Hasanak Vazir

This article argues that despite differences in language, setting, and cultural context, the three narratives—Siavash (from the Shahnameh), Hasanak Vazir (from the Tārīkh-i Bayhaqī), and The Lion and the Cow (from Kelileh and Demneh)—each serve as a literary criterion of their respective time and culture. Structurally, however, they revolve around the same core motif: the destructive cycle of jealousy and conspiracy orchestrated by their negative heroes (Garsīvaz, Būshal, and Demneh), who manipulate the protagonists into downfall. These villains incite the antagonistic figures (Afrasiab, Mas‘ud, and the Lion) to provoke and ultimately execute the tragic killings of the virtuous heroes—Siavash, Hasanak, and the Cow. Through this shared framework, the narratives reveal a universal archetype of betrayal and power dynamics.