In Zoroastrian religious thought, Az (or Āz) is one of the central daēvas—cosmic demons—representing insatiable greed and the destruction of divine order (Asha). In early Avestan and Middle Persian texts such as the Bundahišn and Dēnkard, Az is portrayed not merely as a moral failing but as an ontological force that devours balance and destabilizes both the material and spiritual worlds. However, this conception of Az does not disappear with the decline of Zoroastrian state religion. Instead, it u…
In the Bundahišn, Az is described as a self-consuming entity that devours all creation—humans, animals, even demons—and never reaches satiation (Bundahišn XXVIII.15, West 1897). This excessive appetite is so destructive that even Ahriman, the very source of evil, falls victim to it. Mary Boyce notes that Az is not a psychological vice, but “a principle of endless destruction, a metaphysical hunger gnawing at the roots of creation” (Boyce 1979, 92). The Dēnkard reinforces this by associating Az with mo…
In the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi (c. 1010 CE), Az reemerges in a transformed yet thematically consistent manner. While no demon named “Az” appears by that title, the conceptual framework of azmandī (greed, excess, desire for power) becomes a recurring moral and political motif. The tyrant Zahhak, for instance, is a paradigmatic embodiment of unchecked Az. He accepts the evil counsel of Ahriman, murders his own father, and allows demonic serpents to feed on human brains—a grotesque metaphor for the consum…
Similarly, King Jamshid begins his rule with divine favor and wisdom, but pride (az) overwhelms him. As he claims divinity for himself, “from then on, his fortunes changed, / the world turned dark, his glory rearranged” (Ferdowsi, trans. Davis 2006, 21). In this moment, Jamshid falls victim not to an external demon, but to the inner manifestation of Az—hubris and self-deification. According to Touraj Daryaee, Ferdowsi’s narrative reveals Az as an internal crisis: “a sickness of soul, wrapped in pride, …
Ferdowsi also engages Az through Alexander (Eskandar). Though Alexander is portrayed with ambiguity, his imperial ambition and insatiable quest for conquest reflect a subtler form of Az—greed disguised as civilizational mission. While the poet does not condemn him outright, he places philosophical limits on expansionism. Alexander’s death is humbling; despite his worldly conquests, he is buried in a modest tomb, echoing the moral that Az is ultimately self-defeating.
Through these characters, Ferdowsi transforms Az from a literal demon into a pervasive ethical theme. As Shaked observes, Zoroastrian daēvas become “psychologized” in Islamic-era literature, functioning as moral metaphors rather than ontological beings (Shaked 1994, 121). Ferdowsi adopts this model, embedding Az into the moral structure of kingship and governance. The literary Az becomes an index of legitimacy: the just king resists it; the tyrant succumbs.
Thus, the evolution of Az from Avestan scripture to Persian epic reflects both continuity and transformation. While Az retains its identity as a force of disruption, its representation shifts from a supernatural agent to a psychological and political reality. The Shahnameh preserves the moral thrust of Zoroastrian cosmology but recasts it within a national, historical, and literary framework—making Az not merely a theological entity, but a timeless warning against unbounded desire and destructive ego.
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References (Chicago Style)
- Boyce, Mary. Zoroastrians: Their Religious Beliefs and Practices. London: Routledge, 1979.
- Bundahišn. Translated by E. W. West. In Sacred Books of the East, vol. 5. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1897.
- Dēnkard. Translated by Jean de Menasce. Le troisième livre du Dēnkart. Paris: Klincksieck, 1973.
- Daryaee, Touraj. “Ferdowsi and the Question of Iranian Identity.” Iranian Studies 35, no. 2 (2002): 131–148.
- Ferdowsi. Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings. Translated by Dick Davis. New York: Penguin Classics, 2006.
- Shaked, Shaul. “The Demonization of the Other in Zoroastrianism.” Jerusalem Studies in Arabic and Islam 18 (1994): 111–134.