Home

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

The Dahak/Zahhak figure has had a lasting cultural influence in Iranian literature and art, where he serves

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

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.
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.