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Airyanem Vaejah (Avestan: 𐬀𐬫𐬭𐬌𐬌𐬀𐬥𐬆𐬨 𐬬𐬀𐬉𐬘𐬀𐬵, romanized: Ayriianəm Vaēǰah; Middle Persian: Ērān-wēz; Persian: Irānwēj; Parthian: Aryānwēžan, 'the Arya Expanse[note 1]') is considered in Zoroastrianism to be the homeland of the early Iranians and the place where Zarathustra received the religion from Ahura Mazda.[1] The Avesta also names it as the first of the "sixteen perfect lands" that Ahura Mazda created for the Iranians.[2]
Based on these descriptions, modern scholarship initially focused on Airyanem Vaejah in an attempt to determine the homeland of the Iranians or Indo-Iranians in general.[3] Among these early attempts, the region of Khwarezm emerged as a likely locale.[4] More recent scholarship, however, no longer agrees as to where Airyanem Vaejah might have been located or to what extent it is a mythological rather than a specific historical place.[5][6][7]
Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).
- ^ Benveniste 1934.
- ^ Vogelsang 2000.
- ^ Witzel 2000, p. 9: "Among the various countries known to Old Persian and Avestan texts, it is Airiianəm Vaẽjah that has captured the imagination of scholars most. Many regard it as the "mythical homeland" of the Aryans ...".
- ^ Vogelsang 2000, p. 9: "The land of Airyanem Vaejah, which is described in the text as a land of extreme cold, has often been identified with ancient Choresmia.".
- ^ Gnoli 1980.
- ^ Skjaervø 1995.
- ^ Grenet 2005.