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Zoroastrianism / Mazdaism Ahura Mazda Zarathustra (Zoroaster) aša (asha) / arta Image File history File links Faravahar. ... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... Ahura Mazda () is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator, hence God. ... Zoroaster (Greek Ζωροάστρης, ZōroastrÄ“s) or Zarathustra (Avestan: ZaraθuÅ¡tra), also referred to as Zartosht (Persian: ; Kurdish: ), was an ancient Iranian prophet and religious poet. ... In Vedic Sanskrit, Rta literally means the course of things. ...

Angels and demons

Overview of the Angels Amesha Spentas · Yazatas Ahuras · Daevas Angra Mainyu Zoroastrian angelology is branch of Zoroastrian doctrine that deals with the hierarchical system of divinities introduced by the reforms of Zarathustra (Zoroaster). ... In Zoroastrianism, Amesha Spentas are the Holy Immortals, the equivalent of Archangels in Christian theology. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Zoroastrian angelology. ... Ahura is the Avestan language designation for a class of divinity, adopted by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) from prehistoric proto-Indo-Iranian religion. ... Angra Mainyu is the Avestan language name of the hypostasis of the destructive spirit. The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman. ...

Scripture and worship

Avesta · Gathas Vendidad The Ahuna Vairya Invocation Fire Temples See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... The Gathas (Gāθās) are the most sacred of the texts of the Zoroastrian faith, and are traditionally believed to have been composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Faravahar, believed to be a depiction of a Farvashi, as mentioned in the Yasna, Yashts and Vendidad The Avesta is a collection of the sacred texts of the Mazdaist (Zoroastrian) religion. ... Ahuna Vairya is the Avestan language name of the most sacred of the Gathic hymns of the Avesta, the revered texts of Zoroastrianism. ... A Zoroastrian Fire Temple is a place of worship for Zoroastrians. ...

Accounts and legends

Dēnkard · Bundahišn Book of Arda Viraf Book of Jamasp Story of Sanjan The Denkard is the largest encyclopedia of Zoroastrianism written in 9th century. ... Category: ... The Book of Arda Viraf is a Zoroastrian religious text which describes the dream-journey of a devout Zoroastrian through the next world. ... The Jamasp Nameh (var: Jāmāsp Nāmag, Jāmāsp Nāmeh, Story of Jamasp) is a Middle Persian book of revelations. ... The Qissa-i Sanjan (or Kisse-i Sanjan, the Story of Sanjan) is an account of the early years of Zoroastrian settlers on the Indian subcontinent. ...

History and culture

Zurvanism Calendar · Festivals Marriage Eschatology Zurvan is the Persian god of infinite time, space and fate. ... The Zoroastrian calendar is a religious calendar used by members of the Zoroastrian faith, and it is an approximation of the (tropical) solar calendar. ... Zoroastrianism has numerous festivals and holy days, all of which are bound to the Zoroastrian calendar. ... In the Zoroastrian faith marriage is encouraged, an institution greatly favoured by the religious texts[1]. As of such, a Zoroastrian Wedding is a cause for celebration. ... Zoroastrianism eschatology is the oldest eschatology in recorded history. ...

Adherents

Zoroastrians in Iran Parsis · Iranis • • • Persecution of Zoroastrians Zoroastrian Fire Temple in Yazd Zoroastrians in Iran have had a long history, being the oldest religious community of that nation to survive to the present-day. ... This article is about the Parsi community. ... Irani is a term used to denote Indian Zoroastrians whose ancestors emigrated from Iran within the last two centuries, as opposed to the longer residing Parsis. ... The persecution of Zoroastrians has been common since the fall of the Sassanid Empire and the rule of Umayyad Arab empire that replaced it. ...

See also

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Daeva (daēuua, daāua, daēva) is the Avestan language term for a particular sort of supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics. Avestan is an Eastern Old Iranian language that was used to compose the sacred hymns and canon of the Zoroastrian Avesta. ...

In the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, the daevas are 'wrong gods' or 'false gods' or 'gods that are (to be) rejected'. This meaning is – subject to interpretation – perhaps also evident in the Old Persian 'daiva inscription' of the 5th century BCE. In the Younger Avesta, the daevas are noxious creatures that promote chaos and disorder. In later tradition and folklore, the dēws (Zoroastrian Middle Persian; New Persian divs) are personifications of every imaginable evil. The Gathas (Gāθās) are the most sacred of the texts of the Zoroastrian faith, and are traditionally believed to have been composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. ... Zoroastrianism is the religion and philosophy based on the teachings ascribed to the prophet Zoroaster (Zarathustra, Zartosht). ... See Aryan Language or Old Persian For more information visit: *[Ancient Iranian Languages & Literature The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS) ... See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ... Pahlavi is a term that refers: (1) to a script used in Iran derived from the Aramaic script, and (2) more broadly, to Middle Persian, the Middle Iranian language written in this script. ... Farsi redirects here. ...

Origin and development

Etymology

Old Avestan daēuua or daēva derives from Old Iranian *daiva, which in turn derives from Indo-Iranian *devá- "god," reflecting Proto-Indo-European *deiu̯ó with the same meaning. For derivatives in a European context, see Tyr. The Proto-Indo-European language (PIE) is the hypothetical common ancestor of the Indo-European languages, spoken by the Proto-Indo-Europeans. ... Týr, depicted here with both hands intact, is identified with Mars in this illustration from an 18th century Icelandic manuscript. ...

The Vedic Sanskrit cognate of Avestan daēuua is devá-, continuing in later Indic languages as dəv. Equivalents in Iranian languages include Old Persian daiva, Middle Persian dēw and New Persian dīv. Vedic Sanskrit is the language of the Vedas, which are the earliest sacred texts of India,. The Vedas were first passed down orally and therefore have no known date. ... The Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. ... The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family. ... See Aryan Language or Old Persian For more information visit: *[Ancient Iranian Languages & Literature The Circle of Ancient Iranian Studies (CAIS) ... Pahlavi is a term that refers: (1) to a script used in Iran derived from the Aramaic script, and (2) more broadly, to Middle Persian, the Middle Iranian language written in this script. ... Farsi redirects here. ...

Problems of interpretation

While it is likely that the daevas were once the "national" gods of pre-Zoroastrian Iran,^[1] there is "no known Iranian dialect attests clearly and certainly the survival of a positive sense for [Old Iranian] *daiva-."^[2] This "fundamental fact of Iranian linguistics" is "impossible" to reconcile with the testimony of the Gathas, where the daevas, though rejected, were still evidently gods that continued to have a following.^[2] The Iranian languages are a branch of the Indo-European language family. ...

This essential contradiction has yet to be conclusively explained. Given the fragmentary and discontinuous information in the sources, it is an extremely difficult issue. In general, "rejection of the [daevas] is linked to Zoroaster's reform"^[3] and Gershevitch^[4] and others following Lommel^[5] consider the progression from "national" gods to demons to be attributable to the "genius of Zoroaster."^[2]

In comparison with Vedic usage

Although with some points of comparison such as shared etymology, Indic devá- is thematically different from Avestan daēva. In the RigVeda (10.124.3), the daevas are the "younger gods", in conflict with the asuras, the "older gods". There is no such division evident in the Zoroastrian texts. Rig veda is the oldest text in the world. ... // In Hinduism In Hindu mythology, the Asura (Sanskrit: असुर) are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. ...

In the later Vedic texts (not generally a source of comparison with Iranian texts), the conflict between the two groups of devas and asuras is a primary theme. This theme is not attested in an Iranian context where conflict occurs between asha and druj, and the respective supporters on either side. // In Hinduism In Hindu mythology, the Asura (Sanskrit: असुर) are a group of power-seeking deities, sometimes misleadingly referred to as demons. ... In Vedic Sanskrit, Rta literally means the course of things. ...

The Zoroastrian ahuras (etymologically related to the Vedic asuras) are only vaguely defined and only three in number. Similarly, the use of asura in the RigVeda is unsystematic and inconsistent and "it can hardly be said to confirm the existence of a category of gods opposed to the devas." Indeed, RigVedic deva is variously applied to most gods, including many of the asuras. Ahura is the Avestan language designation for a class of divinity, adopted by Zarathustra (Zoroaster) from prehistoric proto-Indo-Iranian religion. ...

Moreover, the demonization of the asuras in India and the demonization of the daevas in Iran both took place "so late that the associated terms cannot be considered a feature of Indo-Iranian religious dialectology."^[2] The view - popularized by Nyberg,^[6] Duchesne-Guillemin^[7] and Widengren^[8] of a prehistorical opposition of *asura/daiva involves "interminable and entirely conjectural discussions" on the status of various Indo-Iranian entities that in one culture are asuras/ahuras and in the other are devas/daevas (see examples in the Younger Avesta, below).

In scripture

In Zoroaster's revelation

In the Gathas, the oldest texts of Zoroastrianism and believed to have been composed by Zoroaster himself, the daevas are not yet the demons that they would become in later Zoroastrianism. The Gathas (Gāθās) are the most sacred of the texts of the Zoroastrian faith, and are traditionally believed to have been composed by Zarathushtra (Zoroaster) himself. ... Zoroaster (Greek Ζωροάστρης, Zōroastrēs) or Zarathustra (Avestan: Zaraθuštra), also referred to as Zartosht (Persian: ; Kurdish: ), was an ancient Iranian prophet and religious poet. ...

In these pre-historic texts, where the term occurs 19 times, the daevas are a distinct category of "quite genuine gods, who had, however, been rejected."^[1] In Yasna 32.3 and 46.1, the daevas are still worshipped by the Iranian peoples. Yasna 32.8 notes that some of the followers of Zoroaster had previously been followers of the daevas. See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ...

In the Gathas, the poet censures the daevas as being incapable of discerning truth (asha-) from falsehood (druj-). They are consequently in "error" (aēnah-), which led them to have accepted the bad religion. Simultaneously, the Indo-Iranian legacy of the daevas as beneficient gods is still evident in numerous expressions that appear in both Avestan and Vedic Sanskrit. Further, although the daevas are described as being incapable of proper discernment, they are never identified with the druj itself. The daevas are never themselves druj "false" or dregvant "of the lie." In Vedic Sanskrit, Rta literally means the course of things. ...

From such ambiguity it has been concluded that – at the time the Gathas were composed - "the process of rejection, negation, or demonization of these gods was only just beginning, but, as the evidence is full of gaps and ambiguities, this impression may be erroneous."^[1]

Although the daevas are clearly identified with evil (eg Yasna 32.5), they are not identified as evil. They deceive mankind and themselves but they are not aka mainyu (aka being the Avestan language word for "evil". Hence, 'aka mainyu' is the "evil spirit" or "evil mind" or "evil thought").

In Yasna 32.4, the daevas are revered by the Usij, described as being a class of "false priests" - devoid of goodness of mind and heart - that are hostile to cattle and husbandry. (Yasna 32.10-11, 44.20) Like the daevas that they follow, "the Usij are known throughout the seven regions of the earth as the offspring of "evil thought" (aka mainyu), "lie" (druj), and arrogance. (Yasna 32.3)."^[9] Yasna 30.6 suggests the daeva-worshipping priests met often with Zoroaster to argue but fail to move him.

The Gathas only speak of the daevas as a group. The hymns also do not mention the individual daevas by name. Although the polemic against the daevas is a major theme in the Gathas, in other older sections of the Avesta the daevas are not mentioned at all.

In the Younger Avesta

In the Younger Avesta, the daevas are unambiguously hostile entities. See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Yasna 28. ...

In contrast, the word daevayasna- (literally "one who sacrifices to daevas") denotes adherents of other religions and thus still preserves some semblance of the original meaning in that the daeva- prefix still denotes "other" gods. In Yasht 5.94 however, the daevayasna- are those who sacrifice to Anahita during the hours of darkness - i.e. the hours when the daevas lurk about - and daevayasna- appears then to be an epithet applied to those who deviate from accepted practice and/or harvested religious disapproval.^[10] The s (s) are a collection of twenty-one hymns in Younger Avestan. ... Temple of Anahita: goddess of ancient Persia, Iran. ...

The Vendidad – a contraction of vi-daevo-dāta, "given against the daevas" – is a collection of late Avestan texts deals almost exclusively with the daevas, or rather, their various manifestations and ways to confound them. Vi.daeva- "rejecting the daevas" qualifies the faithful Zoroastrian with the same force as mazdayasna- ('Mazda worshiper').^[3] See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Faravahar, believed to be a depiction of a Farvashi, as mentioned in the Yasna, Yashts and Vendidad The Avesta is a collection of the sacred texts of the Mazdaist (Zoroastrian) religion. ...

In Vendidad 10.9 and 19.43, three divinities of the Vedic pantheon follow Angra Mainyu in a list of demons. Completely adapted to Iranian phonology, these are Indra (Vedic Indra), Sarva (Vedic Sarva, Shiva) and Nanghaithya (Vedic Nasatya). The process by which these three came to appear in the Avesta is uncertain. Together with three other daevas – Tauru, Zairi and Nasu - that do not have Vedic equivalents, the six oppose the six Amesha Spentas. This article discusses the historical religious practices in the Vedic time period; see Dharmic religions for details of contemporary religious practices. ... Angra Mainyu is the Avestan language name of the hypostasis of the destructive spirit. The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman. ... For other uses, see Indra (disambiguation). ... Sarva is a sanskrit word meaning all or everything. ... For other uses, see Shiva (disambiguation). ... The Ashvins ( possessor of horses, horse tamer, cavalier, dual ) are divine twin horsemen in the Rigveda, sons of Saranya, a goddess of the dawn and wife of either Surya or Vivasvat. ... In Zoroastrianism, Amesha Spentas are the Holy Immortals, the equivalent of Archangels in Christian theology. ...

Vendidad 19.1 and 19.44 have Angra Mainyu dwelling in the region of the daevas, which the Vendidad sets in the north and/or the nether world (Vendidad 19.47, Yasht 15.43), a world of darkness. In Vendidad 19.1 and 19.43-44, Angra Mainyu is the daevanam daevo, "daeva of daevas" or chief of the daevas. The superlative daevo.taema is however assigned to the demon Paitisha ("opponent"). In an enumeration of the daevas in Vendidad 1.43, Angra Mainyu appears first and Paitisha appears last. "Nowhere is Angra Mainyu said to be the creator of the daevas or their father."^[11]

The Vendidad is usually recited after nightfall since the last part of the day is considered to be the time of the demons. Because the Vendidad is the means to disable them, this text is said to be effective only when recited between sunset and sunrise.

In inscriptions

Old Persian daiva occurs twice in Xerxes' daiva inscription (XPh, early 5th century BCE). This trilingual text also includes one reference to a daivadana "house of the daivas", generally interpreted to be a reference to a shrine or sanctuary. Xerxes I (خشایارشاه), was a Persian king (reigned 485 - 465 BC) of the Achaemenid dynasty. ...

In his inscription, Xerxes records that "by the favour of Ahura Mazda I destroyed that establishment of the daivas and I proclaimed, 'The daivas thou shalt not worship!'"^[12] This statement has been interpreted one of two ways: Either the statement is an ideological one and daivas were gods that were to be rejected, or the statement was politically motivated and daivas were gods that were followed by (potential) enemies of the state.^[13] Ahura Mazda () is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator, hence God. ...

In tradition and folklore

In Zoroastrian tradition

In the Middle Persian texts of Zoroastrian tradition, the dews are invariably rendered with the Aramaic ideogram ŠDYA or the more common plural ŠDYAˀn that signified "demons" even in the singular. Pahlavi is a term that refers: (1) to a script used in Iran derived from the Aramaic script, and (2) more broadly, to Middle Persian, the Middle Iranian language written in this script. ... Bilingual inscription (Greek and Aramaic) by the Indian emperor Ashoka the Great, 3rd century BC. The Aramaic alphabet is an abjad alphabet designed for writing the Aramaic language. ...

Dews play a crucial role in the cosmogonic drama of the Bundahishn, a Zoroastrian view of creation completed in the 12th century. In this text, the evil spirit Ahriman (the middle Persian equivalent of Avestan Angra Mainyu) creates his hordes of dews to counter the creation of Ormuzd (Avestan Ahura Mazda). This notion is already alluded to in the Vendidad (see Younger Avestan texts above), but only properly developed in the Bundahishn. In particular, Ahriman is seen to create six dews that in Zoroastrian tradition are the antitheses of the Amahraspands (Avestan Amesha Spentas). Category: ... Angra Mainyu is the Avestan language name of the hypostasis of the destructive spirit. The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman. ... Ahura Mazda () is the Avestan language name for a divinity exalted by Zoroaster as the one uncreated Creator, hence God. ... In Zoroastrianism, Amesha Spentas are the Holy Immortals, the equivalent of Archangels in Christian theology. ...

Mirroring the task of the Amesha Spentas through which Ahura Mazda realized creation, the six antitheses are the instrument through which Angra Mainyu creates all the horrors in the world. Further, the arch-daevas of Vendidad 10.9 and 19.43 are identified as the antithetical counterparts of Ardawahisht (Avestan Asha Vahishta), Shahrevar (Avestan Kshathra Vairya) and Spendarmad (Avestan Armaiti). The six arch-demons are respectively See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Faravahar, believed to be a depiction of a Farvashi, as mentioned in the Yasna, Yashts and Vendidad The Avesta is a collection of the sacred texts of the Mazdaist (Zoroastrian) religion. ... In Vedic Sanskrit, Rta literally means the course of things. ...

• Akoman of evil thought and equivalent to Avestan Akem Manah
• Indar that freezes the minds of the creatures from practicing righteousness
• Naonhaithya of discontent
• Saurva of oppression and desire
• Taurvi the destroyer
• Zauri who poisons plant creation

This assignment (Bundahishn XXVII.2ff) is slightly at odds with scripture, where the moral principles (that each Amesha Spenta represents) have other immoral principles that they are opposed to. This is not however a complete breach, for while in the Gathas asha - the principle - is the diametric opposite of the abstract druj, in Zoroastrian tradition, it is Ardawahisht – the Amesha Spenta that is the hypostasis of asha – that is opposed to by Indra, who freezes the minds of creatures from practicing "righteousness" (asha). Akem Manah (AkÓ™m Manah) is the Avestan language name of Zoroastrianisms demon of the evil mind or evil purpose or evil thinking or evil intention. Manah denotes a state of mind, and akem manah may thus be more accurately described as the state of mind (or being) that... In Zoroastrianism, Amesha Spentas are the Holy Immortals, the equivalent of Archangels in Christian theology. ... In linguistics, a hypostasis, from the Greek word ὑπόστασις [1] meaning foundation, base or that which stands behind is a relationship between a name and a known quantity, as a cultural personification (i. ...

Also mirroring Ormuzd's act of creation, i.e. the realization of the Amesha Spenta's by His "thought", is Ahriman's creation of the dews through his "demonic essence." Other texts describe this event as being to Ahriman's detriment for his act of "creation" is actually an act of destruction: Ahriman is the very epitome (and hypostasis) of destruction, and hence he did not "create" the demons, he realized them through destruction, and they then became that destruction. The consequence is that - as Ahriman and the dews can only destruct - they will ultimately destroy themselves (Denkard 3). As the medieval texts also do for Ahriman, they question whether the dews exist at all. Since "existence" is the domain of Ormuzd, and Ahriman and his dews are anti-existence, it followed that Ahriman and his dews could not possibly exist. One interpretation of the Denkard proposes that the dews were perceived to be non-existent physically (that is, they were considered non-ontological) but present psychologically.^[14] (see also: Ahriman: In Zoroastrian tradition) Angra Mainyu is the Avestan language name of the hypostasis of the destructive spirit. The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman. ...

For a different set of texts, such as the Shayest ne shayest and the Book of Arda Wiraz, Ahriman and the dews were utterly real, and are described as being potentially catastrophic. In such less philosophical representations, the dews are hordes of devils with a range of individual powers ranging from the almost benign to the most malign. They collectively rush out at nightfall to do their worst, which includes every possible form of corruption at every possible level of human existence. Their destructiveness is evident not only in disease, pain, and grief but also in cosmic events such as falling stars and climatic events such as droughts, cyclones and earthquakes. They are sometimes described as having anthropomorphic properties such as faces and feet, or given animal-like properties such as claws and body hair. They may produce semen, and may even mate with humans as in the tale of Jam and Jamag (Bundahishn 14B.1).

But with the exception of the Book of Arda Wiraz, the dewas are not generally described as a force to be feared. With fundamental optimism,^[15][3] the texts describe how the dews may be kept in check, ranging from cursing them to the active participation in life through good thoughts, words and deeds. Many of the medieval texts develop ideas already expressed in the Vendidad ("given against the demons"). See Avesta Municipality for the Swedish town Faravahar, believed to be a depiction of a Farvashi, as mentioned in the Yasna, Yashts and Vendidad The Avesta is a collection of the sacred texts of the Mazdaist (Zoroastrian) religion. ...

A fire (cf. Adur) is an effective weapon against the dews, and keeping a hearth fire burning is a means to protect the home. The dews are "particularly attracted by the organic productions of human beings, from excretion, reproduction, sex, and death."^[3] Prayer and other recitation of the liturgy - in particular the recitation of Yasht 1 (so Sad-dar 57) - is effective in keeping the demons at bay.^[16] Demons are attracted by chatter at mealtimes and when silence is broken a demon takes the place of the angel at one's side.^[17] According to Shayest-ne-Shayest 9.8, eating at all after nightfall is not advisable since the night is the time of demons. In the 9th century Rivayats (65.14), the demons are described to issue out at night to wreak mayhem, but forced back into the underworld by the divine glory (khvarenah) at sunrise. See also Atar, Mauritania. ... The s (s) are a collection of twenty-one hymns in Younger Avestan. ...

The Zoroastrianism of the medieval texts is unambiguous with respect to which force is the superior. Evil cannot create and is hence has a lower priority in the cosmic order (asha). According to Denkard 5.24.21a, the protection of the yazatas is ultimately greater than the power of the demons. The dews are agents ("procurers - vashikano - of success") of Ahriman (Avestan Angra Mainyu) in the contests that will continue until the end of time, at which time the fiend will become invisible and (God's) creatures will become pure. (Dadestan-i Denig 59) It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Zoroastrian angelology. ... Angra Mainyu is the Avestan language name of the hypostasis of the destructive spirit. The Middle Persian equivalent is Ahriman. ...

But until the final renovation of the world, mankind "stands between the yazads and the dēws; the [yazads] are immortal in essence and inseparable from their bodies (mēnōg), men are immortal in essence but separable from their bodies (moving from gētīg to mēnōg condition), but dēws are mortal in essence and inseparable from their bodies, which may be destroyed."^[3] It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Zoroastrian angelology. ...

In addition to the six arch-demons (see above) that oppose the six Amesha Spentas, numerous other figures appear in scripture and tradition. According to Bundahishn XXVII.12, the six arch-demons have cooperators (hamkars), arranged in a hierarchy (not further specified) similar to that of the yazatas. These are "dews [...] created by the sins that creatures commit." (Bundahishn XXVII.51) It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Zoroastrian angelology. ...

• Akatash of perversity (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Anashtih "strife" (e.g. Chidag Andarz i Poryotkeshan 38)
• Anast that utters falsehood (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Apaush and Spenjaghra who cause drought (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Araska of vengeance (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Ashmogh of heresy (Avestan Ashemaogha)
• Az of avarice and greed (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Buht of idolatry (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Bushasp of sloth (Avestan Bushyasta) (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• diwzhat (Av. daebaaman), the deceiver, the hypocrite
• Eshm of wrath (Avestan Aeshma) (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Freptar of distraction and deception (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Jeh the whore (Avestan Jahi)
• Mitokht (also Mithaokhta) of scepticism and falsehood (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Nang of disgrace and dishonor (e.g. Dadestan-i Denig 53)
• Nas or Nasa (Avestan Nasu) of pollution and contamination (e.g. GBd XXVII)
• Niyaz causes want (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Pinih of stinginess and who hoards but does not enjoy its hoard (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Rashk (Avestan Areshko) "envy" (e.g. Denkard 9.30.4)
• Sij who causes destruction (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Sitoj that denies doctrine (e.g. Dadestan-i Denig 53)
• Spazg of slander (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Spuzgar, the negligent (e.g. Andarz-i Khosru-i-Kavatan)
• Taromaiti of scorn (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Varun of unnatural lust (e.g. Gbd XXVII)

Other entities include: Bushyasta (Avestan, būšyāsta) is the Zoroastrian demon (daeva) of Sloth. Her stock epithet is the long-handed. ... Aeshma (Aēšma) is the Younger Avestan name of Zoroastrianisms demon of wrath. ...

• Aghash of the evil eye (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Astwihad of death (Av. Asto-widhatu) (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Azi Dahak (Avestan Azi Dahaka), a serpent-like monster king.
• Cheshma who opposes the clouds and causes earthquakes and whirlwinds (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Kunda, the steed that carries sorcerers (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Uta who brings about sickness through food and water (e.g. Gbd XXVII)
• Vizaresh that fights for the souls of the dead (e.g. Gbd XXVII)

The most destructive of these are Astiwihad, the demon of death that casts the noose of mortality around men's necks at birth, and Az, who most capable of destroying the "innate wisdom" of man. Az is thus the cause of heresy and blinds the righteous man from being able to discern the truth and falsehood. Zahhāk or Zohhāk (in Persian: ) is a figure of Persian mythology, evident in ancient Iranian folklore as Aži Dahāka, the name by which he also appears in the texts of the Avesta. ...

In the Shahnameh

A list of ten demons is provided in the Shahnameh:^[18] Besides the afore-mentioned Az "greed", Kashm "wrath" (MP: Aeshma), Nang "dishonor," Niaz "want," and Rashk "envy", the epic poem includes Kin "vengeance", Nammam "tell-tale", Do-ruy "two-face", napak-din "heresy", and (not explicitly named) ungratefulness. Shâhnameh Shāhnāmé, or Shāhnāma (Persian: )(alternative spellings are Shahnama, Shahnameh, Shahname, Shah-Nama, etc. ... Aeshma (Aēšma) is the Younger Avestan name of Zoroastrianisms demon of wrath. ...

Some of the entities that in the Middle Persian texts are demons, are in the Shahnameh attributes of demons. So for instance, varuna "backwards" or "inside out", reflecting that they tend to do the opposite of what they are asked to do. Although Ferdowsi generally portrays divs as being distinct from humans, the poet also uses the word to denote "evil people."^[18] Tomb of Ferdowsi in Tus Hakīm Abol-Qāsem Ferdowsī Tūsī (Persian: ), more commonly transliterated as Ferdowsi, (935–1020) was a highly revered Persian poet. ...

One of the more popular stories from the Shahnameh is that of Rostam and the Dīv-e Sapīd, the "white demon" of Mazandaran, who blinds Rostam's men but who are then cured with the blood of the demon's gall. Rostam Slaying the Dragon- A miniature Painting by Master Mahmoud Farshchian. ... Mazandaran (Persian: مازندران) is a province in northern Iran, bordering the Caspian (Mazandaran) Sea in the north. ...

In popular culture

• In Final Fantasy X-2, a daeva is a demon-like enemy.
• The game Aveyond I: Rhen's Quest features a demon with powerful servants he refers to as daevas.
• In Supernatural (TV series) Sam and Dean encounter a daeva when Meg summons one to kill them both.
• In the Prince of Persia series, Kaileena is thought to be a daeva because she has abilities to read the timeline of fate, turn people into monsters, etc.
• In The Redemption of Althalus (by David and Leigh Eddings), Daeva is an evil god, brother to Deiwos and Dweia.
• In Vampire: the Requiem, from the new World of Darkness role-playing game line, the daevas are a clan of sensually decadent vampires.
• In Lionheart: Legacy of the Crusader, the RPG from Reflexive Entertainment (and Black Isle) where the Daeva were presented as vampire-like demons, who each were one of the seven mortal sins
• Daeva is also the final boss in the game Kakuto Chojin

It has been suggested that Characters of Final Fantasy X-2 be merged into this article or section. ... Amaranth Games is an independent game developing company, specializing in role-playing games. ... This article is about the US TV series. ... Prince of Persia is an action-adventure video game series. ... The Redemption of Althalus is a stand-alone fantasy novel by David and Leigh Eddings. ... David Eddings (born July 7, 1931) is an American author who has written several best-selling series of epic fantasy novels. ... This articles content is specific to the fictional setting known as the World of Darkness. ... The World of Darkness (or WoD) is the name given to three related but distinct fictional universes. ... Reflexive Entertainment is a computer game developer based in Lake Forest, California. ... The Black Isle (Scottish Gaelic: an t-Eilean Dubh) is an eastern area of Ross and Cromarty. ... Kakuto Chojin: Back Alley Brutal is a versus fighting game exclusively made for Microsofts Xbox gaming console published in 2002 by Microsoft Game Studios. ...

References

Bibliography