Chapter XV - The Nature Of People

On the nature of men it says in revelation, that Gayomard, in passing away, gave forth seed; that seed was thoroughly purified by the motion of the light of the sun, and Neryosang kept charge of two portions, and Spandarmad received one portion. And in forty years, with the shape of a one-stemmed Rivas-plant, and the fifteen years of its fifteen leaves, Matro [Mashye] and Matroyao [Mashyane] grew up from the earth in such a manner that their arms rested, behind on their shoulders (dosh), and one joined to the other they were connected together and both alike. And the waists of both of them were brought close and so connected together that it was not clear which is the male and which the female, and which is the one whose living soul (nismo) of Ohrmazd is not away. As it is said thus: Which is created before, the soul (nismo) or the body? And Ohrmazd said that the soul is created before, and the body after, for him who was created; it is given into the body that it may produce activity, and the body is created only for activity;' hence the conclusion is this, that the soul (ruban) is created before and the body after. And both of them changed from the shape of a plant into the shape of man, and the breath (nismo) went spiritually into them, which is the soul (ruban); and now, moreover, in that similitude a tree had grown up whose fruit was the ten varieties of man.

Ohrmazd spoke to Mashye and Mashyane thus:

'You are man, you are the ancestry of the world, and you are created perfect in devotion by me; perform devotedly the duty of the law, think good thoughts, speak good words, do good deeds, and worship no demons!'

Both of them first thought this, that one of them should please the other, as he is a man for him; and the first deed done by them was this, when they went out they washed themselves thoroughly; and the first words spoken by them were these, that Ohrmazd created the water and earth, plants and animals, the stars, moon, and sun, and all prosperity whose origin and effect are from the manifestation of righteousness. And, afterwards, antagonism rushed into their minds, and their minds were thoroughly corrupted, and they exclaimed that the evil spirit created the water and earth, plants and animals, and the other things as aforesaid. That false speech was spoken through the will of the demons, and the evil spirit possessed himself of this first enjoyment from them; through that false speech they both became wicked, and their souls are in hell until the future existence.

And they had gone thirty days without food, covered with clothing of herbage (giyah); and after the thirty days they went forth into the wilderness, came to a white-haired goat, and milked the milk from the udder with their mouths. When they had devoured the milk Mashye said to Mashyane thus:

'My delight was owing to it when I had not devoured the milk, and my delight is more delightful now when it is devoured by my vile body.'

That second false speech enhanced the power of the demons, and the taste of the food was taken away by them, so that out of a hundred parts one part remained.

Afterwards, in another thirty days and nights they came to a sheep, fat and white-jawed, and they slaughtered it; and fire was extracted by them out of the wood of the lote-plum and box-tree, through the guidance of the heavenly angels, since both woods were most productive of fire for them; and the fire was stimulated by their mouths; and the first fuel kindled by them was dry grass, kendar, lotos, date palm leaves, and myrtle; and they made a roast of the sheep. And they dropped three handfuls of the meat into the fire, and said:

'This is the share of the fire.'

One piece of the rest they tossed to the sky, and said:

'This is the share of the angels.'

A bird, the vulture, advanced and carried some of it away from before them, as a dog ate the first meat. And, first, a clothing of skins covered them; afterwards, it is said, woven garments were prepared from a cloth woven in the wilderness. And they dug out a pit in the earth, and iron was obtained by them and beaten out with a stone, and without a forge they beat out a cutting edge from it; and they cut wood with it, and prepared a wooden shelter from the sun (pesh-khur).

Owing to the gracelessness which they practiced, the demons became more oppressive, and they themselves carried on unnatural malice between themselves; they advanced one against the other, and smote and tore their hair and cheeks. Then the demons shouted out of the darkness thus:

'You are man; worship the demon! so that your demon of malice may repose.'

Mashye went forth and milked a cow's milk, and poured it out towards the northern quarter; through that the demons became more powerful, and owing to them they both became so dry-backed that in fifty winters they had no desire for intercourse, and though they had had intercourse they would have had no children. And on the completion of fifty years the source of desire arose, first in Mashye and then in Mashyane, for Mashye said to Mashyane thus:

'When I see thy shame my desires arise.'

Then Mashyane spoke thus:

'Brother Mashye! when I see thy great desire I am also agitated.'

Afterwards, it became their mutual wish that the satisfaction of their desires should be accomplished, as they reflected thus:

'Our duty even for those fifty years was this.'

From them was born in nine months a pair, male and female; and owing to tenderness for offspring the mother devoured one, and the father one. And, afterwards, Ohrmazd took tenderness for offspring away from them, so that one may nourish a child, and the child may remain.

And from them arose seven pairs, male and female, and each was a brother and sister-wife; and from every one of them, in fifty years, children were born, and they themselves died in a hundred years. Of those seven pairs one was Siyamak, the name of the man, and Nasak of the woman; and from them a pair was born, whose names were Fravak of the man and Fravakain of the woman. From them fifteen pairs were born, every single pair of whom became a race (sardak); and from them the constant continuance of the generations of the world arose.

Owing to the increase (zayishn) of the whole fifteen races, nine races proceeded on the back of the ox Sarsaok, through the wide-formed ocean, to the other six regions (karshwar), and stayed there; and six races of men remained in Xwaniratha. Of those six races the name of the man of one pair was Tazh and of the woman Tazhak, and they went to the plain of the Tazhikan (Arabs); and of one pair Hooshang was the name of the man and Guzhak of the woman, and from them arose the Airanakan (Iranians); and from one pair the Mazendarans have arisen. Among the number (pavan ae mar) were those who are in the countries of Surak, those who are in the country of Aner, those who are in the countries of Tur, those who are in the country of Salm which is Arum, those who are in the country of Seni, that which is Chinistan, those who are in the country of Dai, and those who are in the country of Sind. Those, indeed, throughout the seven regions are all from the lineage of Fravak, son of Siyamak, son of Mashye.

As there were ten varieties of man, and fifteen races from Fravak, there were twenty-five races all from the seed of Gayomard; the varieties are such as those of the earth, of the water, the breast-eared, the breast-eyed, the one-legged, those also who have wings like a bat, those of the forest, with tails, and who have hair on the body.