Comparative Examination of the Function of the Zahhak Myth as a Symbol of Evil in Two Epic Narratives: Shahnameh and Garshaspnameh

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Member of the Faculty of Mazandaran University

2 Islamic Azad University, Science and Research Branch, Tehran

10.22103/jic.2025.25882.1474

Abstract

The figure of Zahhak in Iran’s national epic literature constitutes one of the most striking embodiments of the myth of evil. This construct reflects the binary opposition of good and evil in the Iranian cultural unconscious and receives varied—and at times contradictory—representations across different texts. Employing a descriptive–analytical methodology with a comparative approach and drawing on Pahlavi Zoroastrian sources such as the Dēnkard and the Bundahishn, this article examines two divergent portrayals of Zahhak in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh and in Asadi Tusi’s Garshasp-nāma(Garshasp-nameh). In Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Zahhak appears as the embodiment of absolute evil: a foreign ruler lacking political legitimacy, presented with a demonic, superhuman physiognomy and as essentially irredeemable. He is depicted as a tyrant endowed with otherworldly attributes—most famously the serpents that grow from his shoulders—who is imprisoned rather than executed, thereby functioning as a lasting warning against the recurrence of despotism. By contrast, the Garshasp-nāma (Garshasp-nameh) (Garshasp-nameh) ) (Garshasp-nameh) offers a more humanized and more politically legitimate portrait of him. It also seems that Ferdowsi's perceptions regarding the apocalyptic issue of Zahhak and the mechanism of her legitimacy are influenced by the Mazdaist tradition and religious texts, while Asadi is more influenced by the narrative traditions of eastern Iran. This study demonstrates how Zahhak’s image within mythic, political, and religious discourses reflects divergent Iranian conceptions of evil and of legitimacy.This comparison shows that the representation of Zahhak carries multi-layered meanings not only within the framework of epic literature but also in the realm of political and religious thought.

Keywords

References

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Iranian Civilization Research
Volume 7, Issue 2 - Serial Number 14
December 2026
Pages 216-238

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