Diave is the name of the devil in the Maldives. According to early 17th-century accounts, inhabitants believed the earth to be a large floating plateau protected by a massive copper barrier against water invasion. Diave was thought to attempt to breach this barrier every night, and its success would herald the final deluge and end of the world. Consequently, the people of the Maldives would rise before dawn to pray to God to prevent Diave from succeeding.
Diave
Creature Types: Spirit
Mythological/Cultural Origins: Polynesian
Roles/Functions in Lore: World Ender
Literary Sources/Traditions: Maldivian Folklore
Historical/Legendary Time Periods: Early Modern
Attributes/Powers: Barrier Breaching, Deluge
Alignments/Moral Standings: Malevolent
