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Part 9 •Shahnameh•The book of kings
Zahhak reigned for a thousand years, and from end to end the world was his to command. The wise concealed themselves and their deeds, and devils achieved their heart’s desire. Virtue was despised and magic applauded, justice hid itself away while evil flourished; demons rejoiced in their wickedness, while goodness was spoken of only in secret.
Two innocent young women were dragged from Jamshid’s house, trembling like the leaves of a willow tree; they were Jamshid’s sisters, the crown among his womenfolk. One of these veiled women was Shahrnavaz, and her chaste sister was Arnavaz. Zahhak trained them in magic and taught them evil ways, since he himself knew nothing but evil—murder, rapine, and the burning of cities. 0 reply
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They learned how to prepare numerous dishes and were accepted as cooks in the king’s kitchens. When the victims were dragged before the cooks, and the time came for their blood to be spilled, the two men looked at one another with eyes filled with tears and with rage in their hearts. Unable to do more, they saved one of the two from slaughter, substituting the brains of a sheep, which they mixed with the brains of the man they killed. And so they were able to rescue one of each pair, to whom they said, “Hide yourself away in the plains and mountains, far from the towns.” In this way they saved thirty victims a month, and when there were two hundred of them the cooks secretly gave them goats and sheep, and showed them a deserted area where they could live. The Kurds, who never settle in towns, are descended from these men. 0 reply
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Each night two young men, either peasants or of noble stock, were brought to Zahhak’s palace. There, in the hope of finding a cure for the king’s malady, they were killed and their brains made into a meal for the snakes. At the same time, there were two noble, upright men who lived in his realm; one was named Armayel the Pious, and the other, Garmayel the Perceptive. Together they talked of the king’s injustice and the evil manner in which he was nourished. One said, “We should go and present ourselves as cooks to the king, to see if we can save at least one of each pair who are killed to feed the snakes.” 0 reply
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