Akhtya
Also called Akht, Akht-jadu.
In Zoroastrian tradition, Akhtya is named as chief of the yatus, the sorcerers or deceiving demons associated with the broader class of evil spirits known as the Druj.
At a glance
- Tradition
- Persian mythology
- Trait family
- The Tricksters
Near this figure
and 11 more
Traits
Read from the figure's description, which a model wrote. Open "why" for the sentence a trait came from.
Utility powers
- Trickery and cunning
why
the emphasis in the surviving material falls on his rank and category rather than on specific deeds attributed to him personally. This pattern is consistent with how the yatus and the Druj more broadly are described, less as individualized characters and more as a class of malevolent forces whose danger lies precisely in their capacity for deception, standing in opposition to honest speech and right conduct within Zoroastrian ethical thought.
Roles
Judged from the works' own entries, not from the description. Carries: the figure holds the role. Meets: the role is in its stories, held by something it meets.
- Hero meets
2 citations
- Carol Rose, Spirits, Fairies, Leprechauns, and Goblins, s.v. "Akhtya."
- Maria Leach, editor, Funk & Wagnalls Standard Dictionary of Folklore, Mythology, and Legend, s.v. "Akhtya."