کاوه آهنگر — نخستین قیام برضد استبداد
Kaveh the Blacksmith (Kāve-ye Āhangar) is one of Iranian mythology's most beloved figures — a simple craftsman who became the symbol of righteous revolt against tyranny. His story, told in the Shahnameh, has resonated with Iranians fighting oppression for 3,000 years.
In the myth, the serpent king Zahhak rules Iran for 1,000 years. Two serpents grow from his shoulders and demand to be fed daily with human brains — the brains of young men. Kaveh, a blacksmith whose sons are taken for this purpose, goes to Zahhak's court to protest. When dismissed, he raises his leather apron on a stick and leads the people in revolt, finding the rightful king Fereydun.
Kaveh's leather apron, decorated with jewels and gold, became the Derafsh Kaviani (درفش کاویانی) — the royal banner of the Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid empires. It was reportedly captured by Arab invaders in 637 AD and burned. Today, Kaveh the Blacksmith remains a powerful symbol for the Iranian freedom movement — the ordinary person's revolt against a tyrannical ruler backed by supernatural evil.
Kaveh, a blacksmith, rebels against the serpent king Zahhak who demands human brains to feed shoulder-snakes. He raises his leather apron as a banner and joins the hero Fereydun to overthrow the tyrant — a founding myth of Persian resistance.
The Derafsh Kaviani (Royal Banner of Kaveh) was Kaveh's leather apron that became the royal standard of ancient Iran, used by Achaemenid, Parthian, and Sassanid kings. It was reportedly burned by Arab invaders after the 637 AD Battle of al-Qadisiyyah.