Zahhak
Zahhak is a famous evil figure in Iranian legends. In the oldest Zoroastrian stories, he is called Aži Dahāka, a terrible serpent-demon with three mouths, six eyes, and three heads. He is said to be the son of Angra Mainyu (Ahriman), the spirit of evil.
In Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Zahhāk becomes a human king of Arab descent. Ahriman tempts him to kill his father, Merdās, and take the throne. Zahhāk grows two snakes from his shoulders after a magical kiss from Ahriman, and the snakes must be fed with human brains, so every day two men are killed to feed them. Zahhāk rules with cruelty for many years.
A brave blacksmith named Kāva (Kaveh) leads a revolt and raises the people against Zahhāk. A young hero named Fereydun defeats Zahhāk, frees Jamshid’s daughters Arnavāz and Shahrnāz, and then imprisons Zahhāk under Mount Damāvand. Zahhāk is bound with a lion-skin and nails in a cave, to wait for the end of the world. The uprising is symbolized by the Kaviani flag.
Zahhak’s tale is linked to real places such as Shahr-e Zuhak in Afghanistan and the Kaviani banner used in the rebellion.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 23:55 (CET).