FRAVASHIS

[Persian] In ancient Persian (Zoroastrian) religion, the Fravashis (singular: Fravartin) are guardian angels or protecting spirits. They guide the souls of the deceased to heaven. Each family or clan has its own spirit, which guards and looks after only them. The Fravashis assisted Ahura Mazda in the creation of the world and, as riders armed with spears, are the defenders of heaven. In Zoroastrianism, the Fravashi are the ancestral spirits of true believers. The annual festival of Hamaspathmaedaya was the Persian 'All Souls'.