Zarathushtra Discussion Group

Re: What was Haoma?

From: Hormuzd
Email:
Date: 02 Jul 2000
Time: 20:53:08

Comments

Dear Ashegan, Re-- Haoma-- It was the extract of a pounded plant, the identity of the original plant may well have been a species of 'Ephedra'. This extract of ephedra,with milk and leaves of another plant ( ? name) was used as a ritual offering to the waters at the end of a 'YASNA' ceremony. Apparently, the Zoroastrians ascribed great qualities to the extract of the plant, whose juice, they held,could exhilarate men and heighten the powers, eg warriors drinking it would quickly be filled with battle-fury, poets be inspired, and priests become more open to devine promptings. From this a concept developed, of a ritual of the 'green-eyed' god HAOMA, the divine priest, who was invoked also as a healer, a protector of cattle, giving strength to fighting men, and warding off drought and famine. ( All this information is from the book on ZOROASTRIANS written by the scholarly lady Mary Boyce) The most common use of Ephedrine now a days is for reversible asthma and bronchitis plus ephedrine also has a stimulant effect on the brain, and promotes receptivity. That is all I can say about HAOMA. If you should come across any more interesting facts about it, then please let me know.

Hormuzd.

The Web Administrator reserves the right to delete any single message, should it be considered abusive or inappropriate, and outside of the normal bounds of decency. Furthermore, the administrator reserves the right to restrict access or terminate the operations of this discussion page at any time, without prior notice or warning.

© 2000, Los Angeles, CA
You may use any part presented herein, on the condition of giving full credit to the author and to this home page, including a hyperlink, if you wish to use these material over the Internet.

Please report any problems to
Last changed: May 29, 2004