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III. MEANING OF KHVẾTOK-DAS.
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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!, and Gôsabar?; and from Yimak and that demon were born the tortoise (gasaf), the cat, the hawk (gaving), the frog, the weevil (divako), and also as many more noxious creatures, until Yimak saw that that demon was evil, and it was necessary to demand a divorce (zan-taka) from him. And one day, when Yim and that demon had become drunk with wine, she exchanged 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 to the good work of Khvêtādad; 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 Zaratast enquired of Adharmazd thus: “Many thoughts, many words, and many deeds are mentioned by
1 See p. 371, note 3. * Not identified, and the reading is, therefore, uncertain.
Ee 2
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