Believe in Astovidatu or demon of death and examining its reflection in Shahnameh

Demons and demonic creatures are indispensable part of mythology and are the integral part of ancient Persian beliefs. Indeed, our ancestors for every malice and evil deed and phenomena believed in a particular demon and revelation of any of these demonic and destructive elements were related to a corresponding demon. A phenomenon named Astovidatu or demon of death is one such example. Although after coming of Islam this belief had lost its original vigor, yet its reflection could be clearly seen in certain works particularly in Shahnameh all the more reason for Ferdowsi’s use of imageries in connection with the concept of death. It is the purpose of this article to compare these imageries with information that exists regarding the demon of death, a belief already existed before Islam in Zoroastrian religion and to prove and demonstrate that the creation of those imageries consciously or unconsciously were under the influence of Astovidatu.