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A Yazata is one of a group of divinities in Mazdaism and Zoroastrianism.
Etymology
Yazata- is the stem form of a noun that in Avestan has the inflected nominative forms yazatō, pl. yazatåŋhō. These forms reflect Proto-Iranian *yazatah and pl. *yazatāhah. In Middle Persian the term became yazad or yazd, pl. yazdān; cf. modern Persian یزدان yazdān "God" and ایزد izad "angel".
Yazata- is originally an adjective derived from the verbal root yaz- "to worship, to honor, to venerate". From the same root comes Avestan yasna "worship, sacrifice, prayer". A yazata is accordingly "a being worthy of worship" or "a holy being".
Related terms in other languages are Sanskrit yájati "he worships, he sacrifices", yajatá- "worthy of worship, holy", yajñá "sacrifice", and Greek ἅγιος hagios "devoted to the gods, sacred, holy".
History of the concept
Many of the Yazata pre-date Zoroastrianism where they were deities or divine concepts, and where Yazata was synonymous with 'inexplicable' or 'mystical'. Many of the characters have Vedic equivalents as well.
The Yazata that were worshipped in proto-Indo-Iranian religions as deities and divinities were divided along the lines of being either devas (Persian: div) or ahuras. The doctrinal modifications introduced by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) retained the multitude of these deities, but reorganized them into a strict and complex hierarchy under the supremecy of the Creator Ahura Mazda.
In Zoroastrianism
Following Zoroaster's ministry, the Yazata were reduced to the position of angels. In their new role, they primarily served as assistants or collaborators (Hamkars) of the Amesha Spenta (Bounteous Immortals), the 'divine sparks' of Ahura Mazda personified as the archangels of Zoroastrianism.
Nonetheless, the Yazata remained an important part of both Zoroastrian culture and Persian mythology. Many of the Yazata have hymns of the Yašts dedicated to them (see Avesta), and the Yašts were in turn an important source of inspiration to Ferdowsi, who incorporated many of the figures in his Shahnameh epic. Most of the divinities had month or day names dedicated to them, a tradition that continues to exist both in present-day Zoroastrianism (see Zoroastrian calendar) and the official national calendar of Iran.
The best known of the Yazata is Mithra, a figure that predates Zoroastrianism, but as Dae-pa-Meher, is one of the three Hamkars of Ahura Mazda.
See also
"Yazata"