A Glance over Zahhak Legend

According to the categorization of millenniums, the second millennium that is the middle Ages is the period of blending of virtues and vices. According to Zarvani’s opinion, the first period belongs to Shahryari Ahura Mazda, while the second period relates to the kingdom of Ahirman. In the national-epic classification of Iran, the Zahhak kingdom is contemporaneous with the prosperous period of Ahirman in the Shahname. Zahhak, in the Shahname appears as a species of giants in the form of a human being, yet maintaining his Ahirmanian characteristics. The legend of Zahhak has been subjected to severe distortion in both Avesta and in the Pahlavi texts. According to Avesta, Zahhak is the dragon that has three muzzles, three heads and six eyes. Ahirman has created him in order to annihilate the veracious creatures. In the Pahlavi texts, Zahhak metamorphoses himself from a dragon into a hound-like man. The lengthy tenure of his kingdom is quite remarkable. However, Zahhak has been termed as a dragon in the post-Islamic narrations, but contrary to the assertions of Avesta and Pahlavi texts, there is no indication of its being a giant. Nevertheless, black magic has been one of the characteristics of Zahhak. According to Shahname, the first ever giant-like-nature in the Zahhak story is Satan who is witnessed with different faces. However, in none of his garment-changing phenomena, he does not disclose himself in any apparent shape of a human being. Rather, he metamorphoses himself into human beings having extra ordinary qualities. Therefore, it appears as if the true face of Satan has been drawn as of a human being.