In Persian mythology, Zahhak is the dragon-like tyrant who grows two serpents from his shoulders.
Zahhak is a central villain in the Shahnameh, the Persian national epic written by Ferdowsi around the year 1000. In the story, the evil spirit Ahriman kisses Zahhak’s shoulders, and serpents emerge from the spots. Attempts to cut them off fail because they grow back. Ahriman then advises that the serpents must be fed human brains, turning Zahhak’s body into the source of a horrific daily sacrifice.
Zahhak’s name is related to Aži Dahāka, a dragon-like figure in older Iranian religious tradition. The Shahnameh version develops him into a human ruler whose corruption becomes political tyranny. He overthrows the just king Jamshid and rules Iran through fear.
The hero Fereydun eventually defeats Zahhak and imprisons him on Mount Damavand rather than killing him outright. Zahhak is therefore both a monstrous dragon-associated figure and a symbol of unjust kingship. His shoulder serpents are the detail most clearly separating him from other Persian monsters.