| “ | Amuse me with your strength, brother. Before eternal silence is upon us. | „ |
| ~ Ahriman |
Ahriman, also known as Druj, Ahreman, Angra Mainyu, Anra Mainyu or Aharman, is a primordial God of Evil in Zoroastrianism. He is also the manifestation of all the evils that were born during the Battle of the Powers.
Description[]
Often called Druj ("the Lie"), Ahriman was the force behind anger, greed, envy, and other negative and harmful emotions. He also brought chaos, death, disease, great disorder, confusion and other ills into the world. Ahriman had once tried to maim the prophet Zarathustra but failed.
Ahriman is identified with Iblis, the devil in Islamic mythology. In some works, Ahriman, rather than the snake of biblical lore, is pictured as being the one who actually tempted Adam and Eve where he approached the couple as an old man offering Adam and Eve the fatal fruit. One early Persian sculpture portrays Ahura Mazda riding on horseback trampling on Ahriman’s snake-covered head.
Overview[]
Ahriman was said to have been conceived during the climax of the War of the Powers, the divine war between the gods and the Ogdru Hem. The evils that sprung from the war would be shapeless and nameless until they were contained within a box specifically designed to restrain them with the Aeon Elpis holding them at bay as a counteractive force. Despite being tasked to watch over the box, the evils would slowly begin to take sentience and whisper to their keeper Pandora to release them. Consequently, Pandora released all the evils back out into the world which eventually take shape and become Ahriman.
During the Dark Reign where the Seven Kings of Hell exerted their influence from the Gates of Hell, the Earth was under the rule of Ahriman, and even long after the destruction of the Gates and the defeat of the demon kings by Sparda, Ahriman has accumulated enough power for his essence to linger which may explain as to why there is drought, famine, war, disease, pestilence, and other ills. To aid him in his rule, Ahriman created 99,999 diseases, and six archevils, called Evil Mind, Tyranny, Enmity, Violence, Wrath, and Falsehood. He also created a female demon named AZ and a dragon. The archevils were said to have engaged in various conflicts with the archangels on a spiritual level.
A legend about Ahriman says that he had a son with Wadag, a great sinner, and named him Zahhak, whom he then trained to be evil. He told Zohak to kill his own father. He disguised himself, however, and Zohak killed someone he thought was his father. Ahriman, again in disguise, became chef of the palace and Zohak was so impressed with him that he offered to reward him. Ahriman asked only to kiss his shoulders. When he did so, serpents sprang from where he kissed and every time Zohak cut them off, they grew back. Ahriman entered in another disguise, as a doctor, and told Zohak that he had to feed the serpents human brains every day. Zohak complied and became Ahriman’s pride. The son ruled for a thousand years and finally was destroyed.