Drvaspa: The Yazata of Herds and Horses
- Dala Sarkis
- Jun 3
- 13 min read
Introduction
Drvaspa is the yazata of herds and horses in the Zoroastrian and Iranic tradition: the beneficent divinity whose name means she who keeps horses healthy, the protector of cattle, flocks, and horses who keeps the herds in health and watches over the animal world.
In the vision of Ahura Mazda, the Wise Lord, Drvaspa is the divinity who guards the animals on which the life of the people depended, the cattle and flocks and especially the horses, keeping them in health and well-being. She is invoked by the great heroes and kings of legend, who sought her aid and her favour, and she is honoured in her own sacred hymn among the Yashts.
Like the other divinities of the Zoroastrian tradition, Drvaspa belongs to the shared ancient religious and mythological heritage of the Iranic peoples, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world. To know Drvaspa is to encounter the Zoroastrian reverence for the animal world and the pastoral life, the beneficent divinity who keeps the herds and horses in health and watches over the animals on which life depended.
Contents
Who Is Drvaspa?
Drvaspa is the yazata, or divinity, of herds and horses in the Zoroastrian tradition, one of the beneficent divine beings created by Ahura Mazda to uphold the good creation. Her name means she who keeps horses healthy, or one with solid, sound horses, and she is the protector of cattle, flocks, and horses, the divinity who keeps the herds in health and watches over the animal world on which the life of the people depended. In the sacred tradition, Drvaspa is praised as the powerful and holy divinity who keeps the flocks and herds in health, the grown cattle and the young, and who yokes teams of horses for the aid of the faithful. She is invoked by the great heroes and kings of legend, such as Hoshang, Jamshid, Faridun, Kay Khosrow, and Goshtasp, who sought her aid and favour for their undertakings and victories. She is associated with the other divinities of the animal world and is honoured in her own sacred hymn among the Yashts. As the yazata of herds and horses, the keeper of the flocks in health, Drvaspa holds a beneficent place among the divinities of the pastoral world of the Zoroastrian vision.
The Meaning of the Name
The name Drvaspa is understood to mean she who keeps horses healthy, or one possessing solid, sound horses, from elements meaning sound or solid and horse. The name thus marks her as the divinity associated with the health and soundness of horses, and, more broadly, of the herds and the animal world.
This meaning is central to her character, for Drvaspa is the divinity who keeps horses and herds in health and soundness, the protector of the animals on which the pastoral life depended. The horse held a place of special honour in the ancient Iranic world, prized for its beauty, strength, and usefulness in peace and war, and the breeding, care, and health of horses were matters of great importance; so a divinity whose very name marks her as the keeper of healthy horses reflects the deep value placed on these animals. More broadly, Drvaspa is the keeper of the herds and flocks in health, the guardian of the animal world. In later tradition, the name appears in forms such as Drvasp or Goshorun, and her hymn came to be called by a name connected with the cattle. The meaning of the name thus reveals her essential character, the divinity who keeps horses and herds in health and soundness, the beneficent guardian of the animals on which life depended. To grasp the meaning of the name is to grasp her character, the keeper of healthy horses and herds, the protector of the animal world.
Key Takeaways
Drvaspa is the Zoroastrian yazata of herds and horses.
Her name means she who keeps horses healthy, or with solid horses.
She protects cattle, flocks, and horses, keeping the herds in health.
She is invoked by the great heroes and kings of legend for aid.
She watches over the animal world, with the other animal divinities.
She is honoured in her own sacred hymn among the Yashts.
Quick Facts
Name: Drvaspa (she who keeps horses healthy); later Drvasp
Meaning: With solid or sound horses; keeper of healthy horses
Role: Yazata of herds, cattle, and horses
Keeps in health: The flocks, herds, grown cattle, and the young
Invoked by: Hoshang, Jamshid, Faridun, Kay Khosrow, Goshtasp
Associated with: The divinities of the animal world
Sacred hymn: The Gosh / Drvasp Yasht (Yasht 9)
In the calendar: Linked with the 14th day, of the animal world
Nature: A beneficent divinity of the pastoral world
Heritage: Shared Iranic religious and mythological tradition
The Keeper of Herds and Horses
Drvaspa's first and most characteristic role is as the keeper of herds and horses, the divinity who keeps the flocks and herds in health and watches over the cattle and horses on which the pastoral life depended.
In the Zoroastrian tradition, Drvaspa is the great divinity of the herds and horses, praised as the powerful and holy one who keeps the flocks in health, the herds in health, the grown cattle and the young in health, and who watches over the animals and their well-being. In a world where the life of the people depended on their cattle, flocks, and horses, the health and soundness of these animals were of the greatest importance, and Drvaspa is the divinity who guards and keeps them in health, the protector of the herds and the keeper of healthy horses. She is said to yoke teams of horses for the aid of the faithful, the divinity who brings the strength and swiftness of horses to the help of those who invoke her. This role as the keeper of herds and horses is the most characteristic aspect of Drvaspa, the beneficent divinity who guards the animals on which life depended and keeps them in health and soundness. It is as the keeper of the flocks and herds in health, and of the horses in particular, that Drvaspa is most honoured, the protector of the pastoral life and the animal world of the Zoroastrian vision.
Invoked by the Heroes of Legend
A notable feature of Drvaspa is that she is invoked by the great heroes and kings of legend, who sought her aid and favour for their undertakings and victories, as told in her sacred hymn.
In the sacred hymn dedicated to Drvaspa, a series of the great heroes and kings of legend are described as offering sacrifice to her and seeking her aid and favour. Among them are the early kings and heroes such as Hoshang and Jamshid, Faridun the dragon-slayer, Kay Khosrow the great king, and Goshtasp the royal patron of the faith, each of whom sought a boon from Drvaspa. Kay Khosrow, for instance, is described as seeking her aid to overcome the Turanian enemy and avenge the wrongs done to his house. These heroes are described as offering rich sacrifices and seeking from Drvaspa the boon of success, victory, and aid in their great undertakings. This invocation by the heroes of legend reflects the standing of Drvaspa as a powerful and beneficent divinity, sought out by the greatest figures of the legendary past for her aid and favour. The association of Drvaspa with the heroes of legend, who seek her aid in their undertakings, is a notable feature of her hymn, binding the divinity of herds and horses to the great deeds of the legendary kings and heroes. It is as a divinity invoked by the greatest heroes of legend, sought for her aid and favour, that Drvaspa holds a notable place in the Zoroastrian and Iranic tradition.
Guardian of the Animal World
Drvaspa is associated with the other divinities of the animal world, and together they watch over and protect the animals, a beneficent part of the good creation.
In the Zoroastrian vision, the animal world, and especially the beneficent animals such as cattle, sheep, and horses, are a good and valued part of the creation of the Wise Lord, and several divinities are associated with their protection and well-being. Drvaspa is associated with the other divinities of the animal world, invoked in company with the divinity who fashions the animals and the divinity who is the soul of the cattle, the three together watching over and protecting the animal world. This connects Drvaspa with the broader Zoroastrian reverence for the beneficent animals and the care due to them, seen also in the myth of the primordial ox and the soul of the cattle, and in the holy immortal Vohu Manah, who in the tradition presides over the cattle. The care and protection of the beneficent animals is an important value in the tradition, and Drvaspa, as the keeper of the herds and horses in health, is a chief divinity of this care. This role as a guardian of the animal world connects Drvaspa with the wider Zoroastrian reverence for the beneficent animals and the pastoral life, the divinity who, with her associates, watches over and protects the animals on which life depended. It is as a guardian of the animal world, keeping the herds and horses in health, that Drvaspa holds her beneficent place among the divinities of the good creation.
Honoured in Her Own Hymn
Drvaspa is honoured in her own sacred hymn among the Yashts, the hymns to the divinities, in which she is praised and her aid sought, and which preserves the memory of her invocation by the heroes of legend.
Among the sacred Yashts, the hymns dedicated to the various divinities, one is dedicated to Drvaspa, praising her as the powerful and holy keeper of the herds in health and recounting the offerings made to her by the great heroes of legend. This hymn, which we name and honour here with the respect due to the sacred literature of the tradition rather than reproducing its words, preserves the praise of Drvaspa and the memory of her invocation by the kings and heroes who sought her aid. The hymn came to be known also by a name connected with the cattle and the animal world, reflecting the close association of Drvaspa with the beneficent animals and the divinities of the animal world; and a day of the month came to be associated with this circle of divinities. The honouring of Drvaspa in her own sacred hymn reflects her standing as a beneficent and powerful divinity of the herds and horses, praised and invoked in the sacred poetry of the tradition. It is in this sacred hymn, above all, that the praise and memory of Drvaspa are preserved, the divinity of herds and horses honoured among the divinities of the Zoroastrian vision.
Symbolism and Meaning
Drvaspa embodies, above all, the Zoroastrian reverence for the animal world and the pastoral life, the beneficent divinity who keeps the herds and horses in health and watches over the animals on which life depended. As the keeper of healthy horses and herds, she represents the care due to the beneficent animals and the value placed on them.
Drvaspa embodies, too, the special honour given to the horse in the ancient Iranic world, and the seeking of divine aid for the undertakings of life, in her invocation by the heroes of legend. In this, she represents the pastoral and heroic world of the tradition and the reverence for the beneficent animals. In all this, Drvaspa is among the beneficent divinities of the Iranic religious tradition, embodying the care of the animal world, the keeping of the herds and horses in health, and the seeking of divine aid. She is the yazata of herds and horses, invoked by the heroes of legend and honoured in her own hymn, one of the beneficent figures of the religious heritage that the Kurds share with the other heirs of the Iranic tradition, associated with the soul of the cattle in the myth of the primordial ox and with the wider reverence for the animal world. The vision of the care due to the beneficent animals that she embodies is among the gentle and enduring values of the tradition.
Drvaspa and the Kurds
Drvaspa, like the other divinities of the Zoroastrian tradition, belongs to the shared ancient religious and mythological heritage of the Iranic peoples, a tradition that the Kurds, as an Iranic people, hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world. The reverence for the animal world and the pastoral life is part of the deep heritage of the whole region.
For the Kurds, much of whose traditional life has been bound up with the herding of animals and the pastoral way of life in the mountains and plains, the ancient Iranic reverence for the beneficent animals and their care has a particular resonance, part of the deep background of their cultural and spiritual world. The values that Drvaspa embodies, the care of the herds and horses, the protection of the animal world, and the seeking of divine aid for the undertakings of life, are part of the broad heritage shared across the Iranic world, of enduring resonance for a people long bound up with the pastoral life. It is honest and accurate to understand Drvaspa as part of this shared Iranic and Zoroastrian heritage, rather than as a uniquely Kurdish figure; she belongs to the common ancient religious tradition of the Iranic peoples. As an Iranic people with ancient roots in this world, the Kurds share in this heritage, of which the divinity of herds and horses is a part, alongside the other heirs of the Iranic tradition. In presenting Drvaspa, then, we present a figure of the shared ancient Iranic heritage to which the Kurds are heirs, the beneficent divinity who keeps the herds and horses in health and watches over the animal world, whose care for the beneficent animals is among the gentle values of the religious vision underlying the traditions of the region.
Debates and Misconceptions
Is Drvaspa a separate goddess? No; in the Zoroastrian understanding, Drvaspa is a yazata, one of the beneficent divine beings created by the one God, Ahura Mazda, to uphold the good creation, and worthy of veneration as such. She is best understood not as an independent goddess but as a divinity who serves the one God, the yazata of herds and horses through whom the Wise Lord watches over and protects the animal world. This understanding preserves the fundamentally monotheistic character of the faith, in which the yazatas are the means by which the one God cares for the creation and is honoured.
Is Drvaspa a divinity of horses, of cattle, or of the soul of the animals? This is an interesting question, for the tradition shows some ambiguity. Her name marks her as the keeper of healthy horses, yet she is praised more broadly as the keeper of the herds and flocks in health, and she is invoked in company with the divinities of the cattle and the soul of the animals, her hymn even coming to be known by a name connected with the cattle. Some scholars have discussed the relationship between Drvaspa and these other divinities of the animal world, and her precise original character is a matter of scholarly discussion. The honest position is that Drvaspa is the beneficent divinity of the herds and horses, the keeper of the animals in health, associated with the broader circle of the divinities of the animal world, with horses especially marked by her name. The association with the soul of the cattle, as in the myth of the primordial ox, reflects this close connection of the divinities of the animal world.
Is Drvaspa a specifically Kurdish figure? No; like the other divinities of the Zoroastrian tradition, she belongs to the shared ancient Iranic religious heritage, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world, rather than a uniquely Kurdish figure. As an Iranic people, the Kurds share in this broad and ancient heritage, of which Drvaspa is a part, alongside their neighbours.
Related Topics
Ahura Mazda: the Wise Lord, whom Drvaspa serves
The Primordial Ox: the first animal and the soul of the cattle
Vohu Manah: the holy immortal who presides over cattle
Anahita: the yazata of the waters, invoked with Drvaspa by the heroes
Vayu: the wind divinity, invoked with Drvaspa by the heroes
Ashi: the yazata of reward, linked to Drvaspa by some scholars
Kay Khosrow: the great king who sought Drvaspa's aid
Faridun: the dragon-slaying hero who sacrificed to Drvaspa
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Drvaspa in Zoroastrianism?
Drvaspa is the yazata, or divinity, of herds and horses in the Zoroastrian tradition, one of the beneficent divine beings created by Ahura Mazda. Her name means she who keeps horses healthy, and she is the protector of cattle, flocks, and horses, the divinity who keeps the herds in health and watches over the animal world. She is invoked by the great heroes of legend for aid and is honoured in her own sacred hymn among the Yashts.
What does the name Drvaspa mean?
The name Drvaspa is understood to mean she who keeps horses healthy, or one possessing solid, sound horses, from elements meaning sound or solid and horse. It marks her as the divinity associated with the health and soundness of horses, and more broadly of the herds and the animal world. The horse held a place of special honour in the ancient Iranic world, so a divinity whose name marks her as the keeper of healthy horses reflects the deep value placed on these animals.
Who invoked Drvaspa?
In her sacred hymn, a series of the great heroes and kings of legend are described as offering sacrifice to Drvaspa and seeking her aid and favour, among them Hoshang, Jamshid, Faridun the dragon-slayer, Kay Khosrow the great king, and Goshtasp the royal patron of the faith. Kay Khosrow, for instance, sought her aid to overcome the Turanian enemy. These heroes offered rich sacrifices and sought the boon of success and victory in their great undertakings.
What does Drvaspa protect?
Drvaspa protects the herds, cattle, flocks, and especially the horses, keeping them in health, the grown cattle and the young alike. In a world where the life of the people depended on their animals, the health and soundness of the herds and horses were of the greatest importance, and Drvaspa is the divinity who guards and keeps them in health. She is said to yoke teams of horses for the aid of the faithful, bringing the strength and swiftness of horses to those who invoke her.
What is the hymn of Drvaspa?
Among the sacred Yashts, the hymns dedicated to the divinities, one is dedicated to Drvaspa, praising her as the powerful and holy keeper of the herds in health and recounting the offerings made to her by the great heroes of legend. The hymn came to be known also by a name connected with the cattle and the animal world, reflecting Drvaspa's close association with the beneficent animals and the divinities of the animal world. It is named and honoured here with respect, rather than its words reproduced.
Is Drvaspa a Kurdish figure?
Drvaspa belongs to the shared ancient Zoroastrian and Iranic religious heritage, a tradition the Kurds hold in common with the Persians and others of the Iranic world, rather than a uniquely Kurdish figure. As an Iranic people with ancient roots in this world, and with a traditional life long bound up with the herding of animals, the Kurds share in this heritage, of which the divinity of herds and horses is a part, alongside their neighbours. Her care for the beneficent animals is among the gentle values of the tradition.
References and Further Reading
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