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Div (mythology)

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Div
The Div Akvan throws Rostam into the sea. Miniature from the manuscript of the Shahnameh, 16th-17th century
Creature information
GroupingMythical creature
FolklorePersian mythology
Armenian mythology
Albanian mythology
Turkish mythology
Origin
CountryIran, Armenia, Albania, Turkey

Div or dev (Classical Persian: دیو dēw; Iranian Persian: دیو dīv) (with the broader meaning of demons or fiends) are monstrous creatures within Middle Eastern lore, and probably Persian origin.[1] Their origin may lie in the Vedic deities (devas) who were later demonized in the Persian religion (see daeva). Most of their images, when disseminated into the Islamic world, including Armenia, Turkic countries[2] and Albania,[3] assimilated with the demons and ogres of ancestral beliefs.[4] As such they have been adapted according to the beliefs of Islamic concepts of otherworldly entities.[5](pp 37) Muslim authors often identified them with the ifrit (demons) and shayatin (devils) of their own belief-system. In Sufism they became symbols of human vices and evil urges.

In folklore and legends, they are often described as having a body like that of a human, only of gigantic size, with two horns upon their heads and teeth like the tusks of a boar. Powerful, cruel and cold-hearted, they have a particular relish for the taste of human flesh.[6][full citation needed] Some use only primitive weapons, such as stones: others, more sophisticated, are equipped like warriors, wearing armour and using weapons of metal. Despite their uncouth appearance – and in addition to their great physical strength – many are also masters of sorcery, capable of overcoming their enemies by magic and afflicting them with nightmares.[7]

History

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Arzhang Div (The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp)
Akvan Div (The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp)
Siyah Div (The Shahnameh of Shah Tahmasp)

The divs seem to have originally been Persian, pre-Zoroastrian, divine or semi-divine beings who were subsequently demonized. 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.

Origins

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Divs probably originate from the Avestan daevas, deities who share the same origin with Indian Deva (gods). It is unknown when and why the former deities turned into rejected gods or even demons. There might have been a pantheon with several types of deities, but while the Indians demonized the Asura and deified the Deva, the Persians demonized the Deva, but deified Asura in the form of Ahura Mazda.[8]

In the Gathas, the oldest Zorastrian 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.[9][a]

Middle persian era

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Babylonian Jewish demonology partly integrated the concept of demons from the divs (or dew).[10] The story of Solomon and Asmodeus, whose name is of Persian origin, appears in the Babylonian Talmud[11] and is designated as the king of demons (devs).[12]

Div (dew) are further attested on Jewish Babylonian Aramaic bowls next to other supernatural beings, such as shedim (demi-gods), ruḥot (spirits), mazzikin ("harmers"), and "satans".[13][14] The exact differences between these entities are, however, not always clear.[15]

Islamic period

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King Solomon and two demons in a Persian miniature

Some early Persian translations of the Quran translated jinn, devils, and Satan, as div.[16][7] This is problematic insofar as that div refers to irrevocably evil forces, while the term jinn is morally ambiguous.[17](p 519) As such, the term jinn was also translated as pari, if regarded as befitting.[7]

In later Persian literature, the term div is used for the Arabic ifrit (demon), shaitan (devil), and taghut (false god).[18] According to modern Shias, humans, jinn, and div will be judged by God and receive either reward or punishment.[19]

While Tabari does not mention any being akin to demons preceding the creation of angels and jinn, Abu Ali Bal'ami's redition of Tarikh al-Tabari also mentions divs created prior to the angels and jinn.[5](p40) According to Bal'ami, the div were manifest (ashkar) and evident (zaher) to the people until the time of the great flood.[5](p 43) Afterthat, they vanished from the sights of people.

A similar creation narartive appears in the Süleymanname. According which the divs were created, along with the peri, prior to the jinn. They were formed from the fires of the stars, wind, and smoke; some of them have wings and can fly while others can move quickly.[20]

Sufi Literature

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Angels fighting to hold a demonic dragon in chains. On the left side of the picture, the head of Asmodeus lurks from a crag of the demonic manifestation. The image conveys the battle between the demonic passions and the rational intellect in the form of the angels, supposedly happening inside a human's heart. Siyah Qalam (1478)

The term div was still widely used in the adab literature for personifications of vices.[21] They represent the evil urges of the stage to the al-nafs al-ammarah.[22]

As the sensual soul, they oppose the divine spirit, a motif the authors derived from the story of the Quranic prophet Solomon and his subjugation of demons.[23]

Attar of Nishapur writes: "If you bind the div, 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 the div is in the place of Solomon".[24]

The Kulliyati Chahar Kitab reads as follows to explain the effect of demons on the human soul:[25]

"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."

In Rumi's Masnavi, demons serve as a symbol of evil and as a figurative device in order to answer hypothetical questions about the problem of evil. He tells a story about an artist who draws both "beautiful houris 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)[26]

In the Shahnameh

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Rostam dismembering the Div-e Sepid, demon king of Mazandaran

In the epic poem Shahnameh, written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE, the div had become associated with the lands of Mazandaran of legend (which is not to be identified with the Iranian province of Mazandaran).[7] It has thus been speculated that the term div referred to generally evil characters, including both demonic beings as well as evil humans.[27] While some div appear as supernatural sorcerers, many div appear to be clearly demonized humans, including black people, attributed with supernatural strength, but no supernatural bodily features. Some people continued to worship div in their rituals during the early Islamic period, known as "Daevayasna", although probably out of fear.[28][full citation needed] People of Mazdaran might have been associated with such worship and therefore equated with these entities. Despite many div that appear human in nature, there are also clearly supernatural div, like the white div, who is said to be as huge as a mountain.

The poem begins with the kings of the Pishdadian dynasty. They defeat and subjugate the demonic divs. Tahmuras commanded the divs and became known as dīvband (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 King Kay 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 through seven 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 

Folklore

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Persian miniature — Ali fighting divs. Ali might serve as a substitute for Tahmuras, a Persian hero, who conquered the divs as well. Here, the sword Zulfiqar clearly indicating the representation of Ali.

According to folklore, divs are characterized through their inverted nature. They tend to 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.[7] Usually, the approach of a div is presaged by a change in temperature or foul smell in the air.[7] They are capable of transformation and performing magic. They are said to capture maidens, trying to force them to marry the div.[7] Some have the form of a snake or a dragon with multiple heads, whose heads grow again, after slain, comparable to the Hydra.[33]

Throughout many legends divs appear as villains, sorcerers, monsters, ogres, or even helpers of the protagonist. It is usually necessary to overcome the div to get his aid. After defeating the div, one must attach a horseshoe, a needle or an iron ring on his body to enslave them.

A div 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 the div: After that object is destroyed, the div is said to disappear in smoke or thin air. The notion of a demon tied to a physical object, later inspired the European genie.[34]

Armenian

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In Armenian mythology and many various Armenian folk tales, the dev (in Armenian: դև) appears both in a kind and specially in a malicious role,[35] and has a semi-divine origin. In one medieval Armenian lexicon, the dev are explained as rebellious angels.[36]

Dev is a very large being with an immense head on his shoulders, and with eyes as large as earthen bowls.[37][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 in Hovhannes 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.[37][page needed]

Persian

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Div capturing a parī

The divs are in constant battle with benevolent peris (fairies).[38][39] While the divs are usually perceived as male, the peris are often, but not necessarily, depicted as female.[40] According to a story, a man saved a white snake from a black one. The snake later revealed that she was a peri, and the black snake a div, who attacked her. The divs in turn, frequently try to capture the peris and imprison them in cages.

In his treatise about the supernatural Ahl-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.[41][42]

Turkic

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Div in Turkish language refers to a (primordial) giant.[43] According to Deniz Karakurt, they usually feature as elements of fairy-tales as enemies of a hero,[44] but others also identified them in folktales.[45] In pre-Islamic they are associated with Erlik (Lord of the underworld), but unlike Erlik, they can be killed.[46] In modern stories, the divs also gained some positive traits and may appear as benign creatures.

In Kisekbasch Destani ("Story of the cut head"), a Turkish legend from the 13th or 14th Century, Ali encounters a beheaded men, whose head is still reciting the Quran. His wife has been captured and his child has been devoured by a div. Ali descends to the underworld to kill the div. Here, he finds out, the div further captured 500 Sunnites and the div threats Ali, to destroy the holy cities of Mecca and Medina and destroy the legacy of Islam. After a battle, Ali manages to kill the div, release the inmates, saves the devoured child and brings the severed head, with aid of Muhammad back to life.[47]

In Kazakh 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 and divs.[48] In Tatar folklore, the divs 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 speaks bismillah, all the offered dishes turn into horse droppings and the demon himself disappears.[48]

In modern times, the role of the divs are sometimes inverted. Galimyan Gilmanov (2000) drawing from Tatar 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.[49]

Footnotes

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  1. ^ The scope of aēnah- "error" is not precisely understood, and in Yasna 32.3 it is unclear if the association of daeva- with unambiguously negative terms (for example with aka- "evil") formulates a relationship or is the revocation of one. The definitions of Yasna 32.3 occur with a syntactical construct that is otherwise unattested.

See also

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References

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Sources

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