Ameretat is almost always mentioned with her "sister" Immortal, "Haurvatat." Haurvatat means "Wholeness" or "Integrity" in ancient Persian, and she has guardianship over Water. Zoroastrian practice is very concerned with maintaining purity and cleanliness in the natural and domestic world. They don't want to pollute water, earth, air, or fire. In some ways the ancient Zoroastrians were the world's first ecologists.
I used light blue and silver to depict the Waters symbolized by Haurvatat. Her dress is taken from a Sassanian Persian carving design. The motif of her urn pouring cloud water into earth water is borrowed from a small painting by Edward Burne-Jones called "The Earth Mother." Her crown is decorated with stylized fountains. Haurvatat is portrayed as older and more full-figured than her younger sister; she is the "Mother" of the three ages of woman.
Today is NoRuz, the Persian New Year. All over the world, wherever there are Persians or people of Persian heritage, they will celebrate this holiday of the spring equinox and the world's renewal.
"Haurvatat" is acrylic on illustration board, 8" x 14", January 1999.
1 comment:
Love the colors, love the design. Blue and silver being my heraldic colors an water being sorta my element..another wonderful picture. Happy New Year (and Spring)
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