Azhdaha

A character of ancient Iranian mythology, an evil demon. In the Tatar language – Azhdaha, in ancient Iranian – Azhi Dahaka, in the "Shahnameh" Firdousi – Zahhak.

The image of Azhdakhi appeared in ancient Turkic mythology in the era of Zoroastrianism (XV–VI centuries BC).

In the mythology of the Turkic and Iranian peoples of the Middle Volga region, the Urals, Asia Minor and Central Asia, Kazakhstan, Western Siberia and the North Caucasus, it appears under various variants of the same name: azhdaha — among the Kazan Tatars, Azerbaijanis, Bashkirs, Kazakhs (the latter also have Aidagar), Azdyaka – among the Mishar Tatars, azhdarcho – the Uzbeks , etc .

According to the collection of the sacred books of Zoroastrianism "Avesta", Azhdaha – Aji Dahaka – in the era of the so-called "golden age", when there were no diseases, old age, death, moral vices on earth, killed the righteous king Yima, established a thousand-year reign of evil, and made the sisters of Yima Saknavak and Arnavak his concubines.

This story has been preserved in the mythology of the Kazan Tatars, Mishar Tatars, Bashkirs, Kazakhs and some other peoples. In the Sasanian era (224-651), Aji Dahaka, transformed into Zahhaka, personified the enemies of the Iranians – the Turks (Turkic tribes).

Azhdakha is originally associated with the water element; in Tatar fairy tales, it usually lives near a river, lake or sea. In mythology, Azhdakh is represented in the form of a snake. The Tatars have a belief that a snake who has lived for a hundred years turns into an Azhdakh who has lived for a thousand years – into a juha.

In the Turkic-Tatar written literature, Azhdakh was first mentioned by Saif Sarai (1321-1396) in the form of "Azhdarch"; but most often – in fairy tales.