Jeh

Jeh^[1], or Johi^[2], is a demoness mentioned in Zoroastrian Scriptures. She is a consort of Ahriman and embodies lust and menstruation. However, she embodies only the negative side of sexuality — that is, sexual incontinence — rather than sexuality itself; Zoroastrianism has a positive view of procreation and the physical world.

1 In the Bundahishn
2 External links
3 References
4 Sources

[edit] In the Bundahishn

The Bundahishn, or "Book of Creation", contains a late and very dualistic Zoroastrian creation myth. (The Zoroastrianism taught by Zoroaster, as presented in the gathas, is more monotheistic than dualistic.) In the Bundahishn, Jeh appears as one of Ahriman's attendant demons.

In the Bundahishn, the good god Ormazd and the evil spirit Ahriman have always existed from eternity: the former dwells in a realm of Light; the latter, in a realm of Darkness. Ahriman happens to glimpse Ormazd's light and tries to attack him. After a confrontation, Ormazd chants a sacred verse and shows Ahriman a vision of the End, when Light will triumph forever over Darkness. Stunned by the vision and the sacred verse, Ahriman tumbles back into the realm of Darkness. There he lies prostrate; in vain, his demons try to rouse him from his depression. In Chapter 3, the demoness Jeh manages to revive Ahriman's hope by telling him all the evils she plans to unleash on Ormazd's creation. The "pollution" of menstruation becomes attached to the female sex because of Jeh:

And, again, the wicked Jeh shouted thus: 'Rise up, thou father of us! for in that conflict I will shed thus much vexation on the righteous man and the laboring ox that, through my deeds, life will not be wanted, and I will destroy their living souls (nismo); I will vex the water, I will vex the plants, I will vex the fire of Ohrmazd, I will make the whole creation of Ohrmazd vexed.'

And she so recounted those evil deeds a second time, that the evil spirit was delighted and started up from that confusion; and he kissed Jeh upon the head, and the pollution which they call menstruation became apparent in Jeh.

He shouted to Jeh thus: 'What is thy wish? so that I may give it thee.' And Jeh shouted to the evil spirit thus: 'A man is the wish, so give it to me.'

—Bundahishn 3:6-8

[edit] External links

The Bundahishn at Avesta.org

[edit] References

^ Bundahishn 3:3,6,7-9
^ Bierlein, p. 42

[edit] Sources

Bierlein, J. F. Parallel Myths. Ballantine Wellspring: New York, 1994.

The Bundahishn ("Creation"), or Knowledge from the Zand. Trans. E. W. West (Sacred Books of the East, volume 5, Oxford University Press, 1897). Avesta: Zoroastrian Archives. 27 March 2007 <http://avesta.org/mp/bundahis.html>.