On Various Things: How They Were Created and How Their Adversaries Came

Abstract

Chapter 24 discusses the mythical creatures that play a role in the earthly battle against evil animals and in Zoroastrian eschatology. Among others, the chapter devotes a lengthy discussion to the three-legged donkey and its function in rainmaking. However, in this and other cases, though the donkey and other creatures are mentioned already in the Zoroastrian sacred scripture, the Avesta, their mythic function remains obscure. The second part of the chapter lists which good animals oppose which evil creations and demons.