information.*SáraswatiH / saras-u̯at-iH-Skt sárasvatīYAv. haraxᵛatī OPers. Harauvati From PIE *séles 'marsh'.The name refers to a river (Sarasvati River in Sanskrit; or Arachosia). Also the name of a river goddess, Saraswati.

Entities