In the reliefs depicting the coronation of Ardashir I and Shapur I,
Ahriman is seen as the enemy of the mounted kings; the kings are represented by Ahuramazda himself.
The theology is fundamentally dualistic in that the course of the universe is understood as a relentless struggle between Ormuzd (Ahura Mazda), the principle of light and goodness, and
Ahriman (Angra Mainyu), the spirit of evil and darkness.
He demands young people as sacrifices for his two serpents and sets up a cruel regime under the influence of the malevolent spirit
Ahriman.
Yet Minoo is also living a fantastic, sword-and-sorcery adventure in a mystic rendition of ancient Persia, where she and the man she loves battle the evil monsters of
Ahriman. The art shifts significantly with the juxtaposed stories, tracing stark, simple lines to portray the modern-day world, while enhancing the fantasy world with rich shading.
(Ahura Mazda's cosmogonic act of throwing
Ahriman or Angra Mainyu from the precosmogonic abyss the latter was inhabiting into hell, where he was to stay for the same duration of three thousand years, in the Persian myth, is possibly a source of inspiration here).
Finally, unlike Zoroastrianism's
Ahriman. Satan is not inherently evil.
This terrifying figure, displayed in many surviving mithraea, has been identified with the Greek Kronos and Egyptian Kore, the god of time, but in several mithraea, this idol is captioned "Deus Arimanius." Arimanius is the Latin form of Persian
Ahriman, meaning "evil spirit."
Ahriman was the Satan of Zoroastrianism, and his presence in Mithraic sancta speaks volumes about the real nature of this mystery cult.
The
Ahriman Gate is a novel about a nightmarish scenario of shadow governmental secrets, ghastly genetic manipulation, and the brink of discoveries that could spell the end of the world.
If there is evil in the world, it is, in some religions, the work of an evil deity -
Ahriman, Satan, Asmodeus, Loki - but in other religions, it is the product of evil desires in human beings.
But Ormazd's twin brother
Ahriman, who represents the spirit of darkness and evil, continually wars against the light.