Kaveh the Blacksmith and Zahhak
In Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, the tyrant Zahhak grows snakes from his shoulders and feeds them royal youths. Kaveh the blacksmith raises his leather apron as a banner, leading revolt and restoring just kingship.
Story beats
- 1) Zahhak, seduced by Ahriman, kills his father and gains two shoulder snakes that demand human brains daily.
- 2) He oppresses Iran; young men are seized for the snakes’ hunger. Kaveh loses sons to this tax.
- 3) Summoned to sign a proclamation, Kaveh refuses, denounces Zahhak, and tears it up before the court.
- 4) He hoists his blacksmith’s apron on a spear—the Derafsh-e Kaviani—and rallies the people. With the hero Fereydun, they overthrow Zahhak.
- 5) The apron-banner becomes a national emblem stitched with jewels, symbolizing justice and resistance.
Context & symbolism
Zahhak’s snakes signal corruption and insatiable tyranny. Kaveh, a common tradesman, embodies popular revolt. The apron banner transforms labor cloth into royal standard—a rise from workshop to throne room. Fereydun’s rise restores Farrah (divine glory) to rightful rule.
The story inspires resistance to oppression and pride in craftspeople’s power. The banner later became a symbol of Iranian identity.
Motifs
- Tyrant marked by monstrous affliction
- Human sacrifices demanded by regime
- Commoner uprising with improvised banner
- Hero aided by righteous populace
- Banner becoming national symbol
Use it in play
- A ruler’s monstrous curse demands daily sacrifices; a craftsman sparks revolt.
- An improvised banner gains mythic power as people rally to it.
- Snakes on shoulders that must be fed—solve with alternative offering or cure.
- Destroying a tyrant’s decree in public to ignite rebellion.
- Turning a workman’s tool/apron into a relic that boosts morale.
Comparative threads
- Snake-shoulder tyrants: Rare but echo monstrous marks of legitimacy lost.
- Folk banners: Peasant uprisings with improvised standards in many cultures.
- Corruption curses: Like Fafnir’s greed; monstrous bodies reflect inner rot.
Hooks and campaign seeds
- Find a way to feed or cure the snakes without sacrifice; leverage to dethrone the tyrant.
- Craft a banner from humble materials that gains enchantment through collective hope.
- A smith NPC leads rebellion; PCs choose to join or contest leadership.