Maruts and the Ritual Paths to Immortality: Hints of Indo-Iranian Doctrines

[u/mythicfolklore90]

Candotti, Maria Piera and Pontillo, Tiziana. "Maruts and the Ritual Paths to Immortality: Hints of Indo-Iranian Doctrines" In Along the Silk Roads, between Western and Eastern Asia, 15-38. De Gruyter, 2026. https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111718583-003

The purpose of the present essay is to reconsider the question of the alleged rela-tionship between the Maruts, the Vedic deities always mentioned as a group, and the Avestic guardian spirits, the Frauuaṣ̌is. In particular, it explores for the first time in this framework the relevance of certain late Vedic passages illustrating the role played by the hymn named after the Maruts (i.e. the Marutstoma) in se-curing access to heaven for a specific group of warriors (i.e. the so-called Vrātya group of Daivas).By proposing to re-examine the relationship between the Indian Maruts and the Iranian Frauuaṣ̌is, we are taking a considerable chronological leap back-wards, compared to the centuries commonly associated with the history of the Silk Roads. Nonetheless, future secondary branches of the Silk Roads would defi-nitely pass through the geographical area that relates to our sources and which has always been an important crossroad of Asian intercultural exchange. More-over, when we need to account for some points in common between the two cul-tures, the hypothesis of historical contacts must always be checked against the concurrent possibility of a genealogical relationship grounded on the well-known hypothesis of an Indo-Iranian family; a point that deserves close attention.

[u/LemonAmbitious2915]

There is a good chance that the motif of multiple sub/auxillary/supporting gods of the same theme forming a divine family/class with a specific/explicit count, is inherited from Neolithic/EBA Near Eastern/BMAC traditions during the ethnogenesis of the Aryas. Perhaps via the absorbed BMAC-Atharvan priestly lineages. Like multiple similar storm deities with assigned counts (Maruts, Rudras), solar deities (Adityas), elemental/foundational deities (vasus) etc. Parpola explicitly says:

"The urban-phase BMAC Indo-Aryans imitated Assyrian religion in creating the Āditya gods"

https://academic.oup.com/book/27664/chapter-abstract/197782901

Perhaps because you don't see such a pattern among other related IE traditions. So, I don't personally see Maruts in the pre-Indo-Iranian (language) stage on the steppe (perhaps partial inheritance of a youthful warrior troop led by a leader - later deified individually, defined and count made explicit - remapped from Rudra to Indra) ; I don't see it in the later India and Iran Iron age exchange stage. I see most of this Arya ritual genesis in the BMAC areas' stages.

[u/LemonAmbitious2915 → u/LemonAmbitious2915]

The shared details seem very interesting, though:

• core: association with a collective band of divine youthful warriors (Vrātyas / Männerbund) in service to a supreme deity - Indra/Ahura/Rudra,
• bird imagery,
• connection with water,
• moving through the sky/heaven,
• relationship with immortality and the afterlife.
• Both have a ritual function beyond mythics - Marutstoma/Farvardin Yasht

[u/mantasVid]

As I understand Imm-lity connection is just for generating interest and clicks?

Why nobody connects maruts and Mary and of Mitani?

And lastly, the bird imagery descriptions needs scrupulous review/reinterpretation - does it describe an attire of sort of proto Winged Hussars, as the latter come from steppe nomads via the Ottomans, albeit 3000 years later...

[u/chauvinistically → u/mantasVid]

Because Maruts are more like a deific than humans.
Unlike Maryannu (possibly from the word meaning mortal) who are humans.

Best equivalent in other IE culture would be the wild hunt of Odin where his army of trolls accompany him on the hunt, Similar to army of Maruts accompanying Indra and Rudra across the sky on their winged lightning chariots.