Paradise and the Peri

via spongobongo.com

One morn a Peri at the gate

Of Eden stood disconsolate

-Thomas Moore

 
One of my characters has always reminded me of a fairy, so I decided to dig around for details of the eastern equivalent, the Persian Peri.

Beautiful winged Peri are descended from fallen angels. They repented and, in search of redemption, they often frequent the human world to help people. The evil Daeva persecute them for not having enough courage to rebel against good.

Probably the most famous western tale about Peri is Thomas Moore's Paradise and the Peri , which is part of his adaptation of the oriental romance of Lalla Rookh.

via pirages.com
more images in the related article below

Engaged to the young king of Bactria, Lalla Rookh goes forth to meet him, but falls in love with Feramorz, a poet from her entourage. The bulk of the work consists of four interpolated tales sung by the poet: The Veiled Prophet of Khorassan (loosely based upon the story of Al-Muqanna), Paradise and the Peri, The Fire-Worshippers, and The Light of the Harem. When Lalla Rookh enters the palace of her bridegroom she swoons away, but revives at the sound of a familiar voice. She awakes with rapture to find that the poet she loves is none other than the prince to whom she is engaged.


Sort of a reverse Scheherazade thing going on here, I guess. Anyhoo, thank goodness it's public domain because it's out of print and originals like the one above cost thousands of dollars! I'll let you know what I come up with...

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