Investigation of Aspects of Religious Beliefs of the People of Guilan from Prehistory to the Historical Period (North of Iran)
Investigation of Aspects of Religious Beliefs of the People of Guilan from Prehistory to the Historical Period (North of Iran)

Summary/Abstract: Even though religious beliefs are one of the most important aspects of life in any society, the supernatural beliefs of the people of Guilan in the prehistoric period remain unknown. Long before the Aryans, natives were living on the Iranian plateau, as the most notable natives in Guilan during the migration of the Aryans and in the Median and Achaemenid empires were the Amardians, Caspians, and Cadusians. Archaeological excavations in various parts of Guilan revealed that the natives had a great culture and civilization. Archaeological findings from Guilan's prehistoric sites dating back to the Iron Age also showed that these people had faith in life after death and in social classes. They used to sacrifice animals for the gods, aiming to please them, though more data from future excavations are needed to substantiate this. The findings suggest that throughout the historical periods, the people of Guilan believed in original Aryan gods and resisted the acceptance of the Zoroastrian religion, believing in gods such as Mitra and Nahid, who were the gods of the demons group. Hence, the holy Zoroastrian book and the Iranian literature refer to these people as worshipers of demons.

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