Kurdish mythology

Legendary origin

Supernatural origin legend

A legend recorded by Judaic scholars claimed that the people of Corduene had supernatural origins, when King Solomon arranged the marriage of 500 women to jinns. The same legend was also used by early Islamic authorities, in explaining the origins of the Kurds.

In the writings of the 10th-century Arab historian al-Masudi, the Kurds are described as the offspring of King Solomon’s concubines engendered by the demon Jasad. On learning who they were, Solomon shall have exclaimed "Drive them (ukrudūhunna) in the mountains and valleys" which then suggests a negative connotation such as the "thrown away". Another version says that they are the descendants of King Solomon's concubines and his angelical servants. These were sent to Europe to bring him "five hundred beautiful maidens" for the king's harem. However, when these had done so and returned to Israel the king had already died. As such, the jinn settled in the mountains, married the women themselves, and their offspring came to be known as the Kurds.

Legend of Milan and Zilan

Many Kurdish tribes trace their origins to the Milan and Zilan tribes. According to Mark Sykes, Ibrahim Pasha, then chief of the Milli tribe, gave the following explanation: "Years and years ago the Kurds were divided into two branches, the Milan and Zilan; there were 1,200 tribes of the Milan, but God was displeased with them and they were scattered in all directions, some vanished, others remained; such as remained respect me as the head of the Milan."

One variation adds a third branch, the Baba Kurdi. According to one version of the legend, the Milan settled in Dersim, but Sultan Selim ordered some to sedentarize and build houses, and others to nomadize southward.

A famous semi-historical Yezidi figure of Kurdish folklore, Derwêşê Evdî, was of the Şerqi tribe of the Milan.

Descendants of Kaveh's army

Zahhak, who is named Zuhak by the Kurds, was an evil Assyrian king who conquered Iran and had serpents growing from his shoulders. Zahhak's rule lasted for one thousand years; his evil reign caused spring to no longer come to Kurdistan. During this time, two young men were sacrificed daily and their brains were offered to Zahhak's serpents in order to alleviate his pain. However, the man who was in charge of sacrificing the two young men every day would instead kill only one man a day and mix his brains with those of a sheep in order to save the other man. As discontent grew against Zahhak's rule, the nobleman Fereydun planned a revolt. According to the legend, the young men who had been saved from the fate of being sacrificed were according to the legend were the ancestors of the Kurds. They were trained by Kaveh into an army that marched to Zahhak's castle, where Kaveh killed the king with a hammer. Kaveh is said to have then set fire to the hillsides to celebrate the victory and summon his supporters; spring returned to Kurdistan the next day.