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in. OUR ARYAN FOREFATHERS. In the beginning of the Vendidad, or first of the Parsi collection of sacred books known as the Zendavesta, we are told that the supreme deity Ahura-Mazda created a country full of delights, but difficult of access, and the name of this country was Aryana Vaejo. So charming was this primitive country that, had it not been made difficult of approach, the whole animate creation would have flocked thither and quite overwhelmed it. But this state of things did not long.continue ; for Ahriman, or Anramainyus, the spirit of darkness, was the implacable adversary of Or- muzd, or Ahura-Mazda, the spirit of light, and took pleasure in spoiling all his creations. So this death-dealing enemy, with the aid of his daevas, or demons, created a great serpent and brought ten months of winter cold upon the land, so that Aryana Vaejo was no longer a comfortable dwelling-place. The good spirit then created a new home for his people, called Sugdha; but theadversary spoiled this by creating a kind of wasp which devastated the fields and brought death to the cattle. Then Ahura-Mazda made a third habitat, which was called the high and holy Muru ; but the dark demon now whispered evil reports and stirred up strife, until here, too, life became unendurable, and the beautiful land of Bakhdhi, or Baktria, was created as a fourth home for the children of light. So the warfare went on, until no less than sixteen countries are enumerated as successively created and made uncomfortable. In the lust region of all the complaint is again of cold weather and hoar-frost; but perhaps in comparison with all the other plagues this now seemed endurable. At all events, the account here ends, withthe admission that there are also other regions and places besides those described; as much as...
