The Peri as One of the Dominant Images in World Mythology

Abstract

In the mythologies of many peoples of the world, the image of a supernatural female being—commonly known as the peri or its variants—occupies an important place. In European, including English, literary traditions, this figure is referred to as the fairy. The phonetic similarity between the words peri and fairy suggests the existence of ancient cultural contacts between the peoples of the East and the West, which may have influenced both the naming and the characteristics of this mythological image. This article examines the artistic interpretations and distinctive features of the peri as one of the dominant images in world mythology.