Amerdat. Vohu-mano,
"the Good Mind," originally a mere attribute of Ormazd, came to be
considered a distinct being, created by him to be his attendant and his
councillor. He was, as it were, the Grand Vizier of the Almighty King,
the chief of the heavenly conclave. Ormazd entrusted to him especially
the care of animal life; and thus, as presiding over cattle, he is the
patron deity of the agriculturist. Asha-vahista, "the best truth," or
"the best purity," is the Light of the universe, subtle, pervading,
omnipresent. He maintains the splendor of the various luminaries, and
presides over the element of fire. Khsha-thra-vairya, "wealth," has the
goods of this world at his disposal, and specially presides over metals,
the conventional signs of wealth; he is sometimes identified with the
metal which he dispenses. Spenta-Armaiti, "Holy Armaiti," is at once
the genius of the Earth, and the goddess of piety. She has the charge of
"the good creation," watches over it, and labors to convert the desolate
and unproductive portions of it into fruitful fields and gardens.
Together with Vohu-mano, she protects the agriculturist, blessing his
land with increase, as Vohu-mano does his cattle. She is called "the
daughter of Ormazd," and is regarded as the agent through whom Ormazd
created the earth. Moreover, "she tells men the everlasting laws, which
no one may abolish," or, in other words, imparts to them the eternal
principles of morality. She is sometimes represented as standing next
to Ormazd in the mythology, as in the profession of faith required of
converts to Zoroastrianism. The two remaining Amshashpands, Haurvatat
and Ameretat, "Health" and "Immortality," have the charge of the
vegetable creation; Haurvatat causes the flow of water, so necessary
to the support of vegetable life in countries where little rain falls;
Ameretat protects orchards and gardens, and enables trees to bring their
fruits to perfection.

Another deity, practically perhaps as much worshipped as Ormazd and
Mithra, was Anaitis or Anahit. Anaiitis was originally an Assyrian and
Babylonian, not a Zoroastrian goddess; but her worship spread to the
Persians at a date anterior to Herodotus, and became in a short time
exceedingly popular. It was in connection with this worship that
idolatry seems first to have crept in, Artaxerxes Mnemon (ab. B.C. 400)
having introduced images of Anaitis into Persia, and set them up at
Susa, the capital, at Persepolis, Ecbatana,