The Shahnameh, or Persian Book of Kings
1. Introduction
In this short discussion, we will discuss the famous work of poetry known in the West as the Persian Book of Kings, or Shahnameh. Some topics discussed will be the form of language used in the work, some of the main plots throughout both historical and epic in nature, and even speculation about the author Abolqasem Ferdowsi himself. I will discuss the impact of the Shahnameh on the Iranian way of life today, and how it has been used to preserve Persian culture in general. You may even find yourself relating to some of the topics or stories held within. That is the beauty of the Shahnameh. Let us now with eagerness pursue the Shahnameh as so many before us have already.
2. Thoughts on the man and poet Ferdowsi
There are critics such as Olga M. Davidson who in her book Poet and Hero in the Persian Book of Kings states that she belives that Ferdowsi was not the original writer of the poetry which we now call the Shahnameh, but rather that he regurgitated some of the information, as can be evidenced in Ferdowsi’s statements about Daqiqi (Davidson, 21). This claim is further substantiated by the work Literary History of Persia (1000–1290), by E.G. Browne. Daqiqi was a former poet who lived during the period of 975AD and is claimed to have begun the Shahnameh in his lifetime, to have it completed by Ferdowsi. (Browne, 116, Yamamoto, 63). There is more than one occasion in which Ferdowsi references Daqiqi as the only one who wrote poetry better than himself, but then on other occasions, he mentions how his own writing is superior to that of Daqiqi (Davidson, 23). It is for this reason that it is believed that the Shahnameh was an oral tradition and not one which was exactly to be considered original in nature.
There are also some historical contradictions found in the Shahnameh, such as where we find that Rostam was king of Persia, when history shows that Afrasiyab was Shah at this time (Davidson, 89).
There is a chance, however, that due to the tense relationship between the Greeks and the Iranians, this could be history being rewritten for political purposes. Sadly, we will likely never know for sure.
According to Dick Davis, in his book Epic and Sedition: The Case of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, Ferdowsi has directly attributed verbally and throughout the work portrays and attitude which appears to be anti-Islamic, while holding a particular fondness for his Zoroastrian roots, since Zoroastrianism was being trodden underfoot by the new Arabian invaded Iran. This is an attitude which is clearly claimed throughout the text. In my humble opinion, this could very well have been the case for why the writing was put into Farsi rather than the vernacular Arabic language. Ehsan Yarshater in the work Persian Literature states that most work done during the time following the Arabic conquest was done in Arabic, even by Persians (Yarshater, 77). This thought process is consistent with the work of A. Shapur Shahbazi in his book Ferdowsi: A Critical Biography, where he shares more evidence of the Zoroastrian nature of Ferdowsi (Shahbazi, 15). Shahbazi cites the facts for instance that the poet admired the drinking of wine at banquets, while on the contrary , alcohol consumption is considered haram (forbidden) in the Islamic religion.
In addition, the observance of No Ruz (Persian New Year, commonly referred to in the West as the Spring Equinox, observed on March 21st), is mention multiple times in the course of the poem (Shahbazi, 50). This is yet another point of interest given in the poem and is another construct which Islam is in disagreement on, and stems from ancient Zoroastrianism (Shahbazi, 52).
An additionally interesting point is to note that in the poem itself, in the commentary from Shahbazi, we find this quote:
“Our ancestors adhered to ancient traditions,
Worshipping God was their established Faith,
As Arabs keep the [Black] stone in the worshipping place
So did then our sires burn the graceful fire in theirs.” (Shahbazi, 52).
This is one of the reasons why there is a referenced doubt to the claim Ferdowsi was Islamic (Shabazi, 52).
3. Language used in the Shahnameh
According to Kumiko Yamamoto in the book The Oral Background of Persian Epics, the poets of Persia received very upscale accommodations at the palace and were able to come into contact with many who had very prominent background, hence being able to learn of numerous oral traditions of times past (Yamamoto, 53). This would likely not have been the case for the impoverished of the day, as we see the same tradition ehld here in modern times, with the motto being “It’s all about who you know.”
The language of Ferdowsi’s masterpiece Shahnameh is striking because unlike much of the literature of the 11th century, the Shahnameh was written mainly in the Farsi language, in spite of most literary work and common speech being performed in Arabic, as a result of the recent Arabic conquest from a few hundred years prior (Browne, 81). Given the circumstances Ferdowsi was in, having possible aristocratic status and being a Zoroastrian, it is not very surprising that the poet would wish to keep the language original, as one of the main reasons for this notable work is that it was to be used to help Persia retain their cultural identity.
A conjecture I would like to bring forward is that due to Ferdowsi’s high status in society, he may have been exempt from the punishment that a lower member of society would have received had they tried to pull off such a feat as to not only undermine the Islamic world being lived in, but also to write in the former national tongue.
4. Subject matter of The Poem
As the name Shahnameh implies, the book is about the Shahs (kings) of Persia, from the mythological stories of the creation until the time of the Arab conquest, which occurred in 642AD. There is a world that came to be an dof kings who lived for 1000 years (Shahnameh, 13). In my humble opinion, the story layout of the lifetime of the Sahhs is somewhat similar in prose to the book of Genesis in the Bible, with characters such as Methuselah who lived to be 969 years in age (The Jewish Study Bible, Genesis 5.27).
As we will see in the following paragraphs, the Shahnameh is composed of parables and life lessons, some of which are still observed today, and even appearing with traces of sarcasm. The poet seems to have no holds barred when mentioning topics that would today make one blush in pleasant company, a theme commonly found in Persian poetry (Yamamoto, 2003).
5. Main Characters in The Poem
As we read the Shahnameh, we find ourselves plunged into the lives of Feraydun, Sam, Zal, Rostam, and Sohrab, among many others, even though the five aforementioned men really do make up the bulk of the poem. The latter four are all in the same family line in a chronological ordering, with Sam being the great-grandfather of Sohrab.
Feraydun is presented as being alive during the time of the demon serpent king Zahhak at the time of creation, and is presented during the first quarter of the poem as a prominent figure, with a very moving story of the murder of his son Iraj, and the vengeance which follows. We also find ourselves enthralled in the seemingly mythological story of Sam and his son Zal, the latter of whom is said to have been raised by a mother Simurgh.
From this point in the family line, we find ourselves moving back into a realistic stage with Rostam and Sohrab, a father and son who were separated before Sohrab’s birth only to learn of each other’s existence in opposing sides of a war. We will go deeper into each of these stories in the paragraphs which follow.
6. Features of the Poetry
Throughout the Shahnameh, we see poetry related to the story at hand, much of which is multi-dimensional in the sense that you can read it many times, and get something different each time, something commonly exclusively attributed to religious texts such as the Qur’an and the Bible.
The poems cover topics which are able to be related to by people of today, while others are very obscure and you can feel yourself being taken into the world of the writer, a world past a long time ago, which may or may not ever return.
The Shahnameh features both supposedly mythological characters, such as king Feraydun, as well as characters which are well documented, such as Jesus Christ. The poet does a remarkable job intertwining both the mythological and the real together in a way which feels nearly completely natural. There are times when you are reading of a mythological character with a historical one living in a simultaneous existence that does not feel like a fantasy.
There is also the mythological story of the demon king Zahakk, who was taken over by Eblis, who would be known today likely as the Satan. (Shahnameh, 10). Zahakk grew snakes out his shoulders and feasted on the brains of human beings to survive, until he was killed by Shah Feraydun (Shahnameh, 25). Such a story tells us of the mythological intertwining which occurs in the poem.
Read the following quotation from the Shahnameh:
“And then Sam told the king of how and why
He had decided that his child should die;
He told him of this Simurgh and her nest,
Of his regret and his belated quest
To find his son; throughout the world men heard
Of Sam and Zal, and of this wonderous bird.” (Shahnameh, 67).
So you are probably thinking, what beautiful prose, but what of this wondrous bird? This is where the Shahnameh mixes up mythology with the history. Zal was the son of Sam, and when he was born, had pure white hair like an old man, on the dark skin of a Persian.
This was perceived superstitiously at the time as being a curse, such as can be seen in modern movies such as The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, where a baby is born looking like an old man. I wonder if there was any influence from the Shahnameh in making this movie? Zal was consecutively sent away in hopes that he would die of natural cause and that his blood would not be on the hands of Sam. Rather, Zal was found by the Simurgh (the wondrous bird) and the initial intent was for the bird to give Zal to her young, but the chick and mother fell in love with him and raised him with only the best of food.
Zal became strong, and the word reached Sam. It is for this reason which Sam spent a good part of his life trying to find his son after regretting his decision to send him away to die. Is this not often the case in our own society, where we make a decision in haste, only to find ourselves regretting it later, and in trying to correct it, we often find to our own dire that the consequences are irreversible?
In addition, we see more stories which are easily related to our current culture, such as the story of the sons of Feraydun who killed their youngest brother Iraj out of jealousy that he received the crown of Persia, a blessing typically bestowed on the firstboarn.
Read the following quote from Shahnameh:
“You have a soul yourself; how can you say
That you will take another’s soul away?
Pity the ants that toil beneath your feet
They have their souls; their souls are sweet.” (Shahnameh, 43).
We can feel here a heartfelt sadness on the authors’ part as he recalls this tragic turn of events, and any of us who has ever lost a loved one in a tragic accident or crime can readily relate to the message held within.
On a contrasted note, we also see events which are historical in nature, such as the story of the birth of Hormozd, the son of Mehrak and Shapur. Hormozd was said to be like a cypress tree in build and was out and set himself to the king’s square and made his existence known. From this time on, everyone who knew who Hormozd was and could not help but love him.
Take note of the following quote from Shahnameh about Hormozd:
“In public and in private his good name
Filled all the world with its illustrious fame;
No king like him had ever ruled, and when
He died his like was never seen again.
I seek to make his name live on — May he
Know happiness for all eternity.” (Shahnameh, 568).
On a final note about the poetry itself, we find the story of Kebrui and King Bahram Gur, which in appearance seems as a parable about the foolishness which wine can bring forth even to the wisest of men. It goes about with the story of a man named Kebrui who came to the king and stated how much he loved wine.
After seven glasses and good fellowship with his majesty, Kebrui set off on his horse for home. The king went after a short while to see how the man was faring to find him fast asleep on the road, just to wake up with his his eyes plucked out of his head by ravens. This set forth the prohibition on wine in the Persian kingdom according to the poem.
It is not clear whether or not from the text that Kebrui was Arabic or Muslim in nature, but from the text we see the wording used “The Persians went out to welcome Bahram Gur”, so we are left to conjecture that one of the above could be the case. It does leave room for conjecture whether or not this was sarcasm on the part of the poet, since it is recorded that Ferdowsi was one to enjoy wine at banquets, and this king, despite good intentions, removed this sundry from the picture of common life at the time.
Read the following quote on wine:
“Drink seven glasses of wine, and when
You feel you’re ready, go to her again:
You’ll break her seal once you two are alone-
A pickax made of felt can’t split a stone.” (Shahnameh, 624).
It seems obvious that the poet, while he enjoys wine, can also see multiple drawbacks of it, ranging from falling asleep in the middle of the road to find your eyes plucked by ravens, to the erectile dysfunction which results in no sword being found at the forge in the marriage bed as a result of too much alcohol. It is a testament to the poet that he was able to use such exquisite tones and prose when referring to a topic which at least today is considered taboo.
7. Rostam and Sohrab
A very large portion of the Shahnameh is dedicated to the lives of Rostam and his son Sohrab, which has both its ups and downs.
It is believed that Rostam was a mythological being, seeing his relationship to Sam and Zal, despite the fact that Rostam and Afrasiyab were both supposedly contemporaries living in Persia at the same time, there are differing accounts having Rostam as Shah in the Shahnameh, while common history states that Afrasiyab was in rule.
Nevertheless, a proper treatment of the Shahnameh would not be complete without at least a fair mention of Rostam and Sohrab. Rostam and his lover are described in Jerome W. Clinton’s translation of this portion of the Shahnameh in his book The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam.
Rostam married a maiden by the name of Tahmine, who is described as being “In stature like a slender cypress tree”, and “Of spirit pure, as not made of earth.” (Clinton, 15). To read these descriptions gives the clear indication that we are not speaking of normal human beings, but rather the stories which legends are made of. The poet states that as Rostam sealed the bond of marriage between himself and Tahmine, he gave his beloved a jewel and requested that she give it to their daughter.
However, instead of a daughter, Tahmine bore a son, and she named him Sohrab. Before the birth, Rostam had left, and the jewel was given to the boy, and he attached it to his arm. As time went by, Sohrab became very rebellious to the throne, while Rostam stayed faithful.
Time passed, and war ensued between Iran and Turan, and when the two men came together, Rostam and Sohrab entered a final and fatal fight in which Rostam would take the life of his son Sohrab.
At the moment of Sohrab’s death, he said to his father, I have something only you would know about. He told Rostam to lift the sleeve to find the jewel given by his mother. Rostam spent his remaining years in anguish over the death of his son, and gave to him a royal funeral, but it was destiny that this should be Sohrab’s end. Such is destiny: good, bad, and often times, ugly.
8. Impact on modern Iranian life
There are cities in Iran today where people can go to see and hear the stories of Shahnameh performed, and many scholars perceive this to be part of the reason why despite all of the invasions in the history of the Persian Empire, the Iranian people have kept their identity and culture. The stories found within the pages of Shahnameh are stories for all ages and times, with some stories resembling things we can see in our own lives today, and others which remind us of times of old that we may never see again.
9. Summary:
In this short work, I have shown to you just a few of the countless reasons why Shahnameh is considered a literary classic, a historical work, and an epic all in the same title. We have walked with Feraydun, fought with Rostam, stepped through a mirror into a world torn apart by a foreign culture and who is now trying to maintain their identity, and possibly even have seen ourselves and how our current world fits into this timeless classic. Whether you are of an Eastern or Western orientation, there is something inside of Shahnameh for you. Many world cultures have walked through the various parts of Iran, both physically and through Shahnameh. They have left their footprints. Is it not time that you left yours?
References:
Davidson, Olga M. Poet and Hero in the Persian Book of Kings. Costa Mesa, Calif: Mazda Publishers, 2006. Print.
Firdawsi, and Jerome W. Clinton. The Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam: From the Persian National Epic, the Shaname of Abol-Qasem Ferdowsi. Seattle, University of Washington Press, 1987. Print.
Yamamoto, Kumiko. The Oral Background of Persian Epics: Storytelling and Poetry. Leiden: Brill, 2003. Print.
Shahbazi, A. S. Ferdowsi: A Critical Biography. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 1991. Print.
Browne, Edward G. A Literary History of Persia. Cambridge [Eng.: The University Press], 1928. Print.
Davis, Dick. Epic and Sedition: The Case of Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh. Fayetteville: University of Arkansas Press, 1992. Print.
Yarshater, Ehsan. Persian Literature. Albany, N.Y. Bibliotheca Persica, 1988. Print.
Firdawsi, and Dick Davis. Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings. New York: Viking, 2006. Print.
Berlin, Adele, Marc Z. Brettler, and Michael A. Fishbane. The Jewish Study Bible: Jewish Publication Society Tanakh Translation. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print.
