Lesson plan
Barsom
king Ardashir II (centre). Mithra (left) stands on a lotus flower holding a barsom. . The present-day barsom is much shorter, and made of wire. A barsom is a ritual implement used by Zoroastrian priests to solemnize certain sacred ceremonies. The word barsom derives from the Avestan language baresman (trisyllabic, ), which is in turn a substantive of barez "to grow high." The later form – barsom – first appears in the 9th–12th-century texts of Zoroastrian tradition, and remains in use to the present day. The baresman is not related to the baresnum, which is a purification ceremony. The baresman should also not be confused with the "mace", the varza (Avestan, MP gurz). The varza is a metal rod, about one centimeter in thickness, often crowned with a bull's head. It has been suggested that the baresman may have a Zagrosian origin.
Article summary
king Ardashir II (centre). Mithra (left) stands on a lotus flower holding a barsom. . The present-day barsom is much shorter, and made of wire. A barsom is a ritual implement used by Zoroastrian priests to solemnize certain sacred ceremonies. The word barsom derives from the Avestan language baresman (trisyllabic, ), which is in turn a substantive of barez "to grow high." The later form – barsom – first appears in the 9th–12th-century texts of Zoroastrian tradition, and remains in use to the present day. The baresman is not related to the baresnum, which is a purification ceremony. The baresman should also not be confused with the "mace", the varza (Avestan, MP gurz). The varza is a metal rod, about one centimeter in thickness, often crowned with a bull's head. It has been suggested that the baresman may have a Zagrosian origin.
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Discussion questions
- Summarise the article in your own words. Which single claim would you verify first, and why?
- Which claim in this article is most likely to be revised as the sources update? How would you check its current status?
- If two sources disagreed about one of these facts, what would you need in order to trust one over the other?
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Key claims and bibliography are generated from the same tracked claims and sources as the article page.