Dahak

Dahak, often rendered as Dāhāk or Aži Dahāka, is a legendary dragon-demon in Iranian mythology. The name appears in Avestan and Middle Persian texts as Aži Dahāka and is associated with chaos, tyranny, and malevolent power. In Persian epic tradition, the figure is known in the Persian form Zahhak, who embodies despotism and oppression.

In the mythic corpus, Dahak is depicted as a monstrous being whose rule brings suffering to the world. A enduring motif in the legends is the presence of serpents or serpent-like beings that grow from his shoulders and demand the brains of humans as tribute, symbolizing the corrupting lure of tyrannical rule. Dahak’s reign is ultimately challenged by the heroic Feraydun, who defeats the tyrant and, in various tellings, imprisons him away from human society, ensuring the end of his dominion.

The Dahak/Zahhak figure has had a lasting cultural influence in Iranian literature and art, where he serves as a potent symbol of tyranny, tyranny’s consequences, and the struggle for justice. The name is used in later works and translations of the Shahnameh, and it appears in modern fantasy literature and adaptations that draw on Iranian myth for dragons and demonic antagonists.

See also: Zahhak; Aži Dahāka; Ferdowsi; Shahnameh.