Barsom

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 centimer in thickness, often crowned with a bull's head.

It has been suggested that the ''baresman'' may have a Zagrosian origin..

Physical characteristics

Material

In present-day use, the ''barsom'' is a bundle of short metal wires or rods, each about 20 cm in length. and made of brass or silver.

The use of metal wires or rods is a relatively recent development: Until at least the 16th century, the ''barsom'' was made of twigs or stems, and there was an elaborate ritual surrounding their collection. There is no indication in scripture or older tradition as to which plant was to be used, and ''Yasna'' 25.3 eulogizes the plant without being specific.

One indication of which plant was used comes from the 16th century, where the authors of the ''Rivayat'' epistles reprimand their Indian co-religionists for not using twigs of the tamarisk (''R.'' 329.). The twigs of the pomegranate tree also figure in other late sources. Strabo (XV.3.14) speaks of "a bundle of slender myrtle rods."

Dimensions

Both scripture and tradition are precise with respect to the dimensions of the twigs required. ''Yasna