Özet:

Legends are reflected in historical sources with many variants. These reflections often attract the attention of historians in terms of their relationship with historical issues as well as language and literature studies. The interaction of the oral tradition, the weight of which is composed of legends, with the written narrative takes place in various forms. The relationship in question is a significant source item for historians. This interaction can sometimes turn from a historical event to a legend and sometimes from a legend to written sources. In the text, the effect of the mythological narrative named “Zahhak and Kaveh the Blacksmith” on two works of importance for the period in which they were written is examined. The first of these works is Ferdowsi's Shahname, and the second is Sharaf Khan's Sharafnama. While the body of the study is based on these two sources, some secondary sources that refer to the legend have also been used. The value of such texts in terms of showing the cultural values adopted by the societies they belong to and the perception of truth in which they belong is undeniable. In modern historiography, there is a narrative free of mythological elements, in which human beings are at the center. However, in the texts examined, contrary to this method, it is understood that unrealistic fantasy/mythical elements are seriously accepted. Therefore, the perception of truth of the two authors is also discussed over this issue. Another aspect of the study is the influence of the discourses and discussions of nationalization that developed after the French Revolution on the narrative. In this context, the narrative of "Kaveh the Blacksmith and Zahhak", which is adopted as the origin myth of modern Kurdish nationalism, is handled with a retrospective method. Finally, Sharaf Khan, who wrote the "Sharafnama" (1597) with a great political goal, is compared with Ferdowsi, who wrote the "Shahname" (1020), which is the main inspiration of Persian nationalism as a reaction to Arab hegemony.