Zal

Persian Zal (Zal-e Zar, Dastan), white-haired hero of Sistan, son of Sam and foster-son of the Simorgh; husband of Rudaba of Kabul and father of Rostam. Named in the prose of zoroastrian_rostam (son of Zal and Rudaba).

Children

• Rostam

Domains

• heroic champion
• wisdom

Powers

• reared by the Simorgh and endowed with her wisdom
• summons the Simorgh by burning one of her feathers
• renowned for sagacity and the riddle-wisdom of the mobads

Epithets

• زال زر Persian · Zāl-e Zar · epithetZal the White (lit. 'the golden/aged-haired one')Ferdowsi, Shahnameh (primary)
• دستان Persian · Dastān · epithetthe cunning one / 'stratagem' (his by-name)Ferdowsi, Shahnameh (primary)

Relations

• father of: RostamFather of the champion Rostam; the existing zoroastrian_rostam should carry zoroastrian_zal in parentIds.Ferdowsi, Shahnameh (birth of Rostam, son of Zal and Rudaba) (primary)
• spouse: RudabaHusband of Rudaba, princess of Kabul; the love-story of Zal and Rudaba opens the Rostam cycle.Ferdowsi, Shahnameh (the wooing and wedding of Zal and Rudaba) (primary)

Sources

• existence: Ferdowsi, Shahnameh (the tale of Zal and Rudaba; Rostam cycle) (primary); Encyclopaedia Iranica, article Zal (secondary)