Apaosha

DemonIran · West AsiaLegendFear 8/10

Description

A demon from the folklore of Iran. Apaosha (Apaoša, Apauša) is the Avestan language name of Zoroastrianism's demon of drought.

The Legend

Apaosha is the demon of drought in Zoroastrianism, derived from the Avestan language. He is described as the opposite of Tishtrya, the god of the star Sirius and the guardian of precipitation. In Zoroastrian tradition, Apaosha also appears as Aposh or Apaush. The name Apaosha is derived from the Avestan word apaoša-, meaning 'not flourishing,' which is related to the ancient Indo word póṣa with a similar meaning. Apaosha appears as a symbol of drought in the battle against Tishtrya, which is interpreted as a mythological explanation of seasonal and astronomical events.

Variants

Descriptions of the battle between Apaosha and Tishtrya are reproduced in Zoroastrian texts from the 9th to the 12th centuries. During this period, Apaosha appears in Middle Persian as apōš, while Tishtrya is referred to as Tishtar or Tishter. Additionally, in the cosmological allegory Bundahishn, completed in the 12th century, Apaosha appears as part of a war to control water and rain during the second stage of creation.

This article is based on the Wikipedia article "Apaosha" (CC BY-SA 4.0) · Wikipedia