Daeva

Some people believe in daevas.

These are beings from an old faith. In the past, people thought they were gods. But later, people saw them as bad.

Some stories say they cause chaos. They might bring disorder to the world. They are often seen as the opposite of good.

In one old book, they are called gods to be rejected. This means people should not follow them.

Some people believe they represent evil thoughts. They can also represent bad feelings.

These ideas have lasted a very long time. It is a very old way of thinking.

In the Zoroastrian faith, daevas are supernatural beings. Their meaning has changed over a very long time. In the oldest texts, called the Gathas, they were seen as gods. However, these were gods that people were told to reject. Some thinkers believe these were the old gods of the land. Over time, the idea of the daeva changed. In later books, they became beings that cause chaos. They are often seen as the opposite of good.

Some stories say daevas represent bad things. For example, one daeva is linked to evil thoughts. Another is linked to discontent. They can even be seen as things that freeze the mind. In some traditions, an evil spirit creates them to fight against good. These beings are often linked to darkness. Some people believe they live in a dark world. In old Persian carvings, a king named Xerxes spoke of them. He said he destroyed their homes. He told people not to worship them. This shows how much the idea of daevas changed from gods to demons.

The daevas are supernatural beings in the Zoroastrian faith. They are known for having disagreeable qualities. In the oldest Zoroastrian texts, called the Gathas, they are described as gods that should be rejected. This means they were once seen as real gods, even if they were not the right ones to follow. Over many centuries, the meaning of the word changed. In later books, the daevas became beings that cause chaos and disorder. In folk stories, they are often seen as the faces of every kind of evil.

How these beings work depends on which text you read. In the Gathas, the daevas are seen as being in error. They cannot tell the difference between truth and lies. They are not called people of the lie, but they are still seen as wrong. In the Younger Avesta, they are clearly hostile entities. The Vendidad is a special collection of texts used to fight them. This book is often read between sunset and sunrise. This is because the time of day is thought to be when demons are active.

The history of the daevas involves many different ideas. Some scholars once thought the prophet Zoroaster was a reformer. They believed he rejected the national gods of the people. This idea is called the reform hypothesis. Other scholars suggest a different view called the progressive hypothesis. They think the change from gods to demons happened very slowly. This view suggests that a distrust of daevas existed even in the oldest times. They do not think Zoroaster was solely responsible for making them demons.

There are many specific names and details in these ancient records. In the Vendidad, three Vedic gods are listed as demons. These names are Indra, Sarva, and Nanghaithya. There are also daevas named Tauru, Zairi, and Nasu. In the 12th-century text called the Bundahishn, an evil spirit named Ahriman creates hordes of dews. He creates six specific dews to fight against the good creation. One is Akoman, who represents evil thought. Another is Indar, who is said to freeze the minds of the righteous.

The word daeva is also linked to other parts of the world. It shares the same roots as the word Deva in Hinduism. It is also related to the Latin word deus and the Greek name Zeus. This shows how different cultures have used similar words for gods. In different languages, the word has changed into terms like dêw, dīv, or deo. Even in English, you can see versions like daeva or div. These connections help us see how ancient ideas traveled through history.

The daevas are supernatural entities within the Zoroastrian religious tradition. They are characterized by disagreeable or malevolent qualities. In the Gathas, which are the oldest texts of the Zoroastrian canon, they are described as gods that must be rejected. This suggests they were once viewed as legitimate deities. Over many centuries, their role in the faith changed significantly. In the Younger Avesta, they are divinities that promote chaos and disorder. In later folklore, they became personifications of all imaginable evil.

The evolution of the daeva concept involves complex linguistic and religious shifts. The word daeva comes from the Old Iranian *daiva. This term originates from the Proto-Indo-European *deywós, which means god. This is the same root used for the Latin word deus and the Greek name Zeus. Interestingly, the word is a cognate with the Hindu term Deva. However, while the Hindu Devas are generally positive, the Zoroastrian daevas became negative. Scholars have debated how this shift occurred. Some believe the meaning changed from a positive to a derogatory sense over time.

Academic theories attempt to explain this transition through two main lenses. The first is the reform hypothesis. This view suggests that Zoroaster was a revolutionary reformer. It proposes that the daevas were the national gods of pre-Zoroastrian Iran. In this theory, Zoroaster specifically rejected these gods to change the religion. The second is the progressive hypothesis. This view offers a more gradual explanation. It suggests that a general distrust of daevas existed even during the time of the Gathas. This theory does not credit Zoroaster alone with turning gods into demons.

In the ancient Gathas, the daevas are not yet fully realized demons. The text mentions them 19 times as a distinct category of genuine gods. However, they are described as being in a state of error. They are unable to distinguish between truth, known as asha, and falsehood, known as druj. The Gathas also mention that some followers of Zoroaster were previously worshippers of the daevas. These worshippers were sometimes associated with the Usij, who were described as false priests. These priests were seen as being hostile to cattle and husbandry.

The Younger Avesta presents a much more hostile view of these beings. In these texts, the daevas are unambiguously evil entities. One specific collection of texts is called the Vendidad. This name means "given against the daevas." It is used as a tool to confound or disable these entities. Because the time between sunset and sunrise is considered the time of demons, the Vendidad is often recited at night. The text even lists specific Vedic gods that have been transformed into demons. These include Indra, Sarva, and Nanghaithya. They are joined by three other daevas named Tauru, Zairi, and Nasu.

In later Zoroastrian tradition, the role of the daevas became even more defined. The 12th-century text known as the Bundahishn describes a cosmic struggle. In this view, the evil spirit Ahriman creates hordes of dews to counter the creation of Ormuzd. Ahriman uses these dews to bring horror into the world. He creates six specific arch-demons to oppose the six Amesha Spentas, who are holy beings. For example, Akoman represents evil thought and opposes the good thought of Bahman. Indar is said to freeze the minds of the righteous, opposing Ardawahisht.

Historical inscriptions also provide evidence of the daeva concept. The 5th-century BC "daiva inscription" by the Persian King Xerxes mentions them. In this text, Xerxes claims to have destroyed a house of the daivas. He proclaimed that the daivas should not be worshipped. Historians interpret this in two ways. It might be an ideological statement against rejected gods. Alternatively, it might have been a political move against enemies of the state. This shows how religious beliefs and political power were often linked in ancient Persia.

Finally, the term daeva has spread through many different languages and cultures. In Iranian languages, it appears as dêw in Kurdish or dīv in Persian. Old Armenian used the word dew, and Georgian used devi. Even Urdu uses the term deo. In English, the word appears in various forms like daeva, div, or deev. In the 18th century, the writer William Thomas Beckford used the spelling "dive" in fantasy novels. These linguistic connections show how a single concept can travel and change across the world.