#dyeus

[looking-at-the-deiwos]

Dyḗus Pətḗr

or as I write it, Dyéus Patér. Also Dyḗus ph₂tḗr

Dyéus is the god of the Sky. The blue, bright sky of day, daylight and clouds are his natural dominion. He also fulfills the role of a Father and is the Leader of the whole pantheon (my own UPG is that he leads the déiwōs not like a king but like a father).

Dyéus is also connected to the concept of the Ártus or Hártus (with a strong h like the ch in loch). The Ártus is the universal law that underlies the cosmos, the order and beauty of it that makes life possible. Dyéus, then, upholds the Ártus and represents the concept of justice but in a cosmic and natural way (justice as in the laws of society are the dominion of another déiwos). In the trifunctional view of Proto Indo-european society, he fulfills the role of the priest-king. He's a patron of priests and the idea of doing rituals in respectful ways.

The first part of his name, Dyéus, derives from déiwos, which is the generic term for a god. So in a way he is THE god. The second part of his name, Patér, means father. Thus, seeing him as your father in the sky is totally valid (traditional even ;)!

In english his name literally means "father daylight-sky-god"

He seems to have had a connection to oaths, coming from his connection with the natural law of the Ártus.

The sun (which has its own déiwos) is sometimes referred to as "the eye of Dyéus"

Dyéus also has other names like Olyópətēr, which means All-Father, and Mitrós, which is associated with a role he had as a double deity with another god that we will see later)

Offerings

Taken from here

Feathers of either eagles or of your local highest flying birds

Depictions or imagery of clouds

Depictions or imagery of oxen

Depictions or imagery of eagles

Depictions or imagery related to fatherhood

Golden beads

Devotional acts

Mostly UPG

Cloud watching

Wearing blue

Learning about different types of clouds

Collecting feathers

Climbing a hill or mountain

Doing things related to fatherhood or leadership

Associations

Taken from here and here

Oxen

Mountain tops

The open sky

Clouds as his herd

Eagles

Feathers of high flying birds

Eye

Gold threads

Obelisk (white)

Alder

Thursday

January

Descendants in later pantheons

The deities of the Proto Indo-European (PIE) pantheon are reconstructed based on the cognates (similar names, myths and such) between later deities in different pantheons of indo-european peoples (Greek, Roman, Germanic, Nordic, Vedic, Iranian, Celtic, Slavic, Baltic, among others). As these people spread out they took their gods with them which got reshaped through generations and the evolution of language.

Dyéus is the most securely reconstructed deity of the proto indo-europeans. Here are some of his most famous descendants or versions in later pantheons:

Zeus (Greek)

Jupiter (Roman)

Tyr (Nordic)

Tiwaz (Germanic)

Diēvas (Lithuanian)

Dyaus Pitar (Vedic)

The Dagda (Celtic)

Mitra (Vedic and Iranian)

Finally, here's his wikipedia article

[castilestateofmind]

While the modern world seeks progress in the ephemeral, in Tradition, that which does not pass, the eternal truths of existence reveal themselves, transcending the fleeting illusions of our age.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Romanesque church of Bourg Saint-Sauveur, Île d'Yeu island, Poitou region of western France

French vintage postcard

[real-is-gone]

well

i'm Tired. really Tired. rain is lovely but... hm. i think i Like them but... hm.

abby has been Lingering on my mind again, too often. oh, and i'm seeing dan Again, so... thats fun. only a Matter Of Time till i'm down on my knees once more, Hm? and i've almost got 30 days since the last time... i can't be doing this.

i did what i could to Purge Them from my life. i deleted mine and abbys Chats, blocked her socials, Ignored dan, spitefully said "Fuck You Aktuma" but... it still happens. is there something Wrong with me? something Very, Incredibly, Deeply Wrong? maybe i've done this on purpose to myself. maybe, Deep Down, i believe i deserve this Pain. then again, i've gone Limerant (recently learned that term... it was Spooky figuring that out) over this before, maybe it just Hasnt Left.

i looked over it earlier- the first two suggestions i saw for Getting Over an lo was turning to Religion and starting Meditation... Wowie. the exact reason im Like this in the First Place.

a part of me wants to Feel like that Again, though. it was Pain but it was Bliss. i felt like i had a purpose, like i Belonged to something, like i wasnt useless for Once In My Life. just Thinking about abby and dan and all i was doing for Our Lord made me Feel so many Things. i Want that again.

of course, it is past Nine, maybe i'm just Overthinking. the night does Things to me. ill sleep on it and come back to it in the morning. we'll see.

[jezzzebel]

Hey hi hello I’d love to know more about the Zeus you worship compared to how he is portrayed in myths (if you are willing to share!)

I got a few asks regarding Zeus in my inbox, so take this as a reply to all of them :")

I worshipped Zeus for a while before becoming a slavic pagan. And i really feel like I am connected to his fatherly aspect the most.

In myths, you may not see Zeus' fatherly aspect a lot. But in fact, when you look into history and etymology blablabla.. you will see that Zeus is connected to the Proto Indo European god Dyeus Pater. Aka Sky Father. And at that time i was really nerdy about the P.I.E pantheon of gods 😭😂 so i kinda incorporated that aspect of Dyeus Pater into Zeus, and adapted it.

But enough about that! What i wanted to say is, i remember Zeus being very protective, fatherly etc!

So that's the aspect of Zeus i wish more people saw... The kind, overprotective, strong and fatherly aspect. If people just gave him a chance instead of being judgemental, they would most likely see it! <3

[noosphe-re]

Etymology of ‘adios’ and ‘adieu’

adios (interj.)

1837, American English, from Spanish adios, from phrase a dios vos acomiendo "I commend you to God;" the French form is adieu (q.v.).

adieu (interj.)

late 14c., adewe, from Old French a Dieu, a Deu, shortened from phrases such as a dieu (vous) commant "I commend (you) to God," from a "to" (see ad-) + dieu "God," from Latin deum, accusative of deus "god" (from PIE *deiwos "god" (from root *dyeu- "to shine").

Originally it was said to the party left (farewell was to the party setting forth), but in English it came to be used as a general parting salutation. As a noun, "expression of kind wishes upon departure," late 14c. Compare the native parting salutation good-bye, a contraction of God be with ye.

*dyeu-

Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to shine," in derivatives "sky, heaven, god."

It forms all or part of: adieu; adios; adjourn; Asmodeus; circadian; deific; deify; deism; deity; deodand; deus ex machina; deva; dial; diary; Diana; Dianthus; diet (n.2) "assembly;" Dioscuri; Dis; dismal; diurnal; diva; Dives; divine; joss; journal; journalist; journey; Jove; jovial; Julia; Julius; July; Jupiter; meridian; Midi; per diem; psychedelic; quotidian; sojourn; Tuesday; Zeus.

It is the hypothetical source of/evidence for its existence is provided by: Sanskrit deva "god" (literally "shining one"); diva "by day;" Avestan dava- "spirit, demon;" Greek delos "clear;" Latin dies "day," deus "god;" Welsh diw, Breton deiz "day;" Armenian tiw "day;" Lithuanian dievas "god," diena "day;" Old Church Slavonic dini, Polish dzień, Russian den "day;" Old Norse tivar "gods;" Old English Tig, genitive Tiwes, name of a god.

—Etymonline

[zeherili-ankhein]

Ykw I have a feeling that Zeus wouldn't vibe with Indra much

He'd instead.... Vibe with Dyaus

I mean cmon even their names stemmed from a common ancestor (Dyeus Omg why does it sound like their ship name) so I can imagine Zeus seeing Dyaus at a distance and like bodyslamming him going "MY LONG LOST BROTHERRRRR" while Dyaus is all like "What the- OH MY DAYS IT'S ZEUS" (no like these two are actually linguistically and culturally related not even kidding)

We NEED a brotherly reunion. Meanwhile Indra just.... Third wheels OR WAIT..... Since he looks relatively way younger than both of em.... Zeus and Dyaus co-parent and him like their little baby brother idk ☠️

IKRRRRRR

I mean yeah they are friends but Zeus and Indra are a lot different to be bestiesss... And he doesn't like froggos :(

LMAO YEAH I just imagine a big cloud like thingy body slamming another big cloud thingy lol 😭

Also maybe Zues is more sibling with Dyaus than his own siblings?? Why do I feel like he's that hyper twin while Dyaus is the calmer collected one....

I MEAN YEAHHH Indra has spend a great time big brothering.... Even he needs to be younger brother-ed once or twice in a while...

He'd still try to go “I'm not a babyy!!” tho-

[hellsite-yano]

you should play The End of Dyeus. It's like link to the past in first person with no tutorials and a very tightly designed world that perfectly guides first-time players into exploration and discovery. Kinda like a much simpler version of Tunic.

ok

[amaiguri]

OC in 15

@anyablackwood tagged me with this BEFORE my Life Events TM but I am HERE now I am doing it. I love you. Thank you for always tagging me. You're so cool! Good luck with your big rewrites and stuff!

Rules: Give up to 15 quotes from your OC that best describe their personality!

I'm going to do Nesa because I need more gorgeous women to tell me what to do with my life and I'm manifesting that for my characters.

Hello, little one, did you miss me already?

You’re so cute when you’re all nervous like this…

You have such silly little notions about what you “must” do... I think you’re just afraid of yourself.

Well… I don’t know if it’s Eris or Dyeus, but I keep running into hot girls everywhere.

But the first war criminal to be this cute!

I had both feared and hoped from the beginning that he was using her — and I thought it would simple enough to use her better. But sadly, it wasn’t.

Really, what other outcome was there to trying to seduce a thousand-year-old Demon child?

If I were feeling terribly sad and betrayed, I suppose I would want my very sweet boyfriend to buy me flowers and live eel to make me feel better.

What? I just saved your life. I should get some sort of reward.

I am Inquisition property. I can’t leave… but if Zal becomes Inquisitor General, then he can relinquish me.

That’s your “I’m working” voice. You’re not fine.

Just tell me, little one…

And that… isn’t dangerous at all? Ingesting a God and all?

Really, you don’t need to lie to ME, of all people, Zal…

You have such a beautiful smile these days — you’re doing very well. But normal people cuddle with their loved ones for comfort, Zalathiel.

---

If she were in anime, she'd hit you with that Onee-san voice :3

Let's hit @anoelleart and @maiemorrae and @reaperofcrows and @spideronthesun and @cee-griceto pass the tag on :D

[coinandcandle]

Tyr Deity Guide

Who is Tyr?

Tyr, or Týr, is a Norse god and member of the Aesir associated with justice, the law, and the formalities of war. He is also the guardian of oaths, treaties, and contracts. In interpretatio romana he is equated to the Roman god of war, Mars. His most well-known role is in the story Gylfaginning where he loses his arm. To some, it is this story that has earned Tyr the title of the bravest Norse god.

Parents and Siblings

Hymir (according to the poetic edda)

Hrod

Odin (according to Sturluson)

If he’s the son of Odin then his siblings (half-siblings) include:

Thor

Baldur

Váli

Vidarr

Heimdall

Hermod

Bragi

Hodr

Lovers or Partners

There is reference of a wife in Lokesenna but no name given.

Children

There is reference of a son in Lokesenna but no name given.

Epithets

The one-handed/armed god

Thingsus (*Þingsaz 'thing-god')

Feeder of the wolf/Fosterer of the Wolf

Notes

Tyr’s most popular story, Gylfaginning, tells of the deal he makes with Fenrir. Only Tyr was brave enough to approach Fenrir in order to feed him. This created a kinship between the two.

The gods tricked Fenrir by telling him that the various chains presented were testaments to his strength, and they congratulated him with cheers when he broke through them. Eventually, they presented the impossible chains made by the dwarves. Suspecting trickery, Fenrir demanded that, as a sign of good faith, one of the gods place their hand in his mouth as the chains were placed on him. Tyr stepped up to this task. As soon as Fenrir’s suspicions were verified and he realized he couldn’t break free, he bit off Tyr’s arm.

It was said that the gods laughed at the trapped wolf, except for Tyr.

Tuesday comes from Týsdagr, or “Týr’s Day”.

The name “Tyr” comes from Old Norse Týr which means “a god” or “the god”. Old Norse  Týr, Old English Tiw, Old High German *Ziu, Gothic Tyz, Proto-Germanic *Tiwaz, “god” (Orel, Vladimir. 2003. A Handbook of Germanic Etymology. p. 408.)

Tyr is not the only god involved in war, Thor and Odin are also known as gods of war, though they reigned over three different aspects of war. Tyr is the law and justice, Odin is wisdom, and Thor is more brute force.

Tyr’s name is the namesake for the Tiwaz rune, ᛏ, representing “t”.

During Ragnarök, Tyr’s death was supposed to be caused by the wolf Garmr whom he would kill at the same time.

Tyr may be linked to the Proto-Indo-European deity *Dyeus the god of the daytime sky as well as a deity of justice, though nothing links Tyr to the sky in mythology.

Tyr is said to have a grandmother with nine hundred heads.

Modern Deity Work

Many of these correspondences are influenced by their associations with Tuesday and Mars (the planet). You don’t have to agree with these and you’re free to form your own correspondences as these are just suggestions!

Correspondences

Rocks/Stones/Crystals/Metals Black sardonyx, Jasper, Amethyst, Bloodstone, Iron, Garnet, Ruby

Herbs/Plants Valerian, Thistle, Juniper, Nettle, Laurel, Mustard seed

Animals Wolf

Sign - Tiwaz rune - Sword

Offerings and Acts of Devotion

Practice or learn about the law

Practice bravery and challenge yourself

Donate or volunteer to help disabled veterans

Study a martial art

Work out and improve your fitness

Any of the items listed in the correspondence section

Alcohol

Meat

Bread

Honey

References and Further Reading

Tyr - Mythopedia

Gylfaginning by Snori Sturluson (via Sacred-texts)

Tyr - Wikipedia

Tyr - norse-mythology

Tyr - World History Encyclopedia

Tyr - Encyclopedia Britannica

Ways to Worship Tyr - tarotbee

Tyr - Norse Mythology for Smart People

[thewitcheslibrary]

Kök Tengri - Mythology and information

In Old Turkic, Tengri signifies God or Sky. Tengri, also known as Gök God or Kök Tengri, is the ultimate spirit of the sky, according to Tengricism. The Orkhon Inscriptions, where Tengri is the earliest deciphered term, give early proof of the significance of this notion.

Tengri, the great sky god, is the most revered Turkish divinity. While the majority of Turkish history has been polytheistic, Tengriism has existed as a monotheistic religion for millennia. Tengri, also known as Kök Tengri or Gok Tengri, is the first primordial deity and creator god. We don't know what he looks like, but he's all-powerful and fair. Later beliefs of the deity, no likely inspired by more contemporary philosophies, saw him as the force of good in opposition to Erlik's evil.

History-

Tengri was the Göktürks' national god, also known as the "god of Turks" (Türük Tängrisi). Tengri's mandate established the Göktürk khans' authority. These monarchs were widely considered as Tengri's sons, representing him on Earth. Tengrikut, kutluġ, and kutalmysh were titles given to monarchs who were believed to have gained kut, a spiritual energy provided by Tengri.

Prior to foreign intrusions, the Turkic idea of tengri was viewed as the heaven or the will that controlled the heavens, most likely a force. This resulted in the notion of a personal being. Initially, when Turkic people took over other religions, the term tengri became the name of a (personal) deity or "higher being"

Engri was the primary deity worshipped by the ruling elite of Central Asian steppe peoples from the sixth to ninth centuries (Turkic peoples, Mongols, and Hungarians). It lost significance when the Uighuric kagans declared Manichaeism the state religion in the eighth century. The Huns and early Bulgars spread Tengri religion over Eastern Europe.

Engri is thought to be the supreme god who created everything. In addition to the heavenly deity, they had smaller divinities (Alps) who served Tengri's objectives. Gök Tanrı was the father of the sun (Koyash) and moon (Ay Tanrı), also known as Umay, Erlik, and occasionally Ülgen.

Mythology-

Tengri was the most important deity in the Turkic pantheon, in charge of the celestial realm. Tengri is said to be related to the Indo-European sky deity *Dyeus, and the organisation of the reconstructed Proto-Indo-European religion is closer to that of the early Turks than to the religion of any Near Eastern or Mediterranean nation. In Christian Turkish, Tengri refers to Jesus' father, who is known as "Tengri Oghli" (Son of God) and "Mshikha Tengri" (Messiah God). Tengri is likened to both Allah and Khuda. Apart from foreign religious influences, as far as is known today, the original Turkish understanding of Tengri was "heaven" or a spirit governing in heaven. This spirit was most likely conceived as a power, similar to "mana" in contemporary ethnology.

The most important current evidence of Tengri worship is contained in the Old Turkic Orkhon inscriptions from the early eighth century. These inscriptions, written in the so-called Orkhon script, provide information about the Turks' legendary beginnings. The inscription dedicated to Kul Tigin includes the following paragraphs (in the translation supplied by the Language Committee of the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan): "When the blue sky [Tengri] above and the brown earth below were created, between them a human being was created." My forefathers, Bumin Kagan and Istemi Kagan, ruled over humanity. They controlled the people according to Turkish rules, led them, and prevailed" (face 1, line 1); "Tengri causes death. The Old Turkic phrase "Öd Teŋri yasar kisi oγlu qop ölgeli törürmis" (face 2, line 9) and "You passed away (lit.: 'went flying') until Tengri gives you life again" (face 2, line 14) refer to the creation of humans with the intention of death. The ancient Turkic people believed that Khagans ruled by Tengri's will, as stated in the Orkhon inscriptions: "I, Tengri-like and Tengri-born Turk Bilge Kaghan, succeeded to the throne at this time" (Old Turkic: Teŋiriteg Teŋiride bolmuš Türük Bilge Qaγan bü ödüke olurtum).

Tengri, according to one Turkic story, is a clean, white goose who always hovers over an unending stretch of water, representing time. Ak Ana ("White Mother") screams out to him "Create" beneath the ocean. To alleviate his loneliness, Tengri produces Er Kishi, who is not as pure or white as Tengri, and together they build the universe. Er Kishi transforms into a demonic figure who attempts to deceive and entice others into its darkness. Tengri adopts the name Tengri Ülgen and withdraws into Heaven, where he attempts to guide humans through sacred animals he sends among them. The Ak Tengris inhabit the fifth level of Heaven. Shaman priests who want to achieve Tengri Ülgen never get beyond this stage, where they communicate their aspirations to the divine guides. Returns to Earth or to the human level occur on a goose-shaped vehicle.

What he's associated with/his symbols-

 the sun, the moon, the top of yurts, the wolf, and the deer. The wolf and the deer are the common ancestors of most of the populations that participate in the Tengri religion.

[castilestateofmind]

"Tradition, as I understands it, it is not the past, but rather that which does not pass, and always returns under different guises".

-Dominique Venner.

[postcard-from-the-past]

Port of L'Île-d'Yeu, Poitou region of France

French vintage postcard

[real-is-gone]

every day im less and less sure that ill be Ok. that ill be Free.

[covenawhite66]

Dyeus- Sky Father

Dheghom- Earth Mother

Perkwunos- Lightning bolt God

Neptonos- Ocean, Water, Sea God

Suhul- Sun God

Mehnot- Moon

Pushan- Nature

Hausos- Dawn Goddess

The divine twins

God of the Underworld

Beings of Fate:

The giant serpent:

[legend-collection]

Daeva

A daeva is a Zoroastrian supernatural entity with disagreeable characteristics. In the Gathas, the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, the daevas are "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 divinities that promote chaos and disorder. In later tradition and folklore, the dēws (Zoroastrian Middle Persian; New Persian divs) are personifications of every imaginable evil. Over time, the Daeva myth as Div became integrated to Islam.

Pic by rachaelm5 on deviantart

Daeva, the Iranian language term, shares the same origin of "Deva" of Hinduism. While the word for the Vedic spirits and the word for the Zoroastrian entities are etymologically related, their function and thematic development is altogether different. Originally, the term was used to denote beings of cultural folklore which predate use in scripture.

Equivalents for Avestan daeva in Iranian languages include Pashto, Balochi, Kurdish dêw, Persian dīv/deev, all of which apply to ogres, monsters, and other villainous creatures. The Iranian word was borrowed into Old Armenian as dew, Georgian as devi, Urdu as deo, and Turkish as dev with the same negative associations in those languages. In English, the word appears as daeva, div, deev, and in the 18th century fantasy novels of William Thomas Beckford as dive.

It has been speculated that the concept of the daevas as a malevolent force may have been inspired from the Scythian gods.

Old Avestan daēuua or daēva derives from Old Iranian *daiva, which in turn derives from Indo-Iranian *daivá- "god", reflecting Proto-Indo-European *deywós with the same meaning. For other Indo-European derivatives, see Dyeus. The Vedic Sanskrit cognate of Avestan daēuua is devá-, continuing in later Indo-Aryan languages as dev.

Because all cognates of Iranian *daiva have a positive connotation, but "no known Iranian dialect attests clearly and certainly the survival of a positive sense for [Old Iranian] *daiva-", in the 19th- and 20th-century a great deal of academic discussion revolved around questions of how Iranian daeva might have gained its derogatory meaning. 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. The same is true of the daiva inscription, where the daiva are the gods of (potential) rebels, but still evidently gods that continued to have a following.

The issue is related to the question of how Zoroaster's own contribution to Iranian religion might be defined. In the older early/mid 20th-century view (so-called reform hypothesis), in which Zoroaster was perceived to be a revolutionary reformer, it was assumed that the daevas must have been the "national" gods (see comparison with Indic usage, below) of pre-Zoroaster-ian Iran, which Zoroaster had then rejected. This attribution to Zoroaster is also found in the 9th/10th-century books of Zoroastrian tradition, and Gershevitch and others following Lommel consider the progression from "national" gods to demons to be attributable to the "genius of Zoroaster". Subsequent scholarship (so-called progressive hypothesis) has a more differentiated view of Zoroaster, and does not follow the unprovable assumption that prehistoric Iranian religion ever had "national" gods (and thus also that the daevas could have represented such a group), nor does it involve hypothetical conjecture of whose gods the daevas might/might not have been. While the progressive hypothesis gives Zoroaster credit for giving Iranian religion a moral and ethical dimension, it does not (with one notable exception) give Zoroaster credit for the development of the daevas into demons. It assumes that the development was gradual, and that a general distrust of the daevas already existed by the time the Gathas were composed.

Although with some points of comparison such as shared etymology, Indic devá- is thematically different from Avestan daēva.

While in the post-Rigvedic Indic texts the conflict between the two groups of devas and asuras is a primary theme, this is not a theme in either the Rigveda nor in the Iranian texts,

..."returning I protect the kingdom which awaits me" (from asuras)

— 

and therefore cannot have been a feature of a common heritage. 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. Likewise, at the oldest layer, Zoroastrianism's daevas are originally also gods (albeit gods to be rejected), and it is only in the younger texts that the word evolved to refer to evil creatures. And the Zoroastrian ahuras (etymologically related to the Vedic asuras) are also only vaguely defined, and only three in number.

In ancient Hindu texts, Dev (or Deva) are described as those who give humans prosperity, protection, who are worthy to worship, and Asura also known as Rakshas are bad, evil, corrupt and enemies of Devas, and are notorious to harass Bhakta (followers) of Deva. Asura live in Patala lok, which is below earth's surface, and don't worship Deva; however, many Asura have done Tapas to get boons from Deva. For example, Ravan (who was born to an Asura mother and a human father) did Tapas of the Deva Shiva to get a boon, and the Asura king Hiranyakashipu did tapsya of Brahma to receive a boon. Many Deva live in Svarga, although other Dev live in their dedicated location such as Vishnu Deva lives at Vaikuntha etc. In Bhagavad Gita, Vishnu Deva said that whenever evil people harass good and Dharma is in danger, he will arrive and kill them, he will protect good people.

Moreover, the daemonization of the asuras in India and the daemonization of the daevas in Iran both took place "so late that the associated terms cannot be considered a feature of Indo-Iranian religious dialectology". The view popularized by Nyberg, Jacques Duchesne-Guillemin, and Widengren 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 the Gathas, the oldest texts of Zoroastrianism and credited to Zoroaster himself, the daevas are not yet the demons that they would become in later Zoroastrianism; though their rejection is notable in the Gathas themselves. The Gathas speak of the daevas as a group, and do not mention individual daevas by name. In these ancient texts, the term daevas (also spelled 'daēuuas') occurs 19 times; wherein daevas are a distinct category of "quite genuine gods, who had, however, been rejected". 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; though, the daevas are clearly identified with evil.

In the Gathas, daevas are censured as being incapable of discerning truth (asha-) from falsehood (druj-). They are consequently in "error" (aēnah-), but are never identified as drəguuaṇt- "people of the lie". The conclusion drawn from such ambiguity is that, at the time the Gathas were composed, "the process of rejection, negation, or daemonization of these gods was only just beginning, but, as the evidence is full of gaps and ambiguities, this impression may be erroneous".

In Yasna 32.4, the daevas are revered by the Usij, described as a class of "false priests", devoid of goodness of mind and heart, and hostile to cattle and husbandry. Like the daevas that they follow, "the Usij are known throughout the seventh region of the earth as the offspring of aka mainyu, druj, and arrogance.". Yasna 30.6 suggests the daeva-worshipping priests debated frequently with Zoroaster, but failed to persuade him.

In the Younger Avesta, the daevas are unambiguously hostile entities. 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.

The Vendidad, a contraction of vi-daevo-dāta, "given against the daevas", is a collection of late Avestan texts that deals almost exclusively with the daevas, or rather, their various manifestations and with ways to confound them. Vi.daeva- "rejecting the daevas" qualifies the faithful Zoroastrian with the same force as mazdayasna- ('Mazda worshipper').

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, Sarva, and Nanghaithya. 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.

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, 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."

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.

Old Persian daiva occurs twice in Xerxes' daiva inscription. 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.

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!'" This statement has been interpreted either 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.

In the Middle Persian texts of Zoroastrian tradition, the dews are invariably rendered with the Aramaic ideogram ŠDYA or the more common plural ŠDYAʼn that signified "demons" even in the singular.

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).

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 the Amesha Spentas. The six arch-demons as listed in the Epistles of Zadspram and the Greater Bundahishn are:

Akoman of "evil thought" opposing Wahman/Bahman of "good thought" (Av. Aka Manah versus Vohu Manah)

Indar that freezes the minds of the righteous opposing Ardawahisht of "best truth" (Av. Iṇdra versus Asha Vahishta).

Nanghait of discontent opposing Spendarmad of "holy devotion" (Av. Nanghaithya/Naonghaithya versus Spenta Armaiti)

Sawar/Sarvar of oppression opposing Shahrewar of "desirable dominion" (Av. Saurva versus Kshathra Vairya)

Tauriz/Tawrich of destruction opposing Hordad of "wholeness" (Av. Taurvi versus Haurvatat)

Zariz/Zarich who poisons plants opposing Amurdad of "immortality" (Av. Zauri versus Ameretat)

These oppositions differ from those found in scripture, where the moral principles (that each Amesha Spenta represents) are opposed by immoral principles. 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 Indar, who freezes the minds of creatures from practicing "righteousness" (asha). Greater Bundahishn 34.27 adds two more arch-demons, which are not however in opposition to Amesha Spentas:

Xeshm of "wrath" opposing Srosh of "obedience" (Av. Aeshma versus Sraosha)

Gannag menog, the "foul death" or "stinking spirit", opposing Hormazd (Gannag menog is unknown in the Avesta, and Hormazd is Ahura Mazda).

Also mirroring Ormuzd's act of creation, i.e., the realization of the Amesha Spentas 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. 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.

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.

But with the exception of the Book of Arda Wiraz, the dews are not generally described as a force to be feared. With fundamental optimism, 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").

A fire 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". Prayer and other recitations of the liturgy, in particular the recitation of Yasht 1, is effective in keeping the demons at bay. Demons are attracted by chatter at mealtimes and when silence is broken a demon takes the place of the angel at one's side. 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, the demons are described as issuing out at night to wreak mayhem, but forced back into the underworld by the divine glory (khvarenah) at sunrise.

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.

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."

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."

Akatash of perversion

Anashtih "strife"

Anast that utters falsehood

Apaush and Spenjaghra who cause drought

Araska of vengeance

Ashmogh of apostasy

Az of avarice and greed

Buht of idolatry

Bushasp of sloth (Avestan Bushyasta)

Diwzhat (Av. Daebaaman), the deceiver, the hypocrite

Eshm of wrath (Avestan Aeshma)

Freptar of distraction and deception

Jeh the whore (Avestan Jahi)

Mitokht (also Mithaokhta) of scepticism and falsehood

Nang of disgrace and dishonor

Nas or Nasa (Avestan Nasu) of pollution and contamination

Niyaz causes want

Pinih of stinginess and who hoards but does not enjoy its hoard

Rashk (Avestan Areshko) "envy"

Sij who causes destruction

Sitoj that denies doctrine

Spazg of slander

Spuzgar, the negligent

Taromaiti of scorn

Varun of unnatural lust

Other entities include:

Aghash of the evil eye

Astwihad of death (Avestan Asto-widhatu or Asto-vidatu)

[Azi-/Az-]Dahak (Avestan Azi Dahaka), a serpent-like monster king.

Cheshma who opposes the clouds and causes earthquakes and whirlwinds

Kunda, the steed that carries sorcerers

Uta who brings about sickness through food and water

Vizaresh that fights for the souls of the dead

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 is 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.

A list of ten demons is provided in the Shahnameh: Besides the afore-mentioned Az "greed", Kashm "wrath" (Avestan 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.

Some of the entities that in the Middle Persian texts are demons, are in the Shahnameh attributes of demons, 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".

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 (who are then cured with the blood of the demon's gall).