Zayinreshayin

Zayinreshayin is a term that appears in the folklore of the southwestern Highlands, a remote mountainous region that borders several central Asian states. The word itself is composed of the Hebrew letter zayin (ז), traditionally the seventh letter of the alphabet, together with a Persian suffix “-eshayin,” roughly meaning “place of.” In local oral tradition the zayinreshayin is described as a large, shadowy creature that emerges during harsh winter storms to guard the mountain passes.

Witnesses describe the creature as having the body of a large reptile, the wings of a vulture, and a luminous, electrically charged mane that flickers in the wind. Its eyes are said to glow with a pale blue light, and when it calls, the sound is a low, rumbling resonance that can be heard for miles. It is rarely seen, and most accounts come from hunters, shepherds, and travelers who claim to have felt a sudden chill or strange electromagnetic disturbances when near the creature.

Scholars interpret the zayinreshayin as a myth that arose to explain the often dangerous weather phenomena of the region: ice fogs, sudden wind gusts, and seismic tremors. In folklore it is viewed as both a protector of the people and a harbinger of extreme weather. While no physical evidence supports its existence, the story continues to be an integral part of the area’s cultural heritage and is taught in local schools as an example of regional mythology.