THE SCENE: When the Demonic king Zahhak, who has already ruled for a thousand years, learns that he is destined to be killed by the hand of a man who has not yet been born, he asks his soothsayers about his future killer’s motive.
THE TEXT: Zahhak asked, “Why should he bind me? What will make him hate me?” The sage replied, “If you are wise, you will know that a man does not do evil for no reason. His father will die at your hands, and this will fill him with the desire for vengeance. A cow called Barmayeh will be his wet nurse, and this too will be destroyed by you, and be an added cause of his hatred.
– Shahnameh, Abolqasem Ferdowsi, 10th Century AD
