BABYLON AND PERSIA

ARYAN MYTHS IN THE AVESTA. 93to his rule, his heart was lifted up in pride, and hedeclared himself to be a god.From this momentMazda's Kingly Glory (the Hvareno) flew away fromhim in the shape of a raven one of the visibleforms which Verethraghna, the Genius of Victory, issaid to assume.Yima also taught men to kill inno¬cent animals and eat their flesh, which was anothergrievous wrong.Three times the Glory flew awayfrom him ;he lost his sovereignty, wandered aboutan outcast, and finally perished miserably, beingsawed in two, according to the Avesta, by his ownbrother; according to the heroic legend, by his mor¬tal foe, the wicked usurper ZOH.\Kthe Persiancorrupt form of " Aji-Dahak," the primeval Serpentbeing, like the other personages of the heavenlydrama, brought down to earth and presented in ahuman incarnation.28. It is very curious that one detail of the oldAryan myth of Yama should have survived in Eran,in the practical form of a religious ceremony, whichis enjoined on the followers of Zoroaster, and strictlyobserved by them to this day. The reader will re-'member Yama's dogs, " brown, broad-snouted, foureyed,"who scent out those who are to die and drivethem to the presence of the dread king, at the sametime guarding them from the dangers and fiends thatbeset the dark road they travel. (See p. 53). TheAvestan Law prescribes that " a yellow dog with foureyes" shah be brought to the side of any personthat has just died, and made to look at the corpse,as the look of the four-eyed dog is supposed to driveaway the impure demon, (Nasu), that strives to enter