Zahhak (nonfiction)
Zahhāk or Zahāk (pronounced [zæhɒːk]) (in Persian: ضحّاک/ذهّاک) or Bivar Asp is an evil figure in Iranian mythology, evident in ancient Iranian folklore as Aži Dahāka (Azh dahak), the name by which he also appears in the texts of the Avesta.
He is described as a monster with three mouths, six eyes, and three heads (presumably meaning three heads with one mouth and two eyes each), cunning, strong and demonic.
But in other respects Aži Dahāka has human qualities, and is never a mere animal.
In Middle Persian he is called Dahāg or Bēvar-Asp, the latter meaning "[he who has] 10,000 horses".
In Zoroastrianism, Zahak (going under the name Aži Dahāka) is considered the son of Angra Mainyu, the foe of Ahura Mazda.
Aži (nominative ažiš) is the Avestan word for "serpent" or "dragon." It is cognate to the Vedic Sanskrit word ahi, "snake," and without a sinister implication.
Azi and Ahi are distantly related to Greek ophis, Latin anguis, Russian and Old Church Slavonic уж (grass-snake), all meaning "snake".
The original meaning of dahāka is uncertain. Among the meanings suggested are "stinging" (source uncertain), "burning" (cf. Sanskrit dahana), "man" or "manlike" (cf. Khotanese daha), "huge" or "foreign" (cf. the Dahae people and the Vedic dasas). The Avestan term Aži Dahāka and the Middle Persian azdahāg are the source of the Middle Persian Manichaean demon of greed Az, Old Armenian mythological figure Aždahak, modern Persian aždehâ / aždahâ and Tajik Persian azhdahâ and Urdu Azhdahā (اژدها) as well as the Kurdish ejdîha (ئەژدیها) which usually mean "dragon".
In the News
Zahhak's agent, Highwayman Dick Turpin, creates a diversion while Zahhak deals with bigger problems.
Fiction cross-reference
Nonfiction cross-reference
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