Difference between revisions of "Deva"

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Sam's pronunciation of the name ("Deeva") suggests a relationship to Hinduism wherein a "deva" is used to refer to demi-deities. It is unclear how this usage relates to the [[daeva|daevas]] seen in [[1.16 Shadow]]. They are also mentioned again in relation to the [[demon virus]] in [[2.09 Croatoan]].
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[http://www.monstropedia.org/index.php?title=Demon#In_Hinduism Monstropedia's discussion of demons in Hinduism] traces the etymology of the term "deva" to suggest its roots in both "good" and "evil" deities, and furthermore links the term to "Asura," relating back to Iranian [[Zoroastrianism]], a religion that crops up frequently in ''Supernatural's'' mythology:
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:''Originally, the word Asura... meant any supernatural spirit—good or bad. Hence even some of the devas (demigods)... have the epithet of Asura. In fact, since the /s/ of the Indic linguistic branch is cognate with the /h/ of the Early Iranian languages, the word Asura, representing a category of celestial beings, became the word '''Ahura (Mazda)''', the Supreme God of the monotheistic Zoroastrians. But very soon, among the Indo-Aryans, Asura came to exclusively mean any of a race of anthropomorphic but hideous demons.''
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[http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/iml/index.htm ''Indian Myth and Legend'' by Donald A. Mackenzie] further links the etymology to the nature of "deva":
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{{Quotation
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|title=
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|text=In the old Persian language, which, like Greek, places "h" before a vowel where "s" is used in Sanskrit, Ahura (=Asura) signifies "god." The Zoroastrian chief god is called Ahura-Mazda, "the wise Lord," as Varuna is addressed in early Rigvedic hymns, "wise Asura and King", and "the all-knowing Asura who established the heavens and fixed the limits of the earth." On the other hand "daeva" in the Iranian dialect, which is cognate with Sanskrit "deva," "god," came to mean "demon". "Asura" is derived from the root "asu," which signifies "the air of life," and "deva" from "div," "to shine", or "deiwo," "heavenly."
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|author= Donald Alexander Mackenzie
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|source= [http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/iml/iml09.htm Source]
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}}
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However, "Deva" can also be considered a spelling variation on Zoroastrian "Divs" (another spelling is [[Daeva]], the name of the "shadow demons" in [[1.16 Shadow]]).
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[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Div_%28Persian_mythology%29 Wikipedia's entry on Divs] suggests that they are more ambiguous than evil, however (or rather, that 'demons' aren't necessarily considered evil in Zoroastrianism, a point Monstropedia makes about Devas in Hinduism also). Wikipedia also translates "div" directly as "demon."
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[[Category:Library]][[Category:Creatures & Spirits]][[Category:Demonology]]

Latest revision as of 08:40, 24 August 2013

Sam's pronunciation of the name ("Deeva") suggests a relationship to Hinduism wherein a "deva" is used to refer to demi-deities. It is unclear how this usage relates to the daevas seen in 1.16 Shadow. They are also mentioned again in relation to the demon virus in 2.09 Croatoan.

Monstropedia's discussion of demons in Hinduism traces the etymology of the term "deva" to suggest its roots in both "good" and "evil" deities, and furthermore links the term to "Asura," relating back to Iranian Zoroastrianism, a religion that crops up frequently in Supernatural's mythology:

Originally, the word Asura... meant any supernatural spirit—good or bad. Hence even some of the devas (demigods)... have the epithet of Asura. In fact, since the /s/ of the Indic linguistic branch is cognate with the /h/ of the Early Iranian languages, the word Asura, representing a category of celestial beings, became the word Ahura (Mazda), the Supreme God of the monotheistic Zoroastrians. But very soon, among the Indo-Aryans, Asura came to exclusively mean any of a race of anthropomorphic but hideous demons.

Indian Myth and Legend by Donald A. Mackenzie further links the etymology to the nature of "deva":

In the old Persian language, which, like Greek, places "h" before a vowel where "s" is used in Sanskrit, Ahura (=Asura) signifies "god." The Zoroastrian chief god is called Ahura-Mazda, "the wise Lord," as Varuna is addressed in early Rigvedic hymns, "wise Asura and King", and "the all-knowing Asura who established the heavens and fixed the limits of the earth." On the other hand "daeva" in the Iranian dialect, which is cognate with Sanskrit "deva," "god," came to mean "demon". "Asura" is derived from the root "asu," which signifies "the air of life," and "deva" from "div," "to shine", or "deiwo," "heavenly."

– Donald Alexander Mackenzie, Source

However, "Deva" can also be considered a spelling variation on Zoroastrian "Divs" (another spelling is Daeva, the name of the "shadow demons" in 1.16 Shadow).

Wikipedia's entry on Divs suggests that they are more ambiguous than evil, however (or rather, that 'demons' aren't necessarily considered evil in Zoroastrianism, a point Monstropedia makes about Devas in Hinduism also). Wikipedia also translates "div" directly as "demon."