In Persian mythology, the Peri (Persian: پری pari) are descended from fallen
angels who have been denied paradise until they have done penance. In earlier
sources they are described as agents of evil; later, they are benevolent. They
are exquisite, winged, fairy-like creatures ranking between angels and evil
spirits. They sometimes visit the realm of mortals.
In Persian mythology and literature
At the start of Ferdowsi's epic poem Shahnameh, "The
Book of Kings", the divinity Sorush appears in the form of a peri to warn
Keyumars (the mythological first man and shah of the world) and his son Siamak
of the threats posed by the destructive Ahriman. Peris also form part of the
mythological army that Kaiumers eventually draws up to defeat Ahriman and his demonic
son. In the Rostam and Sohrab section of the poem, Rostam's paramour, the
princess Tahmina, is referred to as "peri-faced". Peris were the
target of a lower level of evil beings called دیوسان divs (دَيۋَ daeva), who persecuted them by
locking them in iron cages. This persecution was brought about by, as the divs
perceived it, the peris' lack of sufficient self-esteem to join the rebellion
against perversion.
