Zahhak became one of the most infamous tyrants in Persian

Zahhak became one of the most infamous tyrants in Persian legend after evil transformed his body in a horrifying way. In Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, the demonic Ahriman kisses Zahhak’s shoulders—and two serpents grow from them.

The serpents demand a gruesome diet: human brains. To keep them fed, young men are killed, turning Zahhak’s reign into an age of terror until resistance begins to rise against him.

But Zahhak’s story doesn’t end with a simple death. His ultimate fate is even stranger.

Which is worse—the curse Zahhak carried, or what he was willing to do to satisfy it?

#PersianMythology #Zahhak #Shahnameh #PersianLegends #mythology