When we named the company “Mitra,” a few people asked whether it was the Roman Mithras. The short answer is no. Here is where the name comes from and why we picked it. Our main source is the Encyclopaedia Iranica, and where scholars disagree, we say so.
What does “Mitra” mean?
In the old Indo-Iranian languages, the word mitra is usually understood to mean a contract, a covenant, or a pledge. Not every scholar agrees. Some read it as “friend,” and its exact root is still unsettled. In modern Persian, mehr means kindness, and it is also the name of that ancient figure.
Mithra in the Avesta and in inscriptions
- The Avesta contains the Mihr Yasht, a long hymn to Mithra. There he guards agreements, and those who break their word face his anger.
- In the Gathas, the hymns of Zoroaster himself, Mithra is not named as a deity. The bare word mithra appears once, and scholars debate what it means there.
- From the reign of Artaxerxes II, Achaemenid inscriptions place Mithra beside Ahura Mazda and Anahita. An inscription of Artaxerxes III also lists Mithra with Ahura Mazda, though the exact reading of one phrase is disputed.
Iranian Mithra and Roman Mithras
The cult of Mithras took shape in the Roman Empire, with underground temples and initiation rites of its own. How it relates to the Iranian Mithra is debated among scholars. What is clear is that the two are not the same thing, and we have nothing to do with the Roman cult.
What about Mehregan?
Mehregan is an Iranian festival held on the day of Mehr in the month of Mehr. Its name comes from Mehr, but Iranica notes that whether the festival was truly meant to honor Mithra is still uncertain. Views on its link to the autumn equinox also differ, so we make no firm claim here.
Why we chose this name
Our work is guiding people through a path that is new and sometimes frightening. That work cannot run without trust. For us, “Mitra” stands for keeping our word, telling the truth, and treating clients kindly. It is a cultural choice, not a religious one.
Sources
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, entry “Mithra”
- Encyclopaedia Iranica, entry “Mehragān”
- Mary Boyce, A History of Zoroastrianism (further reading)