Introduction
Sam is a legendary champion of Iran, son of Nariman and grandfather of Rostam, one of the great warrior-heroes of the house of Sistan in the generations before the Shahnameh's central hero. He is remembered above all for a moment of weakness: abandoning his own newborn son because of his unusual appearance.
Family
Abandoning Zal
When Sam's wife gave birth to a son, Zal, born with pure white hair, Sam, considering this an ill omen or a sign of some demonic taint, could not bear to look at the child and ordered him abandoned on the slopes of Mount Alborz, exposed to die.
The Simurgh's intervention
The infant Zal was found by the great mythical bird Simurgh, who raised him in her own nest as if he were one of her own young, feeding and protecting him for years. Sam, tormented by dreams and growing regret over his abandoned son, eventually learned that Zal had survived and, in a moving scene of reconciliation, travelled to reclaim him, begging his forgiveness.
A great champion
Beyond this personal story, Sam is celebrated throughout the Shahnameh as one of Iran's foremost warriors and champions, serving faithfully across the reigns of several kings, a reputation his son Zal and grandson Rostam would each surpass in turn.