Sām also transliterated Saam, is a mythical hero of ancient Persia, and an important character in the Shahnameh

Shahnameh

The Shahnameh or Shah-nama is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c.977 and 1010 AD and is the national epic of Iran and related societies...

 epic. He was the son of Nariman

Nariman (father of Sām)

Nariman is an ancient Persian name meaning "faith and brightness." The name was first referred to in the historic Shahname of Ferdowsi as son of Gorshtasb, and father of Sām who himself is grandfather of Rostam the hero ....

, grandson of Garshasp

Garshasp

Garshāsp is the name of a monster-slaying hero in Iranian mythology. The Avestan form of his name is Kərəsāspa and in Middle Persian his name is Kirsāsp.-Kərəsāspa / Kirsāsp in Zoroastrian literature:...

 and father to Zāl

Zal

Zāl , also transliterated Zaal, is a legendary Persian warrior from the old Persian "The Book of Kings/ The king of books" or Shahnameh.-Background:...

. He was Iran's champion during the rule of Fereydun

Fereydun

Fereydūn also pronounced Farīdūn or Afrīdūn , also called Apam Napat, "Son of the Waters", is the name of an Iranian mythical king and hero who is an emblem of victory, justice and generosity in the Persian literature.-Etymology:All of the forms of...

, Manuchehr

Manuchehr

Manūchehr , older Persian Manōčihr, Avestan Manuščiθra, is a character in Shahnameh. He is the first of the legendary Shāhs who ruled Iran after the breakup of the world empire of Manūchehr's great-grandfather, Fereydūn....

 and Nowzar

Nowzar

Nowzar is a character in Shahnameh. He is the son of Manuchehr and becomes the Shah of Iran after his father's death. His reign of seven years comes to an end when he is killed by Afrasiab during a battle....

. He was appointed by Manuchehr to rule Zabulistan

Zabulistan

Zabulistan , also spelled Zabolestan, is a historical region in the border area of today's Iran and Afghanistan.-History of Zabulistan:...

 (Sistan), and then Mazandaran. After Manuchehr, because of Nowzar's corrupted and failed rulership, Iranian champions asked Sām to rule Iran. Sām didn't accept, he supported Nowzar and advised him to follow Fereydun and Manuchehr. Sām returned to Mazandaran, and died soon after that. Afrasiab

Afrasiab

Afrasiab is the name of the mythical king and hero of Turan.-The Mythical King and Hero:According to the Shahnameh , by the Persian epic poet Ferdowsi, Afrasiab was the king and hero of Turan and an archenemy of Iran...

 then attacked Zabulistan.

The name Sām is equivalent to the Avestan name 'Saama', which means dark and Sanskrit 'Shyaama

Shyam

Shyam may refer to:*a name of Krishna*Shyam , a Hindi film actor*Shyam , an Indian music composer from Kerala*Shyam , a Tamil Journalist, Father of Investigative Journalistm from Tamilnadu, India...

' which means the same.