The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries — John Shaqi
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various CountriesKeightley, Thomas
General
The Fairy Mythology: Illustrative of the Romance and Superstition of Various Countries
Keightley, Thomas
Fairies; Fairy tales; Folk literature; Folklore
The Peries and Deevs of the modern Persians answer to the good and
evil Jinn of the Arabs, of whose origin and nature we shall presently
give an account. The same Suleymans ruled over them as over the Jinn,
and both alike were punished for disobedience. It is difficult to say
which is the original; but when we recollect in how much higher a
state of culture the Persians were than the Arabs, and how well this
view accords with their ancient system of religion, we shall feel
inclined to believe that the Arabs were the borrowers, and that by
mingling with the Persian system ideas derived from the Jews, that one
was formed by them which is now the common property of all Moslems.
In like manner we regard the mountains of Kâf, the abode alike of Jinn
and of Peries and Deevs, as having belonged originally to Persian
geography. The fullest account of it appears in the Persian romance of
Hatim Taï,[26] the hero of which often visited its regions. From this it
would seem that this mountain-range was regarded as, like that of the
ancient Greek cosmology, surrounding the flat circular earth like a
ring, or rather like the bulwarks of a ship, outside of which flowed the
ocean; while some Arab authorities make it to lie beyond, and to enclose
the ocean as well as the earth.[27] It is said to be composed of green
chrysolite, the reflection of which gives its greenish tint to the sky.
According to some, its height is two thousand English miles.
Jinnestân is the common appellation of the whole of this ideal region.
Its respective empires were divided into many kingdoms, containing
numerous provinces and cities. Thus in the Peri-realms we meet with
the luxuriant province of Shad-u-kâm (_Pleasure and Delight_), with
its magnificent capital Juherabâd (_Jewel-city_), whose two kings
solicited the aid of Cahermân against the Deevs,[28] and also the
stately Amberabâd (_Amber-city_), and others equally splendid. The
metropolis of the Deev-empire is named Ahermanabâd (_Aherman's city_);
and imagination has lavished its stores in the description of the
enchanted castle, palace, and gallery of the Deev monarch, Arzshenk.
The Deevs and Peries wage incessant war with each other. Like mankind,
they are subject to death, but after a much longer period of
existence; and, though far superior to man in power, they partake of
his sentiments and passions.
We are told that when the Deevs in their wars make prisoners of the
Peries, they shut them up in iron cages, and hang them from the tops
of the highest trees, exposed to every gaze and to every chilling
blast. Here their companions visit them, and bring them the choicest
odours to feed on; for the ethereal Peri lives on perfume, which has
moreover the property of repelling the cruel Deevs, whose malignant
nature is impatient of fragrance.[29]
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