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The name of a great cosmic serpent or dragon in the Zoroastrian mythology of ancient Persia. Originally, its name was translated as ‘snake’; however, the modern translation in the Farsi language is ‘dragon’. Ultimately, the Azi Dahaka seems to combine something of each of these beings, being portrayed as a winged dragon-snake with three heads, said to represent pain, anguish and death respectively. Each head has six eyes and three pairs of fangs, and the wings of the Azi Dahaka are so huge that when spread they blot out the sun. The great Zoroastrian mystical text Shanamah describes the Azi Dahaka as roughly human in shape save for the two serpents growing out of its neck. Zoroastrian mythology describes the creature as the son of a female demon or as the descendant of Angra Mainu, the original spirit of evil. The myths also say that Azu Dahaka began by eating only cattle, but soon acquired a taste for human flesh. He conspired to overthrow the first human being, Yima, and as a punishment for this, was chained under Mount Demavand by the hero Atta. This is not the end of the story, however, as it is said that at the end of time Azu Dahaka will break free and destroy the greater part of humanity, until itself being defeated by the god Keresaspa. Azu Dahaka is a kind of destroying monster, not unlike the Norse wolf Fenris.