There was, however, another branch, represented by the Zend-Avesta, as opposed to the Vedas, among which there was a more or less conscious opposition to the gods of Nature, to which we are about to refer, and a striving after a more spiritual deity, proclaimed by Zoroaster under the name of Ahura-Mazda, or Ormuzd. The existence of these rituals side by side in time tends to throw back the origin of the Nature-worship of both. Now, what do we find? In the Veda the gods are called Devas, a word which means "bright"; brightness or light being one of the most general attributes shared by the various manifestations of the deity. What were the deities? The sun, the sky, the dawn, fire, and storm. It is clear, in fact, from the Vedas that sunrise was, to those from whom the ritual had been derived, the great revelation of Nature, and in time, in the minds of the poets of the Veda, _deva_, from meaning "bright," gradually came to mean "divine." Sunrise it was that inspired the first prayers of our race, and called forth the first sacrificial flames. Here, for instance, is an extract from one of the Vedas. "Will the sun rise again? Will our old friend the Dawn come back again? Will the power of Darkness be conquered by the God of Light?" These three questions in one hymn will show what a questionable stage in man's history is thus brought before us, and how the antithesis between night and day was one of the first things to strike mankind. We find very many names for Sun-gods-- Mitra, Indra (the day brought by the sun), Sûrya, Vasishtha, Arusha (bright or red); and for the Dawn-gods-- Ushas, Dyaus, Dyotanâ, Ahanâ, Urvasīī. We have only to consider how tremendously important must have been the coming of the sun in the morning, bringing everything with it; and the dying away of the sun in the evening, followed at once by semi-tropical quick darkness, to cease to wonder at such worship as this. Here is an extract from one hymn to the Dawn (Ushas):-- "(1) She shines upon us like a young wife, rousing every living being to go to his work; when the fire had to be kindled by men she made the light by striking down darkness. "(2) She rose up spreading far and wide, and moving everywhere, she grew in brightness, wearing her brilliant garment [the mother of the cows (the mornings)], the leader of the days, she shone gold-coloured, lovely to behold. "(3) She, the fortunate, who brings the eye of the gods, who leads the white and lovely steed (of the sun), the _Dawn_, was seen revealed by her rays, with brilliant treasures, following everyone. "(4) Thou art a blessing when thou art near.... Raise up wealth to the worshipper, thou mighty _Dawn_. "(5) Shine for us with thy best rays, thou bright Dawn.... "(6) Thou daughter of the sky, thou high-born Dawn...."