The Zoroastrian Law to Expel the Demons

Widewdad 10-15: Critical Edition, Translation and Glossary of the Avestan and Pahlavi Texts

by Miguel Angel Andres Toledo

Book cover: The Zoroastrian Law to Expel the Demons

Extent: 394 pages

Publisher: Harrassowitz Verlag

Subjects: Religious Studies

Series: Iranica

Series volume number: 23

Language: English

Hardback (Published)

(December 2016)

ISBN: 9783447106047

Price: $111.00

Out of stock

The text Widewdad is one of the most important sources for the study of the Zoroastrianism of the ancient Iranian and the Middle Iranian periods. The Pahlavi version is of particular interest: firstly, it is the oldest Middle Persian translation of an Avestan text, and thus of major importance for the linguistic reconstruction of Middle Persian; secondly, the annotations approach complex theological, ritual, and legal questions that examine numerous insufficiently studied areas of the Sassanid society.


The text Widewdad – “Law Serving to Keep the Demons Away” – is one of the longest and most important sources for the study of the Zoroastrianism of the ancient Iranian and the Middle Iranian periods. The ancient Iranian text, written in Avestan, was in the Sassanid era (3rd-7th centuries) translated into Middle Persian (Pahlavi) and provided with glosses and extensive commentaries. The Pahlavi version, called zand, is of particular interest for two reasons: firstly, it is the oldest Middle Persian translation of an Avestan text, and thus of major importance for the linguistic reconstruction of Middle Persian; secondly, the annotations approach complex theological, ritual, and legal questions that examine numerous insufficiently studied areas of the Sassanid society. Despite its outstanding importance, this primary source has, due to the high degree of difficulty of the subject matter, until recently attracted hardly any attention.

  • By (author) Miguel Angel Andres-Toledo