Hitchhiker's Guide to Religion
Zoroastrian

Aeshma Daeva

Demon of Wrath

Zoroastrian Wrath, Fury, Bloodlust, Violence Co-created with Angra Mainyu; his name traveled to Jewish tradition as "Asmodeus" after the Babylonian exile (~538 BCE onward) Wherever warfare, murder, and rage manifest; especially strong where religious law (discipline) is absent
Portrait of Aeshma Daeva
Portrait of Aeshma Daeva
Rank Arch-Daeva
Domain Wrath, Fury, Bloodlust, Violence
Period Co-created with Angra Mainyu; his name traveled to Jewish tradition as "Asmodeus" after the Babylonian exile (~538 BCE onward)
Alignment Zoroastrian -- Evil
Power LEGENDARY 70

Attributes

ATK
92
DEF
70
SPR
45
SPD
88
INT
55
CHA
65
WIS
57
END
91

Combat Profile

ATK DEF SPR SPD INT CHA WIS END
Special Move

Wrath Incarnate

unleashes a devastating storm of violence that multiplies in fury with each blow struck, dealing escalating damage until battle's end

Passive

Daevic Nature

radiates an aura of bloodlust that weakens the resolve of all who face him, reducing their defenses and increasing their aggression

Weakness

Sraosha (Obedience) -- his direct opponent

“Aeshma of the bloody mace, Aeshma the fiend of fiends, who rages against the righteous.” — Vendidad 10:9

Lore: Aeshma Daeva (“Demon of Wrath”) is the arch-daeva of fury, violence, and rage. He carries a bloody mace and drives humans to murder, war, and cruelty. He is the most aggressive of the daevas, and his name literally means “wrath” or “fury.” His opponent is Sraosha, the angel of obedience and discipline. This is the most direct etymological link between Zoroastrian and Jewish demonology. The name “Aeshma Daeva” became “Ashmadai” in Aramaic, which became Asmodeus in Greek — the demon who kills Sarah’s seven husbands in the Book of Tobit and is bound by Raphael. The name traveled directly from Persian to Jewish literature.

Parallel: → Asmodeus (Tobit 3:8, 17). The name is literally derived from Aeshma Daeva. This is not a parallel — it is the same demon crossing cultural boundaries. This is the single clearest proof of Zoroastrian influence on Jewish demonology.

1 min read
Nemesis / Counter

Peace, patience, obedience

Primary Source

Vendidad 10:9, 19:43; Yasht 17; Denkard

Co-created with Angra Mainyu; his name traveled to Jewish tradition as "Asmodeus" after the Babylonian exile (~538 BCE onward) — See in timeline
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