Zahhak

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Shah Zahhak A king of Iranian myths and legends
Zahhak in the Shahnameh
Other names	Azhi Dahāka Bēvar Asp
Spouse	Arnavaz Shahrnaz
Parent	Mardas (father)

Zahhāk or Zahāk^[1] (pronounced [zæhɒːk]^[2]) (Persian: ضحّاک), also known as Zahhak the Snake Shoulder (Persian: ضحاک ماردوش, romanized: Zahhāk-e Mārdoush), is an evil figure in Persian mythology, evident in ancient Persian folklore as Azhi Dahāka (Persian: اژی دهاک), the name by which he also appears in the texts of the Avesta.^[3] In Middle Persian he is called Dahāg (Persian: دهاگ) or Bēvar Asp (Persian: بیور اسپ) the latter meaning "he who has 10,000 horses".^[4][5] In Zoroastrianism, Zahhak (going under the name Aži Dahāka) is considered the son of Ahriman, the foe of Ahura Mazda.^[6] In the Shāhnāmeh of Ferdowsi, Zahhāk is the son of a ruler named Merdās.