THE SCENE: The mystic warrior king Tahmures not only managed to defeat the demons of Ahriman, he also cowed them into submission and forced them to teach him the secret of writing.
THE ACTION: All the demons and sorcerers came together in a great army, with the black demon as their leader, and their roars ascended to the heavens. But Tahumers suddently confronted them, and the war did not last long; two-thirds of the demons he subdued by spells, and the other third by his heavy mace. He dragged them wounded and in chains in the dust, and they pleaded for their lives, saying, “Don’t kill us, we can teach you something new and highly profitable.” The king granted them their lives on condition that they reveal their secrets to him, and when he had freed them from their chains they had no choice but to obey him. They taught the king how to write, and his heart glowed like the sun with his knowledge.
– The Shahnameh, Abolqasem Ferdowsi, 10th Century AD
