Maelstroms in the Islamic and Iranian Texts

Maelstroms are powerful and violent whirlpools in the sea, sucking in objects such as ships within a given radius. Not only most of the geographers mentioned the maelstroms, but also cartographers mapped them, to protect sailors from being drawn into them. One of the most recognized maelstroms in the Persian Gulf is Fam al-asad or Kām-e šīr, which means the mouth of lion. Kām-e šīr or Dahān-e šīr, which is used frequently in ancient poetry and prose, is sometimes referred to as Fam al-asad. It seems that merely the surface meaning of "Kām-e šīr" (the mouth of lion) is focused on in interpretations; hence, the accurate understanding of these expressions can alter the interpretation of the texts and maps. The present paper describes the name of Fam al-asad or Kām-e šīr and other maelstroms in the old texts, and analyses the history of them with the help of some instances.