Akvan Div

Sources present Akvan as an individual member of the div class appearing in the Shahnameh cycle during the reign of Kay Khosrow and within Rostam's labors. The narrative frames him as a hostile supernatural adversary who haunts a particular fountain or spring and hides among onager herds; no etymology or cosmogonic origin for the proper name 'Akvan' is supplied in the cited materials.

In story summaries Akvan is described when masquerading among onagers as an unusually brilliant wild ass or big horse: "the color of the body, like the glowing sun," with "a black line from its edge to its tail," and "four strong hands and feet." He also appears in non-animal manifestations by becoming wind or a storm or by disappearing from view.

Narrative-attested abilities include shape-changing (appearing as an onager, becoming wind or a storm, or vanishing), deception by hiding among ordinary onager herds, sudden digging/earth-moving around a sleeping Rostam (cutting away earth), lifting Rostam into the air and offering to throw him, and the capacity to hurl the hero long distances (throwing him into the sea). The episode emphasizes Akvan's evasion and endurance, repeatedly avoiding capture until Rostam finally snares him with a lasso and beheads him.