Nasu (Also; Druj Nasu, Nasa, Nas, Nasuà ¡) is the Avestan name of the female Zoroastrian demon (daeva) of corpse matter. She resides in the north (Vendidad. 7:2), where the Zoroastrian hell lies. Nasu takes the form of a fly, and is the manifestation of the decay and contamination of corpses (nasa) (Bundahishn. 28:29). When a death occurs, Nasu inhabits the corpse and acts as a catalyst for its decomposition. Nasu appears in various texts within the Avesta, notably the Vendidad, as the Vendidad gives particular focus to demons, purification rituals, and the disposal of corpses and other dead matter. Nasu is commonly considered âÂÂthe greatest polluter of Ahura MazdaâÂÂs world.â Belief in Nasu has greatly influenced Zoroastrian funeral rites and burial ceremonies, as well as the general disdain for corpse matter that is harbored within Zoroastrian practitioners.
Druj, meaning âÂÂdemoness,â is commonly used as a prefix for Nasu and other female daevas. Druj is a feminine Avestan language word meaning âÂÂfalsehood,â the opposition of asha, or âÂÂtruth.â Druj is the root for the adjective drÃÂguuaá¹Ât, meaning âÂÂowner of falsehood,â which âÂÂ[designates] all beings who choose druj over asha." Druj is used in various texts of the Avesta, with varying meanings. Depending upon the context, druj may refer to specific demons, or as a general term for that which is false, immoral, or unclean.
The Avestan words nasu and nasa refer to corpses, or other solid dead matter such as nails and hair. Therefore, NasuâÂÂs name literally means âÂÂcorpse matter.âÂÂ
Directly after death, as soon as the soul has left a corpse, âÂÂthe druj Nasu rushes uponâ the body, âÂÂin the shape of a raging fly, with knees and tail sticking out, droning without endâ (Vd. 7:2). As soon as Nasu takes hold of a corpse, the body instantly becomes contaminated. If one comes into contact with a corpse, Nasu will emerge from the body and infect them, rendering them âÂÂunclean ⦠for ever and everâ (Vd. 3:14). Nasu continues to inhabit the corpse until the sagdëd ritual is performed, during which a dog must look at the corpse, or until a carrion-eating bird or dog consumes the body, which causes her to return to her home in the north (Vd. 7:3).
Besides contaminating corpses upon death, Nasu also contaminates those who interact with corpse-matter in specific ways. In Vendidad 3:14, Ahura Mazda explains to the prophet Zoroaster that one must never carry a corpse on their own, lest NasuâÂÂs infection transfers to them. If one carries a corpse alone, Nasu emerges âÂÂfrom the nose ⦠, the eye, the tongue, the sexual organs, and the hinder partsâ of the deceased, and âÂÂrushes upon [the corpse bearer] ⦠[and stains him] even to the end of the nails, and he is unclean, thenceforth, forever and everâ (Vd. 3:14). In this case, there is no way to purify the infected individual. In order to avoid the spread of contamination, he must live in an enclosure where âÂÂthe ground is the cleanest and the dryest and the least passed through by flocks and herds, by the fire of Ahura Mazda, by the consecrated bundles of Baresma, and by the faithfulâ (Vd. 3:15). There, other Zoroastrians must provide him with âÂÂthe coarsest foodâ and âÂÂthe most worn-out clothes,â until he ages into an old man (hana) (Vd. 3:18-19). Once he is elderly, the infected must be beheaded, and his corpse is offered to the vultures. At this point, âÂÂhe is absolved by his repentanceâ (Vd. 3:20-21).
Nasu also attacks humans who consume the corpse of a dog or human, or those who put a corpse in water or fire. These individuals are considered unclean forever, with no option of repentance (Vd. 7:23-26). Nasu will also attack humans and dogs who are nearby a person at the time of their death (Vd. 5:27).
In some cases, a living individual who has been defiled by Nasu has a chance at regaining purity, if the proper purification rites are performed (Vd. 9:42). However, if the ritual is performed by an unqualified purifier, Nasu will grow stronger, and the contamination will heighten (Vd. 9:48).
In fargard 10 of the Vendidad, Ahura Mazda recommends recitation of certain verses from the Gathas to âÂÂfight againstâ Nasu and purify a contaminated individual (Vd. 10:1-12). Some verses must be recited twice (Yasna. 28:2, 35:2, 35:8, 39:4, 41:3, 41:5, 43:1, 47:1, 51:1, 53:1), thrice (Y. 27:14, 33:11, 35:5, 53:9), or four times (Y. 27:13, 34:15, 54:1).
The Sros baj, or âÂÂutterance against pollution,â an important daily recitation in honor of Sraosha, âÂÂis a powerful prophylactic prayer that protects one against decay and death.âÂÂ
In fargard 18 of the Vendidad, Sraosha has a dialogue with Nasu. While striking Nasu, he asks her if she bears offspring without copulating with a man (Vd. 18:30). To this, Nasu responds that she is impregnated whenever practitioners of Zoroastrianism are greedy (Vd. 18:34), âÂÂemit seedâ during sleep (Vd. 18:46), spill water (Vd. 18:40), or if they âÂÂ[walk] without wearing the sacred girdle and the sacred shirtâ (Vd. 18:54). Conversely, âÂÂthe fruit of [her] wombâ is destroyed every time one is generous to another Zoroastrian, or recites the Ahuna Vairya after emitting seed or spilling water.
The belief that bodies are infested by Nasu upon death greatly influenced Zoroastrian burial ceremonies and funeral rites. Burial and cremation of corpses was prohibited, as such acts would defile the sacred creations of earth and fire respectively (Vd. 7:25). Burial of corpses was so looked down upon that the exhumation of âÂÂburied corpses was regarded as meritorious.â For these reasons, âÂÂTowers of Silenceâ were developedâÂÂopen air, amphitheater like structures in which corpses were placed so carrion-eating birds could feed on them.
Sagdëd, meaning âÂÂseen by a dog,â is a ritual that must be performed as promptly after death as possible. The dog is able to calculate the degree of evil within the corpse, and entraps the contamination so it may not spread further, expelling Nasu from the body (Denkard. 31). Nasu remains within the corpse until it has been seen by a dog, or until it has been consumed by a dog or a carrion-eating bird (Vd. 7:3). According to chapter 31 of the Denkard, the reasoning for the required consumption of corpses is that the evil influences of Nasu are contained within the corpse until, upon being digested, the body is changed from the form of nasa into nourishment for animals. The corpse is thereby delivered over to the animals, changing from the state of corrupted nasa to that of hixr, which is âÂÂdry dead matter,â considered to be less polluting.
A path through which a funeral procession has traveled must not be passed again, as Nasu haunts the area thereafter, until the proper rites of banishment are performed (Vd. 8:15). Nasu is expelled from the area only after âÂÂa yellow dog with four eyes, or a white dog with yellow earsâ is walked through the path three times (Vd. 8:16). If the dog goes unwillingly down the path, it must be walked back and forth up to nine times to ensure that Nasu has been driven off (Vd. 8:17-18).
Nasu appears as a villain in eight games from the Megami Tensei video game franchise: ', ', Kyà «yaku Megami Tensei, Shin Megami Tensei: ifâ¦, Last Bible III, Ronde, ', and '. In these games, she is either referred to as Druj (ãÂÂãÂ¥ã«ã¸, Duruji), Nasu (ãÂÂã¼ã¹, NÃÂsu), or Nasu Fly (ãÂÂã¼ã¹è¿, NÃÂsu Hae). In Shin Megami Tensei: if⦠Nasu is a boss, while she appears as lesser demons in the other games. They also appear as giant enemy parasitoid wasps in '.
Nasu is a card in four battle RPG smartphone games for Android and IOS: Age of Ishtaria, Guardian Cross, Legend of the Cryptids, and Blood Brothers. In each of these games, she is called Druj Nasu.
A Druj Nasu is a type of div that players can encounter in the tabletop role-playing game, Pathfinder.