Freddie Mercury and Zoroastrianism – The Fresh Toast

Freddy Mercury’s music remains in our hearts and his life remains in the news. From the recent auction of his personal items to an amazing cover by Patrick Wilson that’s gaining new fans every day. But did you know the backstory of his relationship?

In the Freddie Mercury biography “Bohemian Rhapsody,” there is a scene in which a family member scolds Mercury.

“So the family name isn’t good enough for you now?”

“I changed it legally,” Mercury replies. “Don’t look back.”

It may come as a surprise to some that Freddie Mercury was born Farrokh Bulsara. He came from a Parsi family with roots in India and was a Zoroastrian by faith.

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In the world religions courses I teach at the University of Florida, we discuss Zoroastrianism.

Fleeing religious persecution from Muslims in Persia, Zoroastrians settled in India sometime between the 7th and 10th centuries, where they were called “Parsis.”

Like Freddie Mercury, they struggled to integrate into their new surroundings. Yet they also remained true to the values, beliefs and practices of their religion, which many scholars say had an influence on Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

A forerunner of Christianity?

The Zoroastrian faith is one of the oldest religions in the world, dating back to 1200 BC. Could go back to BC

Zoroaster, a prophet who lived in what is now Iran, is considered the founder of Zoroastrianism.

We are not sure when Zoroaster lived, although some say it was around 1200 BC. was. He is believed to have composed the Gathas, the hymns that form a significant part of the Yasna, the liturgical texts of the Zoroastrians.

According to Zoroastrian tradition, Ahura Mazda is the supreme lord and creator; he represents all that is good. In this respect, religion is one of the oldest examples of monotheism, that is, belief in one God.

A glazed tile depiction of the Zoroastrian god Ahura Mazda in the city of Taft, Iran. A. Davey/flickr, CC BY

The main tenets of the faith center on the opposition between Ahura Mazda and the forces of evil embodied by Angra Mainyu, the spirit of destruction, malevolence and chaos. This evil spirit creates a serpent called Azi Dahaka, a symbol of the underworld not unlike the biblical serpents of Judeo-Christian traditions.

Within this cosmic battle we see the tension between “asha,” which roughly translates to “truth,” “justice,” “justice,” or “good things,” and “druj,” or deception.

Truth is represented by light, and Parsis always turn to a source of light when praying, with fire, sun and moon symbolizing this spiritual light.

In fact, scholars have noted the strong historical influence that Zoroastrianism has had on concepts in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, be it monotheism, the duality of good and evil, or Satan

Today Zoroastrianism has a small but devout following, although it is becoming smaller and smaller.

In 2004, it was estimated that there were between 128,000 and 190,000 Zoroastrians living worldwide, including 18,000 in the United States.

Like sugar in milk

“Qissa e Sanjan,” which translates to “The Story of Sanjan,” was composed around the 17th century. It describes how the Zoroastrians, fleeing religious persecution from Muslim invasions of their Persian homeland many centuries earlier, set out for Gujarat in western India.

Once they arrive, they turn to the local king, whom they call “Jadi Rana.” He agrees to give them land if they adopt the local clothing, language and some customs. But there is no doubt about their religious beliefs: they still practice their religion, and Jadi Rana is delighted that these newcomers are worshiping the way they like.

Parsi history knows two versions of what happened.

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In one case, the king sends the Zoroastrian refugees a glass of milk filled to the brim when they arrived in Gujarat – his way of saying that his kingdom is full and there is no room for more people. In response, the newcomers stir in a spoonful of sugar and send it back to the king. In other words: They not only promise to integrate into the local population, but also to strengthen it through their presence.

In the other version, they throw a gold ring into the bowl to show that they are preserving their identity and culture, but still adding enormous value to the region.

These are both compelling narratives, although they make slightly different points. One praises the integration of immigrants, the other emphasizes the value of harmonious coexistence of different cultures.

Parsis in India – and wherever they have gone – have done both. They have adopted some customs of the country in which they live while maintaining their distinctive culture, religious rituals and beliefs.

They have also made more cultural contributions than the first wave of refugees to Gujarat could have ever imagined.

Despite their small number, Parsis can count among their ranks a number of famous musicians, scientists, scholars, artists and entrepreneurs.

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In addition to Freddie Mercury, there is Zubin Mehta, the leader of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra; Jamshedji Tata, founder of Tata Group, India’s largest business conglomerate; Dadabhai Naoroji, the first Indian elected to the British Parliament; Harvard Professor Homi K. Bhabha; and nuclear physicist Homi J. Bhabha, to name a few.

Freddie Mercury’s family was made up of immigrants. Her first home was India. They then moved to Zanzibar before finally settling in England.

Like his ancestors, Freddie Mercury integrated himself into a new culture. He changed his name and became a western pop icon.

Yet despite it all, he remained immensely proud of his heritage.

“I think what his Zoroastrian faith gave him,” his sister Kashmira Cooke explained in 2014, “was to work hard, persevere and follow his dreams.”



And now you know about Freddie Mercury and Zoroastrianism.

Vasudha Narayanan, Professor of Religion, University of Florida