#shahnameh

[detailstodiefor]

My aesthetic is like dark academia but the medieval Iranian / Islamic golden age version. Shop on Etsy

[along-the-silkroad]

Zal Rescued by the Simurgh, attributed to Sadiqi Beg (1533–1610), from the Shahnameh of Shah Abbas, Safavid, c. 1590s. Chester Beatty Library (ID: CBL Per 277.12) 

[nantosueltas]

Rudabeh and Zal from the Shahnameh 🥹🫶🏼♥️✨

(I didn't read the story yet but as soon as I saw the pic in reference I had the urge to draw them bc how could I not 😭)udabeh and Zal from the Shahnameh 🥹🫶🏼♥️✨

[molkolsdal]

Manuchihr told of the romance between Zal and Rudaba

Folio from a dispersed copy of Firdausi’s Shahnameh (Book of Kings)

Place: Iran, Shiraz, 1341

Materials: Ink, coloured pigments, and gold on paper

This enthronement scene falls in the middle of a rare tale from the Shahnameh, an epic poem completed by Firdausi in 1010. Firdausi’s poem spans the reign of 50 monarchs, recounting the story of Iran from mythical times through to the arrival of the Muslim Arabs in the 7th century AD. The tale of youthful romance captured in this folio occurs during the reign of the legendary Iranian king Manuchihr. The two lovers are Zal, the brave and handsome scion of a noble clan from the region of Sistan in eastern Iran, and Rudaba, the beautiful daughter of Mihrab, king of the neighbouring tribute territory of Kabul and a descendant of the evil tyrant Zahhak who once held sway over Iran.

During a hunting expedition Zal and his companions rode from Sistan to Kabul, where they were warmly welcomed by Mihrab. One of the ruler’s courtier’s remarked that he had a daughter named Rudaba, who was “lovelier than the sun,” and Zal immediately fell in love with the young woman’s description. Upon returning to his palace, Mihrab described Zal as a fine gentleman and a mighty warrior, whereupon Rudaba was likewise immediately smitten.

One evening Rudaba sent a servant to guide Zal to her castle. She greeted her suitor by letting down her long dark hair, similar to Rapunzel in the Brothers Grimm fairy tale, so that Zal could use it as a rope to scale the walls. After he climbed up to the rooftop, the two lovers passionately embraced.

The lovers’ fathers, as well as the Iranian king Manuchihr, vehemently opposed any match that would join a member of Iran’s nobility to a descendant of the evil Zahhak. This parental and royal opposition led to protracted discussions and meetings, letters of entreaty, gift exchanges, tests of Zal’s wisdom and physical prowess, and auguries cast by court astrologers, until the love-struck couple was finally permitted to wed.

Many volumes of the Shahnameh, including the one dated 1341 to which this folio belongs, illustrate the fateful moment when Zal and Rudaba first meet and fall madly in love. Few depict the moment captured here: when Manuchihr learns that Zal is engaged to marry Mihrab’s daughter. The king is shown seated on his throne and holding an animal-headed mace (a symbol of legendary Iranian royalty). He turns to address his priests and nobles in attendance on every side. All agree that Zal’s father Sam should be summoned to court for a consultation about how to end the ill-advised affair between Zal and Rudaba.

[ismahanescorner]

This Woven Kingdom | Book Review

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Genre: YA Fantasy, Romance, Islamic/Persian Mythology.

Publisher: Farshore

Release Date: 01/02/2022

Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐️

Synopsis:

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight. The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

Review:

TW//: violence, self-harm, suicide.

So, a few weeks ago, the cover for book four of this series was revealed and my social feeds were pretty much flooded with excited readers anticipating a grand wedding. i innocently liked many of these posts which led to fan art and commissioned illustrations of the characters ending up on my feeds. and if you know anything about me, you know that the main thing that will always get me to read a fantasy series that i was previously unaware of or uninterested in is the fan art!!! and so, once again, the fan art agenda wins me over!

this novel starts with an epigraph from the shahnameh (which is an epic poem about the old history of greater persia) and that alone had me excited since i quite enjoy stories inspired by this poem. also finally, i’m reading a tahereh mafi book inspired by her persian heritage/roots! the story is also rooted in islamic histories about the jinn and the devil/iblees!

anyway, the story is about a jinn girl named alizeh trying to make ends meet -and not cause any ruckus in the mean time since her parents’ untimely deaths- in a clay ruled kingdom/world. however, iblees being iblees, he got other plans for her, as he wants her to assume her titled role so he can rule again! on the other end of this story, is kamran, the crown prince of the fore-mentioned kingdom, who instantly becomes boy-obsessed with alizeh upon their not-so-cute “meet cute”! and from then on the story unfolds.

i quite enjoyed the novel (i mean duh, i gave it 4.5 ☆) and while some people may find the 1st third tedious with its info dumpy world building, i did not, cuz i’m very familiar with islamic histories about the jinn and enjoy them quite a bit! however, the 2nd third did drag a bit too long for my liking with the author running in circles trying to save all the action for the last third of the novel. now, the last third, that was my favourite part. i breezed through those chapters. they had intrigue, magic, action, romance, and most importantly lovers banter!!! oh and, a massive revelation and cliffhanger!!

i read this book physically while simultaneously listening to the audiobook and i really enjoyed the narrator as she did a good job and pronounced all the words correctly. just a heads up tho, the major character introduced at the end of the book, their name is pronounced so funkily it had me in fits of laughter the whole time!

anyway, i loved this book and i recommend y’all pick it up if you’re interested in a YA romantasy. now, i’ll be off to read the sequel!! 😁

[whencyclopedes]

Literatura persa

La literatura persa difiere de la definición común de “literatura” en que no se limita a las composiciones líricas, a la poesía o a la prosa imaginativa porque los elementos centrales de estas aparecen, en mayor o menor grado, en todas las obras escritas de los persas.

Sigue leyendo...

[kivutark]

Chapter 247. The Whole Team.

The next morning, a barely hung-over Kay Khosrow gathered Rostam and Zal, along with Tus, Gudarz, Giv, and everyone else who was anyone. Kay Kavus was not included. “I’m thinking of going on a massive, Iran-spanning hunting trip,” he announced. “Slash recruiting session, for a mysterious future mission.” Continue reading Chapter 247. The Whole Team.

[whencyclopedfr]

Littérature Persane

La littérature persane diffère de la définition courante de la "littérature" en ce sens qu'elle ne se limite pas aux compositions lyriques, à la poésie ou à la prose imaginative, car les éléments centraux de ces dernières apparaissent, à des degrés plus ou moins importants, dans toutes les œuvres écrites des Perses ou des Persans.

Lire la suite...

[isitafairytale]

[wellconstructedsentences]

I shall not die. These seeds I’ve sown will save my name and memory from the grave.

Shahnameh by Ferdowsi

[willknightauthor]

A.Z. Foreman is an amazing linguist who's not only an expert in reconstruction who can personally pronounce even dead languages like a native speaker, he's also a translator and poet in his own right. Even just this little bit is amazing, maybe the best translation of the Shahnameh I've yet seen.

Exordium

Now in the name of God all things extol, The Lord of wisdom and the human soul, Beyond which there does not exist a thing Our minds can ever compass, Sovereign King Of all that is, of every name and place, Guide and sustainer of the human race, The cosmic Lord who wheels the stars of night, Who gave the sun, the moon and Venus light, Above all name or thought or signifying, High artificer of the underlying. You can't make out your Maker with your eye However much you strain it. Do not try. Minds can't grasp Him. He is the overall Being unnameable, unplaceable. It would take more than sapience to attain Things so beyond this elemental plane. Our minds with every word in their command Have only words for what they understand, So none knows how to praise Him as He is. Just bind yourself in reverence. You are His. He measured out the intellect, defined The soul of man. How would a measured mind Contain Him? Could the implements of thought Or soul or language rightly praise what brought Them into being? You need but confess That He exists, and speak no idleness. Seek the right path. Have reverence and awe, And go about with care to heed His law. This is the fact: to know is to be strong. And knowing God will turn the old heart young. But words can never pierce the veil we see. Our mind will never touch His quiddity.

In Praise of Reason

Now that I see the chance for it arise Here let me talk of reason to the wise, For it is greater than God's other gifts. Better its praise than justice. It uplifts The heart. It is life's vanguard, guides the vexed. It is your aid in this world and the next, Your fount of grief and joy, the origin Of every moment that you lose or win. If it goes dark, even the brightest soul Will never live a day of feeling whole Or happy. So a man of eloquence Once said to nourish our intelligence: "Whoever does not pay his wisdom heed Will slice himself to shreds with every deed, Wise men deem him an idiot and a danger As his own people turn him out a stranger." In this world as the next, it keeps you free. The man whose reason breaks finds slavery. For reason is the sole eye of the soul. The eyeless in this world have no control. It was created first, before all else, To brace the soul and the three sentinels Called eye and ear and tongue. These are the three That bring about all ill and good you see. Who can praise soul and reason fitly here? Even if I were fit to, who could hear? Since we're unfit to speak about all this, Let's hear instead how God made all that is. You, authored by the Lord who willed the days, Don't know this world's overt or covert ways. Let those who know show you the way. Go on Throughout this world, and talk to everyone. And when you've heard all wise men have to say, Still don't stop learning for a single day. Then, when you reach the high word-branches, know That knowledge cannot reach the root below.

The Creation of the World

You need to know the truth, as we begin, Of this world's elemental origin, When out of nothing God created matter In order for His potency to matter. From it, the stuff of the four elements Came in no time and with no toil. Immense Fire arose shining, burning into birth, Then wind and water flowed upon dark earth. First, fire was blown to motion. Hot and high It blazed till there was such a thing as dry. Then it was stilled again as cold took hold, And the first moisture grew out of the cold. The elements existed now, and curled Together so to form our fleeting world. Combining and compounding genera Formed the high orders of phenomena. So came the skydome spinning black and blue With wonders at full tilt, forever new, Revealing stars and planets and their signs, Each in its place, befitting His designs. The spheres were shaped inside each other, cast In motion as the structure set. At last, With sea and desert, dale and mountain height, The earth shone like a colored lamp at night. The mountains loomed. The waters coalesced And every sprouting plant reared up its crest. But Earth itself received no place on high. It was the darkling axis. In the sky A starfield's wonders blazoned overhead Lighting the earth up with the sheen they shed. Fire surges up. Water pours down. The sun Goes round the earth to make its daily run. Grass sprouted up with the assorted trees Happily pressing their heads upward. These Just grow and do not move, for they lack all The animacy of an animal. Animals soon appeared. Those moving things Tamed growing plants beneath their legs and wings. They eat and sleep and rest, and so they thrive. Their satisfaction lies in being alive. No speaking tongue, no seeking mind, they're free To gratify themselves on grass and tree. They do not know if they do good or ill. The Lord asks nothing of them. Grants no will. He is almighty, all-knowing and fair, So nothing's hidden from Him anywhere, Yet none of His creations comprehend The way the workings of this world will end.

[burnt-scone]

I wouldn't be mad at all at a Persian Repunzel.

I wouldn't personally be mad at any race honestly, people need to leave that lady from the FANCASTING alone.

But anyway, the Grimm brothers, when they wrote the Rapunzel, we all know was inspired by a Persian Epic (Shahnameh by Daqiqi & Ferdowsi) but she the inspiring character was a side character that simply let's down her hair from a tower to help the protagonist. That's it. Then the brothers were like, "We can build off this, we can make a full-fledged story here."

Edit: ALSO, there have been multicultural Rapunzel retellings for decades.

Also, I just wish Disney would tell new fairytales and in 2d animation as well, not the same story over and over. I miss 2d animation from Disney.

[along-the-silkroad]

The bier of Iskander, from the Great Mongol Shahnameh, Tabriz, c. 1330. Freer Gallery of Art 

[xxonichiko]

Niceeee book

Im fine,hop3 you enjoy,love u all

[iukasylvie]

Ahriman/Iblis didn't have to approach Blumiere three times under three different guises to manipulate him into committing patricide and trying to destroy the universe.

[bookholichany]

اگر شاهنامه زیباترین داستان اساطیری نیست، پس چیه؟