The White Div of Mazandaran
In Persia's national epic, the forests of Mazandaran were home to the divs, giant demons, and their chief, the White Div, who blinded a king.
What was reported
Divs, or daevas, are demons of Persian myth and folklore: huge, horned, often hairy beings who live in caves and wild places and use sorcery. In the Shahnameh, the 'Book of Kings' finished by the poet Ferdowsi around 1010, the most fearsome of all is the White Div of Mazandaran.
When King Kay Kavus invades Mazandaran, the White Div blinds him and his army with darkness and takes them captive. The hero Rostam rides to the rescue through seven trials, kills the White Div in his cave, and uses its blood to restore the king's sight.
Explanations offered
The divs began as ancient gods who, in Zoroastrian belief, became evil beings. Mazandaran's dark, damp forests on the Caspian shore, so different from the rest of Iran, made it the natural home of demons in Persian imagination.
- When
- Told since ancient times; written down about 1010
- Where
- Mazandaran, Iran
- Witnesses
- Persian epic and folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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