Shahnameh and 7 Thrilling Stories- World’s Longest Epic Poetry

Update Date: May 26, 2024

What is Shahnameh, and why is it important in Persian culture? Who wrote Shahnameh, and when was it written? What are some of the major themes explored in The Book of Kings and who are some of the most famous heroes and villains in Shahnameh, and what are their stories?

Known as the “Book of Kings,” the Shahnameh stands as the longest epic poem ever written, a monumental work that spans over 50,000 rhyming couplets. Composed by the Persian poet Ferdowsi around the 10th century, this literary masterpiece chronicles the rise and fall of dynasties, the valor of heroes, and the eternal struggle between good and evil.

The Shahnameh is more than just a collection of stories; it is a profound cultural artifact that has shaped Persian identity and influenced literature worldwide. From the majestic reign of King Jamshid to the tragic fate of Rostam and Sohrab, the tales within the Shahnameh resonate with timeless themes of honor, loyalty, and the human condition.

In this post, we will delve into the depths of the Shahnameh, exploring its rich stories, its historical context, and its lasting impact on literature and culture. Join us as we uncover the magic of the longest epic poetry in the world, and discover why the Shahnameh remains a cornerstone of Persian heritage. Keep reading to embark on a journey through the annals of time, where the echoes of legendary kings and heroes still whisper through the ages.

Ferdowsi the Creator of Shahnameh

Hakim Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi, the well-known Iranian epic composer, has left his priceless legacy entitled Shahnameh, which is the longest epic book in the universe. The construction of this well-founded palace (a metaphor for Shahnameh that Ferdowsi uses) lasted 35 years.

The poet experienced tough and challenging moments. In a part of his poetry, Ferdowsi asks God to give him enough time to complete his book and then pass the world behind; he says:

همی خواهم از دادگر یک خدای

که چندان بمانم به گیتی به جای

که این نامه شهریاران پیش

بپیوندم از خوب گفتار خویش

He succeeded in finishing The Book of Kings and left us one of the world’s masterpieces. Shahnameh Ferdowsi includes over 50 thousand distiches and covers the historical and mythical stories of Greater Iran.

Nowadays, Persian-speaking countries such as Iran, Afghanistan, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Armenia, etc., are proud of this epic poetry book which is the identity of Iranian culture.

When Did the Creation Of Shahnameh Start? 

As mentioned above, Ferdowsi devoted 35 years of his life to composing this epic book. In a word, Shahnameh is the calendar of Iran’s ancient history; it is a poetic monument whose foundation are the historical events of Iran.

Abu-Mansuri Shahnameh (an epic prose book that describes Iran’s history before the Arab invasion) inspired Ferdowsi to narrate the history of ancient Iran in an excellent poetic way.

In fact, in 977, he started the composition of Shahnameh and, in 1010, was released of writing; at this time, the Persian language was under the influence of the Arabic language and was about to lose its glory.

Thus Ferdowsi organized the Persian language and did not allow it to vanish in the bloody attack of Arabs on the whole aspects of Iran’s kingdom. Although he wrote Shahnameh 2000 years ago, it is understandable for the modern Man. Some eminent poets like Victor Hugo and Goethe praised Ferdowsi’s labor.

The Summary of Shahnameh

Perhaps the most famous story of Shahnameh is the tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab, in which the father kills his son. After all, The Book of Kings describes stories in three parts:

• The first part deals with the world’s creation of nothing, then describes 700 years kingdom of Jamshid (an Iranian king), the reign of Zahhak and his stories, his murder by Kaveh, the blacksmith, and finally, the reign of Fereydun;
• In the second part, the readers read the story of Zal’s birth and reign (he was a white hair king), the rule of Rostam for three centuries, and his wars, his marriage, fatherhood, and the killing of his son, Sohrab.
• The last part concerns the life and wars of various Kings, including Bahman, Esfandiyar, Key Khosrow, Darius, etc. 

The stories of Shahnameh are employed in Iran’s dramatic art, Naqqali. The footprint of Shahnameh’s epic stories is detectable on coffeehouse walls with a clear message “no dynasty is immortal.”

What Are the Themes of Shahnameh? 

In answer to this question, ” What is Shahnameh all about” it would be best to say that Shahnameh is one of the significant masterpieces of the world, which describes Iran’s myths, critical events, and history from the beginning of creation to the invasion of Arabs at the 7th century.

The Book of Kings is a historiography and covers the life of 50 Iranian kings and three queens. In other words, Shahnameh is the narrator of ancient Iran’s heroes and invites the readers to that sound, glorious days.

In a word, reading Shahnameh is a travel in time, and the audience can wander on the battlefield of heroes and kings and read the sentences they say to each other to weaken the competitor’s mind and lose the battle. Actually, Shahnameh includes three parts:

• The mythical age;
• The heroic age;
• The chronological age.

The mythical age covers an era from the time of Keyumars (according to Shahnameh, he was the first king of Iran) to the reign of Fereydun (a person in Shahnameh who imprisoned Zahhak the snake shoulder and became the world’s king.)

The second part is the heroic age which covers a period from the rise of Kaveh, the blacksmith, to the death of Rostam and the kingdom of Bahman, the son of Esfandiyar.

The last one, which is the chronological age, concerns the kingdom of Bahman and the rise of Alexander and the Arab invasion. The significant point about Shahnameh is that these ages are interconnected.

Each part is in close relationship with other sections and reflects some elements such as advice, historical stories, the kings’ ceremonies, and common people’s beliefs like magic. The artistic employment of these matters led to various investigations about Ferdowsi’s masterpiece. 

Who Are the Positive and Negative Characters in Shahnameh?

The confrontation of various characters shapes the Book of Kings; some are good, and others are evil. For instance, Afrasiab is one of the most complicated kings of Shahnameh, the Iranian’s enemy.

 His negativity reaches the highest peaks of evilness when he tries to prevent the visit of Rostam and Sohrab and then plans to kill them. On some occasions, he becomes Iran’s savior by providing the possibility of his daughter’s marriage to an Iranian prince named Siavash; however, he sentences the prince to death.

The following negative character is Zahhak, the snake shoulder who kills Jamshid and becomes Iran’s king for ten centuries. Ahriman (evil) kisses his shoulders then two snakes appear from his kiss who must eat the young’s brain to keep calm.

 Finally, Kaveh, the blacksmith (a positive figure), guides people to follow Fereydun to kill the snake’s shoulder. Hence, Fereydun, a hero from Jamshid’s generation, is another admirable in the book. The second king of the Kianian dynasty was Key Kavus, who was unwise and irascible and died because of his ambition.

The positive characters in this ancient book are Rostam, Sohrab, Fereydun, and Kaveh, the blacksmith. Rostam is the most well-known hero, a brave heart, and Ferdowsi’s dearest character.

 It is worth mentioning that after Rostam’s death and his family, Ferdowsi loses his eagerness to continue this long epic book. Thus, the poem’s atmosphere is gloomy and dismal. However, Rostam Kills Sohrab (another positive figure), and the description of this tragic moment are heartbreaking. 

This epic book deals with the love stories of Rostam and Tahmineh, Bijan and Manijeh, and Zal and Rudabeh. The significant aspect of love between these famous characters is its boundlessness; in other words, when love speaks, the borders of ethnicity, social classes, and language vanish.

Do Women Have a Role in Shahnameh?

The role of women is traceable in The Book Of Kings; in truth, Ferdowsi equalized men and women and considered equal rights for them. The females in The Book of Kings are wise, loyal, keen, activist, mighty, and discreet.

Women played a historical role in the war battles and enjoyed a specific social position. The influence of women is more recognizable in the heroic part of Shahnameh.

Ferdowsi reminds readers that women and men must defend the mother of the country; actually, they can fight side-by-side to defend the borders of Iran. These characters possess particular features, and their positive and negative aspects are interwoven.

There are 24 influential females in this magnificent book; some of the notable feminine characters of Shahnameh are:

• Faranak, the mother of Fereydun (one of the 50 kings of Shahnameh);
• Rudabeh, the wife of Zal and the mother of Rostam;
• Tahmineh, the wife of Rostam and the mother of Sohrab;
• Gordafarid, a heroine who fought with Sohrab;
• Gordieh, a noblewoman and the sister of Bahram Chobin (an Iranian king);
• Humay Chehrzad, the daughter of Bahman and the mother of Darab (the father of Darius III.)

The Impact Of Shahnameh On The Persian Literature 

Ferdowsi tried to employ the most common Persian words so that future generations could enjoy the honorable history of Iran. Before Ferdowsi, many poets composed poetic verses, but most were forgotten in the pages of history; however, this great Persian poet revived and saved the Persian language.

 Aside from the role of Shahnameh in reviving Farsi, it organized epic stories and brought some of the forgotten heroes into the center. This national epic didn’t restore the name of all Iranian heroes because it was beyond the power and ability of one person.

 In the following centuries, various poets continued Ferdowsi’s way, and finally, the Iranian epic collection was completed, and the influence of Ferdowsi’s legacy on them is undeniable. Some of the famous books that Shahnameh inspired are:

• Garshasp-Nama by Asadi Tusi;
• Faramarz-nama by Rafi-aldin Marzban;
• Homay and Homayun by Khajavi Kermani;
• Shahriyar-nama by Osman Mokhtari;
• Zafar-nama by Hamdollah Mostofi.

The footprint of Ferdowsi’s The Book of Kings and its poetic features are traceable in the poems of well-known Iranian poets like Hafez, Jami, Khaghani, Sa’adi, Nezami Ganjavi, Samarghandi, and Rumi.

The uniqueness of Shahnameh and the capability of Ferdowsi to create epic stories encouraged people from foreign countries to present translations of this honorable book.

 The first person who translated Shahnameh into the Arabic language was Bondari Esfahani. However, the oldest handwritten version of Shahnameh is located in Florence Library. As a matter of fact, it was translated into the following languages:

• English;
• Kurdish;
• French;
• Arabic;
• Hebrew;
• Latin;
• Italian;
• Japanese;
• Polish;
• Hungarian;
• Indian;
• Etc. 

Some Iranian writers and researchers like Jalal Khaleghi, Mohammed Ali Eslami Nodooshan, Bahram Gorgin, and Mahboobeh Kashani changed the verses of Shahnameh to prose so that everyone can read The Persian Book of Kings effortlessly. 

The Impact Of Shahnameh On The World’s Literature 

The world’s literature enjoyed the stories of Shahnameh; for instance, the story of Rostam and Sohrab has been translated into different languages. Also, some literary characters referred to Ferdowsi in their works and commemorated his name, such as:

• Matthew Arnold (English poet);
•  Johan Wolfgang von Goethe (German poet);
•  Victor Hugo (French poet);
•  Francois Copper (French poet);
• And other famous people

 The significant literary figures confessed that Ferdowsi’s name would be immortal as long as Iranians lived on Earth. This great Persian poet has devoted his life to composing the most extended epic poetry in the world. 

Why Did Ferdowsi Write Shahnameh?

Without a doubt, Shahnameh, the epic of the Persian kings, is the Iranians’ identity card; indeed, Ferdowsi is equalized with the creator of the Odyssey, Homer.

Ferdowsi’s love for his nationality and country are the main reasons for composing the longest epic book in the world; in other words, his verses are an excellent source for discovering archetypes and their influence on modern Man’s life and behavior.

On the whole, Shahnameh is an impressive treasure of Iranian archetypes which illustrates significant aspects, such as history, philosophy, mythology, literature, language, etc.

 The exciting point about Shahnameh is that it is unique in time and space; surprisingly, it is not confined to any physical and spiritual borders. Overall, The Great Ferdowsi did his best to construct a boundless palace reflecting Iran’s heroes and kings like a mirror. This mirror-like epic book keeps the Iranian and Persian languages alive. 

Seven Incredible Stories of Shahnameh

A summary of 7 incredible stories from Shahnameh:

1. The Story of Zahhak: This story tells the tale of a tyrant king named Zahhak, who is possessed by two snakes on his shoulders that require him to consume human brains. The hero Feraydun eventually overthrows Zahhak and restores order to the kingdom;
2. The Story of Rostam and Sohrab: This tragic story follows the hero Rostam who unknowingly battles and kills his son Sohrab, who Rostam’s enemies had raised. The story is a powerful exploration of love, loyalty, and deception themes;
3. The Story of Bijan and Manijeh: This is a love story between the hero Bijan and the princess Manijeh who are separated by war and political intrigue but ultimately find their way back to each other;
4. The Story of Esfandyar: follows the fearless warrior Esfandyar as he battles his opponents to prove his worthiness to his father. Eventually, Esfandyar is defeated by the hero Rostam in a tragic battle;
5. The Story of Fereydoon and the Dragons: This story tells the tale of the hero Fereydoon, who defeats three dragons to become the king of Persia. The story is a classic example of a heroic journey, as Fereydoon must overcome incredible odds to establish his rule;
6. The Story of Sam and the Div: This story follows the hero Sam as he battles a powerful div (demon) who kidnaps his bride. The story is a thrilling adventure that showcases Sam’s bravery and cunning;
7. The Story of Bizhan and Manizheh: is another love story between the hero Bizhan and the princess Manizheh. The two lovers are separated by political intrigue and must fight for their love against all odds.

 What Is the Best Translation of Shahnameh?

Ferdowsi’s prideful masterpiece invited many translators to familiarize people worldwide with an extraordinary epic book that is matchless on the planet. Various people tried to translate this great book since the 18th century.

Although nobody has succeeded in presenting the best translation of Shahnameh up to now, however, some of the available sources are:

• Sir William Jones was the first English translator who translated Shahnameh into the English language, followed by Joseph Champion, James Atkinson, and Stephen Weston;
• Louis M. Langles translated it into French language;
• Friedrich Wall translated it into the German language;
• ItaloPizzi translated it into the Italian language;
• Vassili Andrievitch Joukovsky translated it into the Russian language;
• S. Atanasov translated it into the Bulgarian language;
• Arthur Christenson translated it into the Danish language;

Along with these translations, it would be best to confess that the best translation of Shahnameh is provided by Dick Davis, who is an expert in Persian and literature. 

Live Shahnameh and Enjoy Its Glory

Shahnameh is among a group of notable books that everyone must read and learn the life lessons from its battles, victories, defeats, love stories, and the encounter of good and evil. 

It resembles a cup of coffee that must be drunk slowly to be felt by the whole cells because it is the offspring of a prideful poet who constructed it in three decades. 

Ferdowsi’s epic book is among the world’s impressive legacies that must be read and understood if a knowledgeable person describes it in detail. We at GetBookOnlinw.com help you take pleasure from the unrepeatable scenes of the world’s longest epic book. Stay in touch.

FAQs

Why is the Shahnameh important?

The Shahnameh is important for several reasons. It preserves the ancient myths and history of Persia, playing a crucial role in maintaining Persian cultural identity. It is also a masterpiece of Persian literature, influencing countless writers and poets throughout history. Additionally, it provides a valuable historical record and has contributed to the understanding of pre-Islamic Persian civilization.

Are there English translations of the Shahnameh?

Yes, there are several English translations of the Shahnameh. Some of the most notable translations include those by Dick Davis and Arthur George Warner and Edmond Warner. These translations strive to capture the epic’s poetic grandeur and complexity, making it accessible to a wider audience.

Is the Shahnameh still relevant today?

Absolutely. The Shahnameh remains a cornerstone of Persian cultural heritage and is studied and celebrated for its literary and historical value. Its timeless themes and the grandeur of its storytelling continue to resonate with readers around the world, making it an enduring masterpiece.

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