Ma`rifat Adyan

Dādestān ī Mēnōg ī Xrad is a religious and ethical text in which Ahriman and his demons (Daevas) are frequently mentioned. This book explores the concept of Ahriman and his demonic assistants—his army—in multiple manifestations, providing examples for each form. A close reading of the text, informed by intertextuality (the shaping of meaning through other texts) and implicit interpretations, reveals insights into the formation, existence, functions, and fate of the demons—particularly Dēw (the chief demon) and his offspring. Accordingly, Mēnōg ī Xrad presents four distinct categories of demons, and based on this classification, it offers methods for avoiding their worship as well as strategies for liberation from their influence. Drawing on textual evidence and references to contemporaneous and linguistically related texts, this article seeks to provide a clear depiction of these demons and their functions, while delineating the connections between Ahriman, his agents, earthly life, and the afterlife. The concluding findings demonstrate the conceptual and practical existence of the four categories of demons, identify their means of influencing humans, and propose solutions for escaping their malevolent grasp