Drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a photograph taken from the original bas-relief in glazed tiles in the Louvre. [Illustration: 023.jpg THE KING STRUGGLING AGAINST AN EVIL GENIUS] Drawn by Boudier, from the photograph in Marcel Dieulafoy. The children of Angro-mainyus disguised themselves under those monstrous forms in which the imagination of the Chaldaeans had clothed the allies of Mummu-Tiamat, such as lions with bulls' heads, and the wings and claws of eagles, which the Achaemenian king combats on behalf of his subjects, boldly thrusting them through with his short sword. Aeshma of the blood-stained lance, terrible in wrath, is the most trusted leader of these dread bands,* the chief of twenty other Daevas of repulsive aspect--Asto-vidhotu, the demon of death, who would devote to destruction the estimable Fravashis;** Apaosha, the enemy of Tishtrya the wicked black horse, the bringer of drought, who interferes with the distribution of the fertilising waters; and Buiti, who essayed to kill Zoroaster at his birth.*** * The name Aeshma means _anger_. He is the Asmodeus, Aeshmo- daevo, of Rabbinic legends. ** The name of this demon signifies _He who separates the bones_. *** The Greater Bundehesh connects the demon Buiti with the Indian Buddha, and J. Darmestefer seems inclined to accept this interpretation. In this case we must either admit that the demon Buiti is of relatively late origin, or that he has, in the legend of Zoroaster, taken the place of a demon whose name resembled his own closely enough to admit of the assimilation. The female demons, the Bruges, the Incubi (Yatus), the Succubi (Pairika), the Peris of our fairy tales, mingled familiarly with mankind before the time of the prophet, and contracted with them fruitful alliances, but Zoroaster broke up their ranks, and prohibited them from becoming incarnate in any form but that of beasts; their hatred, however, is still unquenched, and their power will only be effectually overthrown at the consummation of time. It is a matter of uncertainty whether the Medes already admitted the possibility of a fresh revelation, preparing the latest generations of mankind for the advent of the reign of good. The traditions enshrined in the sacred books of Iran announce the coming of three prophets, sons of Zoroaster --Ukhshyatereta, Ukhshyatnemo, and Saoshyant* --who shall bring about universal salvation. * The legend ran that they had been conceived in the waters of the lake Kansu. The name Saoshyant signifies _the useful one, the saviour_; Ukshyate-reta, _he who malces the good increase_; Ukshyatnemo, _he who makes prayer increase_.