 | |
| Grouping | Mythical creature |
|---|---|
| Folklore | Persian mythology Armenian mythology Albanian mythology Turkish mythology |
| Country | Iran,Armenia,Albania,Turkey |
Div ordev (Classical Persian:دیوdēw;Iranian Persian:دیوdīv) (with the broader meaning of demons or fiends) are monstrous creatures within Middle Eastern lore, and probably Persian origin.[1] Most of their depictions derive fromPersian mythology, integrated to Islam and spread to surrounding cultures includingArmenia,Turkic countries[2] andAlbania.[3] Despite their Persian origins, they have been adapted according to the beliefs of Islamic concepts of otherworldly entities.[4](pp 37) Although they are not explicitly mentioned within canonical Islamic scriptures, their existence was well accepted by mostMuslims just like that of other supernatural creatures.[5](p 34) They exist along withjinn,parī (fairies)[6] andshaitan (devils) within South and Central Asian demon-beliefs.[7]
They are described as having a body like that of a human, only of gigantic size, with two horns upon their heads and teeth like thetusks of aboar. Powerful, cruel and cold-hearted, they have a particular relish for the taste of human flesh.[8][full citation needed] Some use only primitive weapons, such as stones: others, more sophisticated, are equipped like warriors, wearingarmour and using weapons of metal. Despite their uncouth appearance – and in addition to their great physical strength – many are also masters ofsorcery, capable of overcoming their enemies by magic and afflicting them withnightmares.[9]
Their origin is disputed, although it may lie in theVedic deities (devas) who were later demonized in the Persian religion (seedaeva). InFerdowsi's tenth-centuryShahnameh, they are already the evil entities endowed with roughly human shape and supernatural powers familiar from later folklore, in which thedivs are described as ugly demons with supernatural strength and power, who, nonetheless, may sometimes be subdued and forced to do the bidding of a sorcerer.
The divs are often confused with jinn.[9] Some academics proposeddiv is simply the Persian term forjinn. However, this poses a problem, because the two terms are not synonymous. While thedivs are considered evil, the jinn have free will and are morally ambivalent or even benevolent.[5](p 519) Others argue that the termjinn refers to all kinds of spiritual entities, including both benevolent and evil creatures. In earlyPersian translations of the Quran, when the termjinn was used to refer to evil spirits, they have been interpreted as divs sometimes.[10]
In other works, such asPeople of the Air, thediv are explicitly distinguished from jinn.[11](p 148) In some cases, the termdiv is juxtaposed to the termsifrit,shaitan (devil), andtaghut (idol), all some sort of demons in Islamic belief, indicating a relationship between those beings but distinct from the (regular) jinn.[12] In Abu Ali Bal'ami's account, thediv are used interchangeable withmarid, a type of devil which assaults the heavens in an attempt to steal news from the angels.[4](pp 41–42) The termmarid is likewise confused withifrit, in some works, like the standard MacNaghten edition ofOne Thousand and One Nights.[13]
Thedivs seem to have originally been Persian, pre-Zoroastrian, divine or semi-divine beings who were subsequentlydemonized. By the time of the Islamic conquest, they had faded into Persian folklore and folktales, and hence disseminated throughout the Islamic world. They were modified during that dissemination to include foreign (specifically Hindu) deities, and elements already present in local folklore.
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Divs probably originate from theAvestandaevas, deities who share the same origin withIndianDeva (gods). It is unknown when and why the former deities turned into rejected gods or even demons.
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In theGathas, the oldestZorastrian text, they are not yet the evil creatures they will become, although, according to some scholarly interpretations, the texts do indicate that they should be rejected.[14][a]
Evident from Xph inscriptions,Xerxes I (reigned 486–465 BCE) ordered the destruction of a sanctuary dedicated toDaivas and proclaimed that the Daeva shall not be worshipped.[15] Therefore, first opposition of Daeva must be during or before the reign of Xerxes.
However, the original relation between Daeva and Persian religion remains up to debate. There might have been a pantheon with several types of deities, but while the Indians demonized theAsura and deified the Deva, the Persians demonized the Deva, but deified Asura in the form of Ahura Mazda.[16]
InMiddle Persian texts, they are already regarded as equivalent to demons. They are created byAhriman (the devil) along with sorcerers and everything else that is evil. They roam the earth at night and bring people to ruin. During the advent of Islam in Persia, the term was used for both demonized humans and evil supernatural creatures. In the translations ofTabari'sTafsir, the termdiv was used to designate evil jinn, devils andSatan.[17]
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Although the termdew (Middle Persian fordiv) is not attested in theBabylonian Talmud, they are mentioned in Jewish Babylonian Aramaic bowls next toshedim (demi-gods),ruḥot (spirits),mazzikin ("harmers"), and "satans".[18][19] The exact differences between these entities are, however, not always clear.[20]Asmodeus is designated as the king of bothshedim anddevs.[21]
From this Persian origin, belief indiv entered Muslim belief.Abu Ali Bal'ami's work on the history of the world, is the oldest known writing including explicitly Islamic cosmology and thediv. He attributes his account on the creation of the world toWahb ibn Munabbih.[4](p40)
Some divs appear to be considered the incarnation of (false) Indian deities, who, unlike jinn, refused to obey the ProphetSolomon.[22]
Evident from theepic poem written by thePersian poetFerdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE, that, by his day thediv had become associated with the people of theMazandaran of legend (which is not to be identified with the Iranian province ofMazandaran).[9]
While somediv appear as supernatural sorcerers, manydiv appear to be clearly demonized humans, including black people, attributed with supernatural strength, but no supernatural bodily features. Some people continued to worshipdiv in their rituals during the early Islamic period, known as "Daevayasna", although probably out of fear.[23][full citation needed] People of Mazdaran might have been associated with such worship and therefore equated with these entities. Despite manydiv that appear human in nature, there are also clearly supernaturaldiv, like the white div, who is said to be as huge as a mountain.
Div (demons or fiends) are the former masters of the world, dispossessed yet not extinguished, they are banished far away from the human realm. They occupy a liminal place both spatial and ontological, between the physical and themetaphysical world.[4](p 41) The souls of wicked people could also turn into a demon (div) after death, as evident fromAl-Razi[24] an idea recalling the concept of original daeva.[25] His idea comes from the assumption that after death, the desire of the soul remains and that a soul thus turns back to the world in an ugly and demonic shape. His view has frequently been criticized by other Muslim authors.[26]
Throughout many legends they appear as villains, sorcerers, monsters, ogres, or even helpers of the protagonist. It is usually necessary to overcome thediv to get his aid. After defeating thediv, one must attach a horseshoe, a needle or an iron ring on his body to enslave them.
On the other hand, adiv can not be killed by physical combat, even if their body parts are cut off. Instead, one is required to find the object storing the soul of thediv: After that object is destroyed, thediv is said to disappear in smoke or thin air. The notion of a demon tied to a physical object, later inspired the Europeangenie.[27]
Sometimes they are referred to asmaradah.
The div in the Shahnameh might include both demonic supernatural beings as well as evil humans.[28]
The poem begins with the kings of thePishdadian dynasty. They defeat and subjugate the demonic divs.Tahmuras commanded the divs and became known asdīvband (binder of demons).Jamshid, the fourth king of the world, ruled over both angels and divs, and served as a high priest of Ahura Mazda (Hormozd). Like his father, he slayed many divs, however, spared some under the condition they teach him new valuable arts, such as writing in different languages.[29] After a just reign over hundreds of years, Jamshid grew haughty and claimed, because of his wealth and power, divinity for himself. Whereupon God withdraws his blessings from him, and his people get unsatisfied with their king. With the ceasing influence of God, the devil gains power and aids Zahhak to usurp the throne.[29] Jamshid dies sawn in two by two demons. Tricked by Ahriman (or Iblis), Zahhak grew two snakes on his shoulders and becomes the demonic serpent-king.[30] The KingKay Kāvus fails to conquer the legendary Mazandaran, the land of divs and gets captured.[31] To save his king, Rustam takes a journey and fights throughseven trials. Divs are among the common enemies Rustam faces, the last one the Div-e Sepid, the demonic king of Mazandaran.
Rustam's battle against the demonic may also have a symbolic meaning: Rustam represents wisdom and rationality, fights the demon, embodiment of passion and instinct.[32]: 115 Rustam's victory over the White Div is also a triumph over men's lower drives, and killing the demon is a way to purge the human soul from such evil inclinations. The killing of the White Div is an inevitable act to restore the human king's eyesight.[32]: 115 Eliminating the divs is an act of self-preservation to safeguard the good in oneself's, and the part acceptable in a regulated society.[32]: 115
Abu Ali Bal'ami reports fromWahb ibn Munabbih that legend it is that god first created the demons (div), then 70,000 years later the fairies (peri), 5000 years later the angels (fereshtegan), and then the jinn. Subsequently,Satan (Iblis) was sent as the arbiter on earth, whereupon he became proud of himself. Thus,Adam was created and given dominion over the earth as the jinn's successor. A similar account is provided byTabari, who however, omits the existence of fairies and demons, only referring to the jinn as predecessor to mankind, a narration attributed toibn Abbas.[4](p40)
According to theSüleymanname, the divs were created between the faeries and the jinn, made from the fires of the stars, wind, and smoke; some of them have wings and can fly while others can move quickly.[33]
Edward Smedley (1788–1836) retells Bal'ami's account as anArabian-Persian legend (not attributed to Bal'ami but to Arabian and Persian authors in general) in greater detail. Accordingly, the jinn were ruled byJann ibn Jann for 2000 years, before Iblis was sent. After the creation of Adam, Iblis and his angels were sent tohell, along with demons who sided with them. The rest of the demons linger around the surface as a constant threat and test for thefaithful. Arab and Persian writers locate their home in Ahriman-abad, the abode ofAhriman the personification of evil and darkness.
Thediv were manifest (ashkar) and evident (zaher) until thegreat flood. Afterwards, they became hidden.[4](p 43)
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The termdiv was still widely used in theadabliterature for personifications of vices.[34] They represent the evil urges of the stage to theal-nafs al-ammarah inSufism.[35] As the sensual soul, they oppose the divine spirit, a motif often reflected in the figure of adiv and theprophetSolomon.[36]Attar of Nishapur writes: "If you bind thediv, you will set out for the royal pavilion with Solomon" and "You have no command over your self's kingdom [body and mind], for in your case thediv is in the place of Solomon".[37]
InRumi's Masnavi, demons serve as a symbol of pure evil. the existence of demons provide an answer to the question about theexistence of evil. He tells a story about an artist who draws both "beautifulhouris and ugly demons". Images of demons do not diminish the artists talents, on the opposite, his ability to draw evil in the most grotesque way possible, proves his capabilities. Likewise, when God creates evil, it does not violate but proves his omnipotence. (Masnavī II, 2539–2544; Masnavī II, 2523–2528)[38]
The Kulliyati Chahar Kitab reads as follows to explain the effect of demons on the human soul:[39]
"The desire to give up nafs is weak, the worship of God will weaken nafs.... Anyone who gives up hedonism, he will overcome the oppressive nafs.... If one behaved according to his carnal desire, how could one make jihad [struggle] with nafs. ... The killing of nafs may not be possible except by means of the use of the dagger of silence, the sword of hunger, or the spear of solitude and humility.... If you want to kill the div [demon] of nafs, you must stay away from the haram [forbidden].... If you are a slave of your sexual desire, even if you think you are free, you are a prisoner."
InArmenian mythology and many various Armenianfolk tales, thedev (inArmenian: դև) appears both in a kind and specially in a malicious role,[40] and has a semi-divine origin. Dev is a very large being with an immense head on his shoulders, and with eyes as large as earthen bowls.[41][page needed] Some of them may have only one eye. Usually, there are black and white devs. However, both of them can either be malicious or kind.
The White Dev is present inHovhannes Tumanyan's tale "Yedemakan Tzaghike" (Arm.: Եդեմական Ծաղիկը), translated as "The Flower of Paradise". In the tale, the Dev is the flower's guardian.
Jushkaparik, Vushkaparik, or Ass-Pairika is another chimerical being whose name indicates a half-demoniac and half-animal being, or a Pairika—a female Dev with amorous propensities—that appeared in the form of an ass and lived in ruins.[41][page needed]
In one medieval Armenian lexicon, thedev are explained as rebellious angels.[42]
According to Persian folklore, thedivs are inverted creatures, who do the opposite of what has been told to them. They are active at night, but get sleepy at day. Darkness is said to increase their power.[9] Usually, the approach of adiv is presaged by a change in temperature or foul smell in the air.[9] They are capable of transformation and performing magic. They are said to capture maidens, trying to force them to marry thediv.[9] Some have the form of a snake or adragon with multiple heads, whose heads grow again, after slain, comparable to theHydra.[43] In his treatise about the supernaturalAhl-i Hava (people of the air),Ghulam Husayn Sa'idi discusses several folkloric beliefs about different types of supernatural creatures and demons. He describes the Div as tall creatures living far away either on islands or in the desert. With their magical powers, they could turn people into statues by touching them.[11][44]
Thedivs are in constant battle with benevolentperis (fairies).[45][46] While thedivs are usually perceived as male, theperis are often, but not necessarily, depicted as female.[47] According to a story, a man saved a white snake from a black one. The snake later revealed that she was aperi, and the black snake adiv, who attacked her. Thedivs in turn, frequently try to capture theperis and imprison them in cages.
Div in Turkish language refers to a (primordial) giant.[48] According toDeniz Karakurt, they usually feature as elements of fairy-tales as enemies of a hero,[49] but others also identified them in folktales.[50] In such tales, they are associated withErlik (Lord of the underworld), but unlike Erlik, they can be killed.[51] In some later depictions, they aren't necessarily evil and a hero might turn them into benign and supportive creatures.
InKazakh fairy-tales, they often capture women, live in caves, and eat human flesh. Many ancient people probably believed such tales to be true, and that places beneath the earth's surface, where no human has gone before, were inhabited by gods anddivs.[52] InTatar folklore, thedivs are described as beings living in the depths of the waters under the earth. They may bewitch people or invite them as guests for dinner. They could smell the spirit of humans, whenever they enter their lairs. If one speaksbismillah, all the offered dishes turn into horse droppings and the demon himself disappears.[52]
In Kisekbasch Destani ("Story of the cut head"), aTurkishSufi legend from the 13th or 14th Century,Ali encounters a beheaded men, whose head is still reciting theQuran. His wife has been captured and his child has been devoured by adiv. Ali descends to the underworld to kill thediv. Here, he finds out, thediv further captured 500Sunnites and thediv threats Ali, to destroy the holy cities ofMecca andMedina and destroy the legacy of Islam. After a battle, Ali manages to kill thediv, release the inmates, saves the devoured child and brings the severed head, with aid ofMuhammad back to life.[53]
In modern times, the role of the divs are sometimes inverted.Galimyan Gilmanov (2000) drawing fromTatar folklore, reinvents the story of a girl encountering a div in the forest. Here, the div who owns the meadow in the forest is supportive and grants the girl a wish after she offers him her comb.[54]
Div appear within Islamic treatises on theoccult. Their depictions often invoke the idea of Indian deities or are directly identified with them.[55] To enslave adiv, one must pierce their skin with a needle or bind them on iron rings. Another method relies on burning their hair in fire, to summon them.[9] As Solomon enslaved the devils, same is said to be true about thediv.
Probably, the legends of the Quran about Solomon are conflated with the legends of the Persian heroJamshid, who is said to have enslaved thedivs.[56]In later Islamic thought, Solomon is said to have bound both devils and thedivs to his will, inspiringMiddle Eastern magicians trying to also capture such demons.
In some stories, divs are said to be able to bestow magical abilities upon others. Once, a man encountered adiv, and thediv offered him to learn the ability to speak with animals. However, if the man tells someone about this gift, he will die.