Chapter XXIII

Pahlavi Texts, Part I (SBE05), E.W. West, tr. [1880], at sacred-texts.com

CHAPTER XXIII.

1. On the nature of the ape and the bear they say, that Yim, when reason (nismô) departed from, him ³, for fear of the demons took a demoness as wife, and gave Yimak, who was his sister, to a demon as wife; and from them have originated the tailed ape and bear and other species of degeneracy.

2. This, too, they say, that in the reign of Az-i Dahâk ⁴ a young woman was admitted to a demon, and a young man was admitted to a witch (parîk), and on seeing them they had intercourse; owing to that one intercourse the black-skinned negro arose from them. 3. When Frêdûn ⁵ came to them they fled from the country of Iran, and settled upon the sea-coast; now, through the invasion of the Arabs, they are again diffused through the country of Iran.

Footnotes

87:3 See Chap. XXXIV, 4. This is the Jamshêd of the Shâhnâmah. Perhaps for 'reason' we should read 'glory.'

87:4 See Chaps, XXXI, 6, XXXIV, 5.

87:5 See Chap. XXXIV, 6.