* See p. 396, note 2. . 4 See p. 400, noters, ° pee p. 384, note 1,
Iii. Meaning of Khvetok-Das. 413
afflicting’ holder of decision; and the shame of the
brother of Tar arose, like that of a man whose
shame was that they spoke of his Khvétik-das so
that he might perform it. This Tar was Tar-i
Aftrvaité-sang’, the little-giving, who was like a
great sovereign of that quarter; and he maintained
many troops and much power. And the multitude
told him they would seize the great oe from him
who is little’. Aut Tor-i Atirvaita-sang, the little-
giving and well-afflicting, spoke thus:—‘ Should I
thereupon smite him, this great oze who mingles
together those propitious words for us—where we
are thus without doubt as ¢o one thing therein, such
as Khvétik-das, that it is not necessary to perform
zt—it would make us ever doubtful that it mzght be
necessary to perform it. .... And Zaratist spoke
to him thus: ‘I am not always that reserved speaker,
by whom that I ave mentioned is the most propi-
tious thing to be obtained; and inward speaking
and managing the temper are a Khvéttik-das*, and
the high-priest who has performed z¢ is to perform
the ceremonial.’”’ ‘This passage attributes to Zara-
tist himself the enforcement of next-of-kin marriage,
but it is hardly necessary to point out that the Din-
kard only records a tradition to that effect; which
1 The word hfi-nésak6 is the Pahlavi equivalent of Av. hu- nusta (Yas. L, 10, b), but the meaning of both words is uncertain. This Tfr seers to have been more friendly to Zaratfist than the Tfiranians were in general, but he appears not to be mentioned in the extant Avesta.
2 As this epithet has not been found in the extant Avesta, the reading is uncertain.
* Meaning that they demanded possession of Zaratfst in an insolent manner.
* In a figurative sense,
AI4 APPENDIX.
ne ee
record may be quoted as evidence of the former
existence of such a tradition, but not as testimony
for its truth. It is also worthy of notice that this
tradition clearly shows that such marriages were
distasteful to the people in general; but this might
naturally be inferred from the efforts made by reli-
gious writers to assert the extraordinary merit of
Khvétik-das, because customs which are popular
and universal require no such special recommenda-
tion from the priesthood.
In the Dadistan-t Dinik (XX XVII, 82, LXIV, 6,
LXV, 2, LX XVII, 4, 5) allusions are made to the
Khvétidad! of brother and sister, formed by the
progenitors of mankind. We are also told that Khvé-
ttidad is to be practised till the end of the world,
and that to occasion it among others is an effectual
atonement for heinous sin? (Dd. LX XVII, 6, 7,
LXXVIII, 19); but it is not certain that the term
is applied in these latter passages to marriages be-
tween the zearest relatives.
For later particulars about Khvéttik-das we have
to descend to the darkest ages of Mazda-worship,
those in which the Rivdyats, or records of religious
legends, customs, and decisions, began to be com-
piled. Of the earlier Rivayats, such as the Shayast
La-shayast and Vigirkard-i Dinik, which were written
in Pahlavi, few remain extant; but the later ones,
written in Persian, are more numerous and very
voluminous.
A. Pahlavi Rivayat, which precedes the DAaaistan-i Dinik in many MSS. of that work, devotes several
* Another form of the word Khvétik-das (see p. 390). 2 This is also stated in Sls. VIII, 18.
Iii. Meaning of Khvetok-Das. 415
pages to the subject of Khvétid4d, which fully con-
firm the statements of the defender of the practice,
quoted above from the Dinkard (III, Ixxxii), The
age of this Pahlavi Rivdyat 1s quite uncertain; it is
found in MSS. written in the sixteenth century, but,
as it does not mention the marriage of first cousins,
it was probably compiled at a much earlier period,
more especially as it is written in fairly grammatical
Pahlavi. The following extracts will be sufficient
to show how far it confirms the statements of the |
Dinkard :—
‘Of the good works of an infidel this is the
greatest, when he comes out from the habit of infi-
delity into the good religion ; and of ove of the good
religion, remaining backward (akhavy-m4n) a¢ the
time when his ritual is performed, this is a great
good work, when he performs a Khvétidad; for
through that Khvétidad, which is so valuable a
token of Mazda-worship, is the destruction of de-
mons. And of Aftthaymazd z¢ is declared, as regards
the performance of Khvétidad, that, when Zarattist
sat before Atharmazd!, and Vohtiman, Avdavahist,
Shatvairé, Horvadad, Amerédad, and Spendayvmad?
sat around Aftharmazd, and Spendaymad sat by his
side, she had also laid a hand on his neck, ad Zara-
tist asked Adhaymazd about it thus: ‘“ Who is this
that sits beside thee, and thou wouldst be such a
friend to her, and she also would be such a friend
to thee? Thou, who art Afhayvmazd, turnest not
thy eyes away from her, and she turns not away
1 As he is said to have done in heaven, when receiving instruc- tion in the religion.
* The archangels (see Dd. XLVIII, 1 n), of whom Spendarmad is said to be a female (see p. 393, note 2).
416 APPENDIX.
from thee; thou, who art Afthayvmazd, dost not re-
lease her from ¢#y hand, and she does not release
thee from hey hand}.” And Attharmazd said: “This
is Spendaymad, who is my daughter, the house-
mistress of my heaven, and mother of the crea-
tures?.” Zaratist spoke thus: “When they say, in
the world, this is a very perplexing thing, how is it
proclaimed by thee—thce who art Athaymazd—for
thee thyself?” Atharmazd spoke thus: “O Zara-
tist! this should have become the best-enjoyed
thing of mankind. When, since my original creation,
Mahariyé and Mahartydéih* had performed it, you,
also, should have performed it; because although
mankind ave turned away from that thing‘, yet
they should not have turned away. Just as Maha-
riya and Mahartyadéih had performed Khvétddad,
mankind should have performed it, azd all mankind
would have known their own lineage and race, and
a brother would never be deserted by the affection
of his brother, zor a sister dy ¢hat of her sister. For
all nothingness, emptiness®, and drought ave come
unto mankind from the deadly ove (mar), when men
have come to them from a different country, from —
a different town, ov from a different district, and
have married their women; and when they shall
have carried away their women, and they have
1 This legend is an instance of the close proximity of super- stition to profanity, among uneducated and imaginative people.
* She being a representative of the earth.
5 See p. 402, note 1.
* That is, from marriage of the nearest relations, which is admitted, throughout these extracts, to be distasteful to the people ; hence the vehemence with which it is advocated.
° Literally ‘ air-stuffing’ (vaé-akinth).
Iii. Meaning of Khvetok-Das. 417
wailed together about this, thus: ‘They will always carry our daughters into perversion!.’”
‘This, too, zs sazd, that Khvéttidad is so miracu-
lous that 2¢ is the preservation of the most grievous
sin—such as witchcraft and ¢hat worthy of death—
from hell, And the want of protection (avipa-
harih) from hell of ove unprotected from Aharman
and the demons arises at that time when, owing to
what occurs when he is begged by some one to exer-
cise witchcraft, 4e is made worthy of death. And
when they shall perform Khvétidad, when the ©
Khvétidad is owing to him’, the unprotected one
is preserved from the prison of hell, fvom Aharman
and the demons; so miraculous is Khvétidad.
‘In a passage z¢ is declared, that Atharvmazd
spoke unto Zaratist thus: “ These are the best four
things: the ceremonial worship of Atthaymazd, the
lord; presenting firewood, incense, and holy-water
to the fire; propitiating a righteous man*; and one
who performs Khvéttidad with her who bore hzm,
or a daughter, or with a sister. And of all those
he is the greatest, best, and most perfect who shall
perform Khvétidad. ... When Sdshans comes‘
all mankind wz// perform Khvétidad, and every
fiend will perish through the miracle and power
of Khvétidad.’
It is then explained why the several merits of the
* This fear of perversion to another faith was, no doubt, the real cause of the vehement advocacy of family marriages by the
priesthood. * That is, when he has arranged the next-of-kin marriage. of
others, before his death. * That is, a priest. * Shortly before the resurrection (see Dd. II, 10).
[18] Ee
418 APPENDIX.
three classes of Khvétfidad are considered to stand
in the same order as that in which the classes are
mentioned in the preceding paragraph; also that
the third class includes the case of half brothers
and sisters, and the second. that of an illegitimate
daughter. After this we find the following legend :—
‘And Khvétidad is so miraculous, that z¢ is de-
clared, regarding Yim’, that, when the glory of his
sovereignty had departed from him, he went out to
the precincts (var) of the ocean with Yimak, his
sister, 27 order to flee from the people, demons, and
witches of the assembly of Dahak?. And f¢hey were
sought by them in hell and not seen; and others
sought them among mankind, water, earth, and
cattle, among trees, in the mountains, and in the
towns, but they were not seen by them. Then
Aharman shouted thus: “I think thus, that Yim
is travelling in the precincts of the ocean.” And
a demon and a witch, who stood among ‘hem, spoke
thus: “We wz go and seek Yim.” And they
rushed off and went; and when they came unto
those precincts where Yim was—the precincts where
the water of Tir? was—Yim spoke thus: “ Who are
* The third sovereign of the world, after GAyémard (see Dd. II, 10). This legend is also mentioned in Bd. XXIII, 1, as explaining the origin of the ape and bear.
* The foreign king, or dynasty, that conquered Yim (see Dd. XXXVII, 97 n).
* Evidently intended for Tistar, a personification of the star Sirius, who is supposed to bring the rain from the ocean (see Dd. XCIII, 1-17). Strictly speaking Tir is the planet Merctuy, the opponent of Tistar, whose name is given to the fourth month, and thirteenth day of the month, in the Parsi year (see Bd. V, 1, VII, 2, XXVII, 24); but the confusion between the two names is not uncommon in the later books (comp. Sls. XXII, 13 with XXIII, 2).
Iii. Meaning of Khvetok-Das. 419
you?” And they spoke thus: “We are those who
are just like thee, who had to flee from the hands of
the demons; we, too, have fled away from the
demons, and we are alone. Do thou give this
sister in marriage to me, while I also give this one
unto thee!” And Yim, therefore, when the demons
were not recognised by him from mankind, made
the witch his own wife, and gave his sister unto the
demon as wife. From Yim and that witch were
born the bear, the ape, Gandarep!, azd Géstbar?;
and from Yimak and that demon were born the »
tortoise (gasaf), the cat, the hawk (gaving), the
frog, the weevil (divakS), and also as many more
noxious creatures, until Yimak saw that that demon
was evil, and it was necessary to demand a divorce
(zan-taXa) from him. And one day, when Yim and
that demon had become drunk with wine, she ex-
changed her own position and clothing with those
of the witch; and when Yim came he was drunk,
and unwittingly lay with Yimak, who was his sister,
and they came to a decision as Zo the good work of
Khvétidad; many demons were quite crushed and
died, and they rushed away at once, and fell back
to hell.’
The fact, that the zealous writer felt that he had
to force his opinions upon an unwilling people, is
betrayed by the exaggerated language he uses in
the following statements :—
‘This, too, is declared by the Avesta, that Zara-
tist enquired of Athaymazd thus: “ Many thoughts,
many words, avd many deeds are mentioned by
1 See p. 371, note 3.
? Not identified, and the reading is, therefore, uncertain.
EC 2
420 APPENDIX.
thee—thee who art Athaymazad—that it is necessary
to think, speak, and do; of all such thoughts, words,
and deeds which is the best, when ove shall think,
speak, or do zt?” Athaymazd spoke thus: “ Many
thoughts, many words, and many deeds should be
proclaimed by me, O Zarattist! du7¢, of those thoughts,
words, and deeds which it is necessary to think,
speak, avd do, that which is best and most perfect
one performs by Khvétidad. For z¢ is declared that,
the first time when he goes near to it, a thousand
demons will die, and two thousand wizards aud
witches ; when he goes near éo it twice, two thou-
sand demons will die, azd four thousand wizards
and witches; when he goes near to z¢ three times,
three thousand demons will die, azd six thousand
wizards and witches; azd when he goes near to it
four times z¢ is known ¢hat the man and woman
become righteous 1.”
‘,... Owing to the performance of Khvétidad
there arises a destruction of demons equivalent Zo a
stoppage of creation; and though, afterwards, some
of those men azd women.shall become wizards, or
unlawfully slaughter a thousand sheep and beasts of
burden at one time, ov shall present holy-water to
the demons, ye¢, on account of that destruction azd
vexation of the demons, which has occurred to them
owing to the Khvéttidad, it does not become com-
fortable to them while completed; and 7z¢ is not
believed by them that “the souls of those feople
will come to us.”
