ZahÃÂk is a personification of evil in Iranian mythology and historiography. In the Avesta and Zoroastrian tradition, ZahÃÂk (going under the name Aà ¾i DahÃÂka) is considered the son of Ahriman, the foe (though ultimately subservient) of Ahura Mazda. In the ShÃÂhnÃÂmeh of Ferdowsi, ZahÃÂk is the son of an Arab ruler named MerdÃÂs.
Aà ¾i (nominative aà ¾ià ¡) is the Avestan word for "serpent" or "dragon". It is cognate to the Vedic Sanskrit word ahi, "snake", and without a sinister implication.
The original meaning of dahÃÂka is uncertain. Among the meanings suggested are "stinging" (source uncertain), "burning" (cf. Sanskrit dahana), "man" or "manlike" (cf. Khotanese daha), "huge" or "foreign" (cf. the Dahae people and the Vedic dasas). In Persian mythology, DahÃÂka is treated as a proper noun, while the form ZahhÃÂk, which appears in the ShÃÂhnÃÂme, was created through the influence of the unrelated Arabic word á¸ÂaḥḥÃÂk (öÃÂÃÂÃÂÃÂçÃÂ) meaning "one who laughs".
The Avestan term Aà ¾i DahÃÂka and the Middle Persian aà ¾dahÃÂg are the source of the Middle Persian Manichaean demon of greed Aà ¾, Old Armenian mythological figure Aà ¾dahak, Modern Persian '<nowiki/>aà ¾dehâ/aà ¾dahâ', () Tajik Persian '<nowiki/>aà ¾daho', () Urdu '<nowiki/>aà ¾dahà(), as well as the Kurdish ejdîha () which usually mean "dragon".
The name also migrated to Eastern Europe, assumed the form "aà ¾hdaja" and the meaning "dragon", "dragoness" or "water snake" in Balkanic and Slavic languages.
Despite the negative aspect of Aà ¾i DahÃÂka in mythology, dragons have been used on some banners of war throughout the history of Iranian peoples.
The Aà ¾hdarchid group of pterosaurs are named from a Persian word for "dragon" that ultimately comes from Aà ¾i DahÃÂka.
In the Avesta, the collection of religious texts of Zoroastrianism, Aà ¾i DahÃÂka is the most significant and long-lasting of the aà ¾is. He is described as a monster with three mouths, six eyes, and three heads, cunning, strong, and demonic. In other respects Aà ¾i DahÃÂka has human qualities, and is never a mere animal.
Aà ¾i DahÃÂka appears in several of the Avestan myths and is mentioned parenthetically in many more places in Zoroastrian literature.
In a post-Avestan Zoroastrian text, the DÃÂnkard, Aà ¾i DahÃÂka is possessed of all possible sins and evil counsels, the opposite of the good king Jam (or Jamshid). The name DahÃÂg (DahÃÂka) is punningly interpreted as meaning "having ten (dah) sins". His mother is Wadag (or à Âdag), herself described as a great sinner, who committed incest with her son.
In the Avesta, Aà ¾i DahÃÂka is said to have lived in the inaccessible fortress of Kuuirinta in the land of Baòri, where he worshipped the yazatas ArÃÂdvë Sà «rà(AnÃÂhitÃÂ), divinity of the rivers, and Vayu divinity of the storm-wind. Based on the similarity between Baòri and Old Persian BÃÂbiru (Babylon), later Zoroastrians localized Aà ¾i DahÃÂka in Mesopotamia, though the identification is open to doubt. Aà ¾i DahÃÂka asked these two yazatas for power to depopulate the world. Being representatives of the Good, they refused.
In one Avestan text, Aà ¾i DahÃÂka has a brother named Spitiyura. Together they attack the hero Yima (Jamshid) and cut him in half with a saw, but are then beaten back by the yazata ÃÂtar, the divine spirit of fire.
According to the post-Avestan texts, following the death of Jam ë Xà ¡ÃÂd (Jamshid), DahÃÂg gained kingly rule. Another late Zoroastrian text, the MÃÂnog ë xrad, says this was ultimately good, because if DahÃÂg had not become king, the rule would have been taken by the immortal demon Xeà ¡m (AÃÂà ¡ma), and so evil would have ruled upon the earth until the end of the world.
DahÃÂg is said to have ruled for a thousand years, starting from 100 years after Jam lost his Khvarenah, his royal glory (see Jamshid). He is described as a sorcerer who ruled with the aid of demons, the daevas (divs).
The Avesta identifies the person who finally disposed of Aà ¾i DahÃÂka as ÃÂraÃÂtaona son of Aøòiya, in Middle Persian called FrÃÂdà Ân. The Avesta has little to say about the nature of ÃÂraÃÂtaona's defeat of Aà ¾i DahÃÂka, other than that it enabled him to liberate ArÃÂnavÃÂci and Savaà ÂhavÃÂci, the two most beautiful women in the world. Later sources, especially the DÃÂnkard, provide more detail. Feyredon is said to have been endowed with the divine radiance of kings (Khvarenah, New Persian farr) for life, and was able to defeat DahÃÂg, striking him with a mace. However, when he did so, vermin (snakes, insects and the like) emerged from the wounds, and the god Ormazd told him not to kill DahÃÂg, lest the world become infected with these creatures. Instead, FrÃÂdà Ân chained DahÃÂg up and imprisoned him on the mythical Mt. DamÃÂvand (later identified with DamÃÂvand).
The Middle Persian sources also prophesy that at the end of the world, DahÃÂg will at last burst his bonds and ravage the world, consuming one in three humans and livestock. KirsÃÂsp, the ancient hero who had killed the Az ë Srà «war, returns to life to kill DahÃÂg.
In the Denkard, Zahhak is said to be the originator of Judaism
In Ferdowsi's epic poem, the ShÃÂhnÃÂmah, written between 977 and 1010, the legend is retold with the main character given the name of ZahhÃÂk and changed from a supernatural monster into an evil human being.
According to Ferdowsi, ZahhÃÂk was born as the son of a ruler named MerdÃÂs (). Because of his Arab lineage, he is sometimes called ZahhÃÂk-e TÃÂzë (), meaning "ZahhÃÂk the Tayyi". He is handsome and clever, but has no stability of character and is easily influenced by his counselors. Ahriman therefore chooses him as a tool to sow disorder and chaos. When ZahhÃÂk is a young man, Ahriman first appears to him as a glib, flattering companion, and by degrees convinces him to kill his own father and inherit his kingdom, treasures and army. ZahhÃÂk digs a deep pit covered over with leaves in a path to a garden where MerdÃÂs would pray each morning; MerdÃÂs falls in and is killed. ZahhÃÂk thus ascends to the throne.
Ahriman then presents himself to ZahhÃÂk as a marvelous cook. After he presents ZahhÃÂk with many days of sumptuous feasts (introducing meat to the formerly vegetarian human cuisine), ZahhÃÂk is willing to give Ahriman whatever he wants. Ahriman merely asks to kiss ZahhÃÂk on his two shoulders, and ZahhÃÂk permits this. Ahriman places his lips upon ZahhÃÂk's shoulders and suddenly disappears. At once, two black snakes grow from ZahhÃÂk's shoulders. They cannot be surgically removed, as another snake grows to replace one that has been severed. Ahriman appears to ZahhÃÂk in the form of a skilled physician. He counsels ZahhÃÂk that attempting to remove the snakes is fruitless, and that the only means of soothing the snakes and preventing them from killing him is to sate their hunger by supplying them with a stew made from two human brains every day.
At this time, Jamshid, the ruler of the world, becomes arrogant and loses his divine right to rule. ZahhÃÂk presents himself as a savior to discontented Iranians seeking a new ruler. Collecting a great army, ZahhÃÂk hunts Jamshid for many years before finally capturing him. ZahhÃÂk executes Jamshid by sawing him in half and ascends to Jamshid's prior throne. Among his slaves are two of Jamshid's daughters, ArnavÃÂz and ShahrnÃÂz (the Avestan ArÃÂnavÃÂci and Savaà ÂhavÃÂci). Each day, ZahhÃÂk's agents seize two men and execute them so that their brains can feed ZahhÃÂk's snakes. Two men, called Armayel and Garmayel, seek to rescue people from being killed from the snakes by learning cookery and becoming ZahhÃÂk's royal chefs. Each day, Armayel and Garmayel save one of the two men by sending him off to the mountains and faraway plains, and substitute the man's brain with that of a sheep. The saved men are the mythological progenitors of the Kurds.
ZahhÃÂk's tyranny over the world lasts for centuries. One night, ZahhÃÂk dreams of three warriors attacking him. The youngest warrior knocks ZahhÃÂk down with his mace, ties him up, and drags him off toward Mount DamÃÂvand as a large crowd follows. ZahhÃÂk wakes and shouts so loudly that the pillars of the palace shake. Following ArnavÃÂz's counsel, ZahhÃÂk summons wise men and scholars to interpret his dream. His hesitant counsellors remain silent until the most fearless of the men reports that the dream is a vision of the end of ZahhÃÂk's reign at the hands of Fereydun, the young man with the mace. ZahhÃÂk is thrilled to learn the identity of his enemy, and orders his agents to search the entire country for Fereydun and capture him. The agents learn that Fereydun is a boy being nourished on the milk of the marvelous cow BarmÃÂyeh. The spies trace BarmÃÂyeh to the highland meadows where it grazes, but Fereydun and his mother have already fled before them. The agents kill the cow, but are forced to return to ZahhÃÂk with their mission unfulfilled.
ZahhÃÂk lives the next few years in fear and anxiety of Fereydun, and thus writes a document testifying to the virtue and righteousness of his kingdom that would be certified by the kingdom's elders and social elite, in the hope that his enemy would be convinced against exacting vengeance. Much of the summoned assembly indulge the testimony out of fear for their lives. However, a blacksmith named KÃÂva (Kaveh) speaks out in anger for his children having been murdered to feed ZahhÃÂk's snakes, and for his final remaining son being sentenced to the same fate. ZahhÃÂk orders for KÃÂva's son to be released in a bid to coerce KÃÂva into certifying the document, but KÃÂva tears up the document, leaves the court, and creates a flag out of his blacksmith's apron as a standard of rebellion â the KÃÂviyÃÂni Banner, derafsh-e KÃÂviyÃÂnë (ïñÃÂô éçÃÂÃÂçÃÂÃÂ). KÃÂva proclaims himself in support of Fereydun as ruler, and rallies a crowd to follow him to the Alborz mountains, where Fereydun is now living as a young man. Fereydun agrees to lead the people against ZahhÃÂk and has a mace made for him with a head like that of an ox.
Fereydun goes forth to fight against ZahhÃÂk, who has already left his capital, which falls to Fereydun with small resistance. Fereydun frees all of ZahhÃÂk's prisoners, including ArnavÃÂz and ShahrnÃÂz. Kondrow, ZahhÃÂk's treasurer, pretends to submit to Fereydun, but discreetly escapes to ZahhÃÂk and reports to him what has happened. ZahhÃÂk initially dismisses the matter, but he is incensed to learn that Fereydun has seated Jamshid's daughters on thrones beside him like his queens, and immediately hastens back to his city to attack Fereydun. ZahhÃÂk finds his capital held strongly against him, and his army is in peril from the defense of the city. Seeing that he cannot reduce the city, he sneaks into his own palace as a spy and attempts to assassinate ArnavÃÂz and ShahrnÃÂz. Fereydun strikes ZahhÃÂk down with his ox-headed mace, but does not kill him; on the advice of an angel, he binds ZahhÃÂk and imprisons him in a cave underneath Mount DamÃÂvand. Fereydun binds ZahhÃÂk with a lion's pelt tied to great nails fixed into the walls of the cavern, where ZahhÃÂk will remain until the end of the world.
In TabariâÂÂs TabariâÂÂs History, Zahhak is mentioned, according to Tabari (recounting what he heard from Hisham ibn Muhammad ibn al-Saib) the Yemenites claim Zahhak as one of their own, saying that he was Al-Dahhak ibn âÂÂAlwan ibn Ubayd ibn Uwayj, and that he appointed his brother, SinÃÂn, to rule over Egypt, and that he was the first pharaoh. Tabari also attempts to euhumerise the legend, by arguing that the snakes on ZahhakâÂÂs shoulders were ganglia.
<nowiki></nowiki>Shahr-e Zuhak<nowiki> is located in today'</nowiki>s Bamyan, Hazarajat region in Afghanistan, which the local people of that region consider to be the main seat of Zahhak.
"Zahhak Castle" is the name of an ancient ruin in Hashtrud, East Azerbaijan Province, Iran which according to various experts, was inhabited from the second millennia BC until the Timurid-era. First excavated in the 19th century by British archeologists, Iran's Cultural Heritage Organization has been studying the structure in 6 phases.
Khamenei Zahak is a derogatory term used to nickname Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of Iran. It was a main anti Iranian regime chant during 2019-2022 protests of Iranian women where thousands were imprisoned. Sepideh Qolian was put on a trial after crying "Khamenei Zahak we will take you in under the ground".
Besides Aà ¾i DahÃÂka, several other dragons and dragon-like creatures are mentioned in Zoroastrian scripture:
Stories of monstrous serpents who are killed or imprisoned by heroes or divine beings may date back to prehistory and are found in the myths of many Indo-European peoples, including those of the Indo-Iranians, that is, the common ancestors of both the Iranians and Vedic Indians.
The most obvious point of comparison is that in Vedic Sanskrit ahi is a cognate of Avestan aà ¾i. However, In Vedic tradition, the only dragon of importance is Vrtra, but "there is no Iranian tradition of a dragon such as Indian Vrtra" (Boyce, 1975:91-92). Moreover, while Iranian tradition has numerous dragons, all of which are malevolent, Vedic tradition has only one other dragon besides - ahi budhnya, the benevolent "dragon of the deep". In the Vedas, gods battle dragons, but in Iranian tradition, this is a function of mortal heroes.
Thus, although it seems clear that dragon-slaying heroes (and gods in the case of the Vedas) "were a part of Indo-Iranian tradition and folklore, it is also apparent that Iran and India developed distinct myths early." (Skjaervø, 1989:192)