Shahmaran

Shahmaran is a mythical creature from Indo-Iranian and Turkic folklore, often described as half-woman and half-snake. In many depictions, she appears as a two-headed figure with a crown on each head. One head is that of a human woman, while the other is a snake’s head. Some interpretations suggest this dual form may represent both feminine and phallic symbolism. The human half is usually shown adorned with a large necklace.

Stories of Shahmaran appear throughout Middle Eastern literature. She is mentioned in the tale The Story of Yemliha: An Underground Queen from One Thousand and One Nights, as well as in the Persian work Camasb-name. Her legend is especially known in southeastern and eastern Turkey, including regions inhabited by Kurdish, Arab, Assyrian, and Turkish communities.

Because of how ancient the legend is, many versions of the tale exist.

In one well-known version, the first human to encounter Shahmaran is a young man named Jamasp, who is also called Jamsab, Camasb, or Jamisav in other versions. Jamasp becomes trapped in a cave while trying to steal honey with a group of friends. His companions abandon him, so he explores the cave and discovers a secret chamber that resembles a magical garden, filled with thousands of pale snakes living peacefully alongside Shahmaran. She welcomes him, and over time, they fall in love. Shahmaran teaches Jamasp the secrets of medicine and healing herbs. Eventually, Jamasp longs to return to the surface and promises never to reveal her location.

Years later, the king of Tarsus becomes seriously ill. His vizier determines that the only cure lies in consuming the flesh of Shahmaran. When Jamasp hears this, he breaks his promise and reveals her hiding place. Shahmaran, accepting her fate, tells the people, “Cook me in an earthen dish, give my extract to the vizier, and feed my flesh to the sultan.” They take her to a bathhouse known as Şahmaran Hamam, where she is killed. The sultan eats her flesh and is cured, while the vizier drinks her essence and dies. Jamasp drinks the water left from her body and inherits her knowledge, becoming a great physician.

A similar version appears in One Thousand and One Nights under the title The Queen of the Serpents. In this version, a Greek philosopher named Daniel has a son called Hasîb Karîm al-Dîn. At one point in the story, Hasîb falls into a cistern and ends up in the hidden world of serpents, where he meets their human-faced queen named Yamlîkhâ. She tells him she is the queen of the serpents. They live together for a time, but Hasîb eventually wishes to return to the surface. Yamlîkhâ warns him that he will enter a bathhouse, which will set off events that will lead to her death. Hasîb promises to avoid bathhouses but enters one despite his vow. Just as she predicted, this allows an evil vizier to summon her. She accepts her fate and instructs Hasîb: her body must be cut and boiled, and the broth divided into three parts. The vizier must drink the first portion, and Hasîb the second. The vizier dies after drinking, and Hasîb gains vast knowledge of science and medicine. Scholars Ulrich Marzolph and Richard van Leewen suggest that “Hasîb” is an Arabic version of the Persian name “Jamasp.”

Among the Kurds, the serpent is seen as a symbol of strength and good fortune. Images of Shahmaran are often found in Kurdish households, displayed on glass and metal artwork. In Turkey, her legend remains especially strong in the town of Tarsus and in the eastern city of Mardin, both of which have large Kurdish and Arab populations. Her image appears on textiles, embroidery, rugs, and jewelry. In these areas, she is still considered a cultural icon, and her story is regarded as a national treasure.

Scholars Wolfram Eberhard and Pertev Naili Boratav created a classification for Turkish folktales known as the Typen türkischer Volksmärchen (“Turkish Folktale Catalogue”). In this system, one tale type is listed as TTV 57, titled The Serpent King Shahmaran, and includes seven different versions. In these tales, a poor boy—named Cami Sap, Camesel, or Canibis depending on the version—falls into a pit in the forest and meets Shahmaran. He lives with her for years before returning to the outside world. Eventually, an antagonist, usually a king or a sorcerer, demands Shahmaran’s flesh for magical healing. She tells the boy to cook her and serve the broth, making sure he drinks only the second portion. The antagonist drinks first and dies, while the boy gains her wisdom and becomes a skilled healer.