ABSTRACT
Mazdaism, the principal religion of pre-Islamic Iran, counted approximately 30,000 adherents there in the 1970s, and had about 87,500 followers, known as the Parsees, in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in 1976. The faith is characterised by an emphasis upon a struggle between Good and Evil. It is of interest not only in its own right, as manifesting a complex mixture of archaic and variegated ingredients, but also for the study of the gods and legends of many peoples, from Ireland to India. Another source of interest is the spectacular methodological progress made in this field, particularly on the continent of Europe, during the last fifty years, which has given new life to the history of religions.
