The legend of Shamaran is well-known throughout Northern Kurdistan. The name Shamaran is composed of two words: sha, meaning king, and maran, meaning snakes—thus, Shamaran means “king of snakes.” Among the people, it is widely believed that Shamaran is the goddess of knowledge and guardian of secrets. The story of Shamaran is deeply rooted in Northern Kurdistan’s culture, and many people are very familiar with it. In some areas, her image is even hung in the bedrooms of young men and women.
Shamaran is especially well-known in the Mardin region, where images of her can be seen in many places throughout the city, making her a symbol of the area. Although the exact history of Shamaran is unknown, this goddess seems to predate the arrival of Christianity, Judaism, and Islam among the people. She is a remnant of a time when Kurds believed in many gods and angels. Like many ancient cultures, Kurds believed each deity had power over different aspects of human life and the environment. As seen in traditional images, Shamaran has the head of a beautiful woman and the legs and tail of a snake.
The story goes: “Once upon a time, there was a boy named Tamasp. He grew tall and handsome and was the son of a poor woodcutter family. One day, while cutting wood in the forest, Tamasp accidentally fell into a well and became trapped, unable to escape. Desperate, he found a small hole in the well’s wall and enlarged it with his knife. He crawled through the hole and entered a large cave, where he remained, hopeless, until he fell asleep.
When he awoke, thousands of snakes surrounded him, all staring at him. As they rushed toward him, Tamasp feared for his life. Closing his eyes, he prayed to God, gathering courage before opening them again. Standing before him was a very beautiful woman—half snake, half human. Dazed and speechless, Tamasp listened as she said, ‘Don’t be afraid. I will not harm you. I am Shamaran, queen of the snakes. You are my guest now, and it is time to rest. We will talk tomorrow.’ With that, she left him alone. Feeling sleepy, Tamasp closed his eyes and slept again.
The next morning, Tamasp woke to find Shamaran sitting nearby, with breakfast prepared. She called him to the table. Fascinated by her appearance, Tamasp could not take his eyes off her. They ate breakfast together. Shamaran, wise and knowledgeable about the secrets of the world, shared many stories with Tamasp, including the story of human creation. Tamasp listened intently and grew to love the stories. As days passed, they grew closer.
Eventually, Tamasp thought of his family and wished to return home. Shamaran did not want to let him go but also did not want to see him sad, so she allowed him to leave. She gave him one condition: ‘You must promise not to tell anyone the secret of this place.’ She warned him not to bathe in front of others because contact with water would transform his skin into snake skin, revealing his secret.
Tamasp returned to his people and kept this secret for many years. One day, the king of the country fell ill with a deadly disease. The evil vizier claimed the only cure was to eat Shamaran’s flesh. He ordered everyone to enter a pool of water to find who knew Shamaran’s location. The vizier’s true goal was not to heal the king but to gain all Shamaran’s secrets and knowledge by eating her.
At first, Tamasp refused to enter the pool to protect Shamaran’s secret. But the soldiers forced him in, and his skin immediately turned into snake skin, revealing the secret. Soldiers arrested and tortured him to find Shamaran’s location. Despite his resistance, Tamasp was eventually forced to reveal it.
The soldiers went to the well and captured Shamaran. When Tamasp saw her, he felt ashamed, but Shamaran told him not to blame himself. She devised a plan to pass her wisdom to Tamasp. She announced at the king’s palace: ‘Whoever eats my tail will receive all secrets and knowledge; whoever eats my body will be healed; and whoever eats my head will die immediately.’
Hearing this, the vizier cut Shamaran into three parts and cooked them. The vizier ate the tail, Tamasp, feeling guilty and wishing to die, ate the head, and the king ate the body for healing. Shamaran’s plan worked: the evil vizier died immediately, the king was healed, and Tamasp gained all of Shamaran’s wisdom and secrets, becoming Luqman the Wise—a sage to whom plants and trees revealed their medicinal secrets. After Shamaran’s death, her spirit was said to have passed on to her daughter.”
By Soran Hama Rash