Page "Dharma" Paragraph 84

Through accumulation several other beliefs were introduced to the religion that in some instances supersede those expressed in the Gathas.

In the late 19th century the moral and immoral forces came to be represented by Spenta Mainyu and its Satanic antithesis Angra Mainyu, the ' good spirit ' and ' evil spirit ' emanations of Ahura Mazda respectively.

Although the names are old, this opposition is a modern western-influenced development popularized by Martin Haug in the 1880s, and was in effect a realignment of the precepts of Zurvanism ( Zurvanite Zoroastrianism ), which had invented a third deity, Zurvan, in order to explain a mention of twinship ( Yasna 30. 3 ) between the moral and immoral.

Although Zurvanism had died out by the 10th century the critical question of the " twin brothers " mentioned in Yasna 30. 3 remained, and Haug's explanation provided a convenient defence against Christian missionaries who disparaged the Parsis ( Indian Zoroastrians ) for their ' dualism '.

Haug's concept was subsequently disseminated as a Parsi interpretation, thus corroborating Haug's theory and the idea became so popular that it is now almost universally accepted as doctrine.