Cesmag, the lie, and the logic of Zoroastrian demonology.

• Author: Lincoln, Bruce

For all that demonology was a major part of many theological systems, the topic has received relatively little serious attention. The claims made by demonological discourse having been conclusively discredited in the European Enlightenment, it is as if the topic had been drained of all but antiquarian interest. While mild curiosity about the benighted beliefs of distant others may still be permitted, until recently most research remained distanced, condescending, and superficial, as if reflecting residual anxiety that the foolishness of these beliefs might be contagious or--a less magical construction of the same dynamic--that showing too much interest in such things might damage one's reputation. (1)

As the result of such skittishness, our understanding of many religions is impoverished, for some of the most serious issues of ethics, cosmology, anthropology, and soteriology were--and still are--regularly engaged via demonology. Though we may now reject the foundational assumptions of that discourse, this does not force the conclusion that beliefs about demons were of necessity naive, ridiculous, or infantile. As a working hypothesis, it seems preferable to assume that the demonological components of any religion are no less intelligent, complex, or profound than those of its other constituent parts and thus deserving of equally serious study.

As a small, but convenient example of the results to be gained from such an approach I propose to consider an obscure Zoroastrian demon: Cesmag. who makes an abrupt and bewildering entrance toward the end of a celebrated incident recounted in Book Seven of the Denkard, a massive Pahlavi compendium committed to writing in the ninth century C.E. (2)

This is the episode in which Zarathustra resists temptation by the Lie, a tale that has often been compared to similar stories about the Buddha and Mara, Jesus and Satan, Grail-seekers and "Frau Welt." (3) In E. W. West's pioneering translation--which we will have to revise in significant ways--the text reads as follows:

[And Auharmazd spoke thus]: "Even unto thee, O Zaratust! A Fiend will rush, a female, golden-bodied and full-bosomed (so that she wears a bodice), and she rushes to request companionship from thee; a female, golden bodied and full-bosomed, to request conversation from thee, to request co-operation from thee. But thou shouldst not grant her companionship, nor conversation, nor shalt thou prescribe any conduct for her; afterwards, to revert her downwards, thou shalt utter aloud that triumphant saying the Yatha-ahu-vairyo." Zaratust proceeded to the habitable and friendly world, for the purpose of fully observing that beaten track (khapisno) of the embodied existence; then that fiend came forward when he sat in the vicinity of a garment--that garment which, when Vohumano was conveying him to the conference, was deposited by him--a female, golden-bodied and full-bosomed, and companionship, conversation, and co-operation were requested by her from him; she also whined (dandido): "I am Spendarmad" And Zaratust spoke thus: "She who is Spendarmad was fully observed by me in the light of a cloudless day, and that Spendarmad appeared to me fine behind and fine before and fine all around (that is, in all positions she was handsome); do thou turn thy back, and I shall know if thou art Spendarmad." And the fiend spoke to him thus: "O Zaratust of the Spitamas! where we are, those who are females are handsome in front, but frightfully hideous behind; so do not make a demand for my back." After she had protested a third time, the fiend turned her back, and she was seen by Zaratust behind in the groin; and when matter was exuded, it was full of serpents, toads, lizards, centipedes, and frogs. And that triumphant saying, the Yatha-ahu-vairyo, was uttered aloud by Zaratust; then that fiend was annihilated, and Keshmak the Karap rushed forth. (4) abar-iz o to Zarduxst druz be dwared madag-kirb zarren-+pusen ku pestanban dared, ud hamhagih i az to +zayed ud dwared madag-kirb zarren-pusen hampursagih az to z.ayed ud hamkar-darih az to zayed u-s ma hamhagih dahe ud ma hampursagih ud ma (laze than).ham (greater than)kardarih framdye oy oy pasih frod wastan an i perozgar gowisn fraz gowe Yata-Ahu-Weryog, be raft Zarduxst o an i manisnomand dostomand gehan an hazisn i axw i astomand be nigerisnih ray. eg o druz fraz mad ka (+)pad nazdikih i daxmag nisast an i daxmag i ka Wahman be o hampursagih nayid, a-s be nihad. (+)madag-kirb zarren pad sen u-s hamhagih ud hampursagih ud hamkardarih az oy (+)zast. u-s joyid ku az hom Spandarmad. guft-as Zarduxst ku be-m an nigered (+)ke Spandarmad andar an i rosn roz i xwabar ud an man sahist (+)Spandarmad hu-oron ud hu-parron ud hu-tarist ku hamag gyag nek bud. pasih frod ward snasom agar to he +Spandannad. u-s o oy druz guft ku: Zarduxst i Spitaman ku awesan ama hem ke mddagan +nekog az pes nemag ud duszist az pasih ma man o pasih framayen. paz az sidigar pahikarid druz o pasih frod wast. u-s oy did Zarduxst pas andarag haxt ka ahraft estad purr gaz ud +xukarag ud karbunag ud pazug ud wazag. u-s an i perozgar gowisn fraz guft Zarduxst Yata-Ahu-Weryog. eg an druz be +nest ud Cesmag-klp (NB: this word is ambiguous, as we shall see. West interpreted it as karap [= karb in modern orthography], but it can also be read as kirb, which makes a very important difference) fraz dwarid. (5) Subsequent translators, most notably Marijan Mole, have improved on West's rendering in several details and there is room for further improvement, but to date no one has reconsidered the mysterious Cesmag, who is our prime point of interest. (6) Nor have studies of Zoroastrian demonology added to the little that West adduced. (7) Cesmag remains an enigma.

II

With regard to Cesmag, West provided a note directing the reader to Denkard 7.2.44-45, which recounts certain events that transpired when Ahreman sought to forestall Zarathustra's birth. (8) The story is rather complex, and the preceding narrative details how all the Wise Lord's good creation contributed to the prophet's conception. Thus, what it describes as "Zarathustra's elemental body-substance" (an i Zarduxst tan gohr) (9) fell from the sky with rain, entered the earth, then entered plants that were eaten by two cows who, as a result, began to produce a miraculously pure milk that Pourusaspa and Duydow would ultimately drink before conceiving their son. (10)

Hoping to forestall the birth that would threaten his power, the Evil Spirit called an assembly, which is described in the passage West cited. West's translation, however, is sufficiently flawed that it is useful to cite two other versions (given in tabular form on p. 48).

Interestingly, the passage never identifies Cesmag as an evil priest (Pahlavi karb [=karap in the older orthography]), only as "Cesmag, who was unwise" (Cesmag i dusdanag). (11) A bit later, however, the text does make reference to the one hundred fifty demons led by Cesmag, using terms that West, Mole, and others understood to confirm the testimony of Denkard 7.4.61. Accordingly, they transcribed the Pahlavi phrase 3 SK SYA-'n Y +cysmk klp'n as 150 dewan i Cesmag karban as "150 demons, who are Karaps of Cesmag."15 The crucial word is open to question, however, given the inadequacies and ambiguities of the Pahlavi writing system, where short vowels regularly go unrepresented. Accordingly, what is written as klp can be transliterated as either karb 'a priest hostile to Zoroaster' (from Avestan karapan-) (16) or kirb 'the external, visible form of living beings' (from Avestan kdhrp-). (17) If the latter is correct, pace West et al.), then the demons are all "forms of Cesmag" and not priests in his retinue. Correspondingly, in Denkard 7.4.61 it is not "Cesmag the Karap" (Cesmag karb), who suddenly appears in place of the seductive Lie when Zarathustra has bested the latter, but rather "the form of Cesmag" (Cesmag kirb). Such an interpretation is particularly attractive here, since the immediately preceding text uses the grapheme klp in unambiguous fashion, when stating--three separate times--that before Cesmag entered the story, the Lie appeared to Zarathustra "in the form of a woman" (mddag-kirb). (18)

West Mole Lincoln Pahlavi text One marvel is Il est revele, This is revealed ek ed i andar this which is au sujet des concerning the kosisn i manifested in efforts de I' struggle of the petyarag abar the struggle of Adversaire pour Adversary to apaydagenidan ud the adversary faire make that milk agarenidan i an for concealing disparaitre ce invisible and to pem paydagihist and spoiling lait et le render it that milk. render powerless. inefficace. just as Ainsi que le dit As the religion ciyon den gowed revelation la Religion: says: At that ku eg abar pad mentions thus: Vers ce tempsla time when the an...