Turning to the _Avesta_ writings, we find that the Parsees of ancient Persia classified comets as parihs, or fairies. _Pari_ is the Iranian word for fairy, and is derived from the word “par,” meaning to tempt, to enchant. The English word “fairy” also comes from a similar root, “fier,” to enchant. Nevertheless, these cometary fairies are not the dainty beings of English folk-lore, but are described in the _Avesta_ as “ill-born fairies,” their appearance in the sky inspiring terror, since they are supposed to bring disease, calamity, and death in their wake. In the picturesque language of the Persian writer, “the distress of the earth becomes as that of a sheep when a wolf falls upon it.” The following quaint account of the influence of a comet is given in the _Avesta_. “A hairy comet appeared in the year 662, Hijri, and the increase of the splendour of the world was in Leo. The strange thing was that it appeared to be of the proportion of the head of a big man and emitted steam from the front. It passed over the countries of Tibet, Turkestan, China, Kashgar and remained visible for 85 days. In all these countries there arose rebellions. In Khorassan calamities of thunder and lightning and other such phenomena appeared. “Many years and many months had passed over this event, and then in 803, a tailed comet appeared in the zenith of Constantinople. Astrologers informed Timur that from what the wise and the experienced have said, it appears that an army coming from the direction of the east will be victorious in that country, and a general from that country will assist him. Timur (literally: the illuminator of the face of fortune), who was always expecting an invasion of the country, but whose companions of poor intelligence did not acquiesce, attended to that prediction and convinced the great and small of his court, of the truth and insight of the star-seers. The learned in the mysteries of the heavens are convinced of this, that if the comet appears within the boundaries of a country, its king dies. If it is inclined towards the boundary, the country of the governor passes away from his hands, and plague and disease add to the afflictions of the country.”[2] Some of the Pahlavi books refer to a comet as “the thievish Mushpar provided with tails.” The comet was classified as an evil spirit in company with planets and meteors which wandered hither and thither; while the sun, moon, and fixed stars were considered good spirits, because they were always to be found at appointed times in their places in the sky.