Case file · Folklore / legend
Zahhak chained in Mount Damavand
Ferdowsi's Shahnameh, finished in 1010, says the serpent-shouldered tyrant Zahhak was chained inside Mount Damavand, where he will stay until the end of time.
1010 CE · 35.95, 52.11 · status: legend
The account
Iranian folklore says the volcano's sulphur fumes and rumblings are Zahhak struggling, and local people beat on metal to keep his chains strong. The story goes back to the Avestan dragon Azhi Dahaka.
The sceptical view
Damavand is a dormant volcano with active fumaroles.