The Book: Shahnameh, the Persian Book of Kings
The Author: Abolqasem Ferdowski, some time in the tenth century.
This text: a 2006 translation by Dick Davis.
Price: This one cost me $29.99 from Dymocks, and it was money well spent. Seems to be pricier on the internet, though.
The mythic age blends into the heroic age, marked in particular by the earth-shaking hero Rostam.
Sam, and the birth of Zal
Sam is one of Manuchehr's vassals, the ruler of Zavolestan. At this point in the narrative, he has just fathered his one and only child on one of his more attractive concubines. However, the boy is born with white hair, an absolutely terrible omen, so the women of the household conspire to keep the birth a secret until they work out what to do.
Eventually, they devise a plan: stop keeping it a secret. They nominate a particularly courageous wet-nurse to be the bearer of bad tidings. Sam orders the baby exiled, and the poor lad is abandoned in the mountains, near the lair of the giant magical bird, the Simorgh.
The Simorgh, hunting for food for her own offspring, finds the exposed baby. She swoops down to take him to her nest, with the intention of feeding him to her young, but the bird family takes pity on the adorable child and he is adopted into the nest. The boy grows into a fine young lad, fed directly from the beak of the Simorgh. Soon passing travellers take note of the attractive, mysterious youth in the mountains, and the rumour spreads.
Back in his palace, Sam starts having prophetic dreams, where he is congratulated on how well his son has turned out, and castigated for abandoning a child in the mountains. His entire court tells him, "Yeah, that was a pretty crap thing to do," so he sends out his counsellors and lieutenants to find the boy and bring him home.
The Simorgh learns of Sam's expedition and tells the boy that it's probably time for him to return to his father. The boy is terribly upset about being kicked out of the nest, but the Simorgh tells him that actually, Persia's pretty great. Palaces, wine, fighting, gems, princesses - all kinds of cool shit. She gives him some of her feathers, telling him to burn them whenever he needs her. Then she drops him at his father's feet and flies off. Sam is overjoyed, noting his well-formed limbs, diving kingly radiance, and perspicacious gaze, and ignoring his weird white hair.
Sam names the child Zal, and presents him to Manuchehr. Zal's horoscopes are read, and they're pretty impressive. Sam is sent off to attack demons, so he appoints Zal to rule in his stead. He points out to his people how lucky they are to have a king who has been raised by a magical bird. Zal, having been raised by a giant magical bird, doesn't know anything about kinging. His first act is to summon everyone in the land to teach him everything.
Zal becomes the most learned man in Persia.
Zal, and the birth of Rostam
Zal decides to travel his kingdom, and meets Mehrab, King of Kabol. Mehrab is a pretty good dude, but he's an idol-worshiper and also the grandson of Zahhak. During the visit, Zal hears tell of Mehrab's amazingly beautiful daughter, Rudabeh, who no-one has ever seen.
"But if... actually, nevermind."Zal is seized by a longing for this amazing woman, and camps out near Kabol. Meanwhile, Rudabeh hears of Zal, and asks her handmaids about him. They say that he's absolutely awesome, except for his weird white hair. Rudabeh falls immediately in love, and recruits her handmaids to help arrange a marriage. The handmaids are initially shocked - did she not hear the bit about the weird white hair? - but Rudabeh pulls rank and sends them to invite Zal over.
Five handmaids sneak into Zal's camp, and tell him that Rudabeh wants to meet him, and that he'll need a rope. That night, Zal sneaks up to the palace. Rudabeh waves from the battlements and looses her impossibly long hair for Zal to climb. Zal points out that he has a rope, as instructed, and uses that to climb the walls instead.
"Seriously. Your handmaids said, bring a rope, so a brought a rope."Zal and Rudabeh spend an enticing evening together, and Zal proposes. He also points out that neither Manuchehr nor Sam are going to te very happy about this. Rudabeh acknowledges that her father will also not be best pleased. Nevertheless, vows of eternal love are exchanged.
An aside on the Persian priesthood
I adore the Persian priesthood. They navigate a complicated path between the eternal truths of the heavenly spheres and the ambitions and desires of their earthly kings.
"So, guys, what do the stars think of this plan?"Back to Zal
"They... they think it's a really stupid plan."
"Do they say what happens to soothsayers who don't agree with their king?"
"The stars say that you are wiser than we are and probably know what you're doing."
Zal gives his priests a rousing speech on the importance of marriage and children, and asks them to consult the heavens about whether he should marry the great-granddaughter of an infamous demon-king. The priesthood replies that he is wiser than they are and probably knows what he's doing. Zal accepts this advice and writes to his father.
Sam also seeks the advice of his own priests, who spend some time consulting the heavens looking for an acceptable answer. To everyone's surprise, the heavens think it's a great idea. Zal and Rudabeh will prosper, and their son will be the mightiest hero the son has ever seen.
Sam gives his consent and heads off to tell Manuchehr.
Meanwhile, Rudabeh's mother, Sindokht, gets wind of Rudabeh's illicit love affair. There is a confrontation, and Rudabeh spills all. Sindokht considers Zal a pretty decent son-in-law, so long as Manuchehr doesn't become angry and raze Kabol to the ground. She tells Mehrab that Zal has completely seduced Rudabeh. Mehrab goes into a rage, threatening to murder his daughter, but Sidokht points out that being allied to Sam isn't the worst thing in the world, assuming Manuchehr doesn't raze Kabol to the ground. Rudabeh begs her father to be allowed to marry Zal, but Mehrab refuses.
The news of the love affair arrives in Manuchehr's palace before Sam does. Manuchehr announces that Zahhak's house will not be allowed to join with Sam's, and that he will raise Kabol to the ground first. His priests offer up a preemptive "You are wiser than we are and probably know what you are doing."
When Sam arrives, Manuchehr asks him how the campaign to rid the world of Zahhak's offspring is going, and orders him to burn Kabol to the ground. Sam rides off with a resigned sigh.
When Zal hears about this, he heads heads humbly into the middle of Sam's camp. Zal asks Sam politely not to burn Kabol to the ground. He doesn't mess around, however: he plays the "you abandoned me as a child to be raised by a giant magical bird" card. Sam relents, and drafts a letter to Sam explaining that he doesn't want to burn Kabol to the ground and would rather his son marry Mehrab's daughter.
Mehrab, hearing of the approaching Persians, proposes to appease them by publicly murdering his wife and daughter. Sindokht proposes a better plan: she will go and beg mercy from Sam. This turns out to be a pretty decent plan, as Sam has already been convinced that he really wants her daughter to marry his son.
With no-one immediately threatening to burn Zabol to the ground, Zal is sent see Manuchehr with Sam's letter. Meanwhile, Manuchehr has decided to actually consult his priesthood, and they've given him the same prophecy as Sam got.
"Wait - you said that I was wiser than you are and probably know what I'm doing. That's what you say when it's a really stupid plan."Instead, Manuchehr has Zal tested. The court sages pose some riddles and brain teasers. Zal, the most learned man in Persia, passes easily. The court warriors line up to challenge him. Zal defeats all comers. Manuchehr says that he will allow Zal to marry Rudebah and calls off the razing of Zabol.
"The stars have no comment on that matter."
Zal returns to Sam and calls off the army. Mehrab is so relieved that Zabol is not to be burned to the ground that he happily consents to his daughter's marriage. Zal and Rudebah are wed, and everyone is happy.
Rudebah is soon with child, but when the time comes to give birth she is struck by a terrible illness and begins to wither away. Zal is anxious until he remembers the Simorgh's gift. He burns a portion of a feather and the bird arrives. The Simorgh prescribes a detailed and technical medical regime involving a sorcerer, a glittering knife, a magic healing salve, and the feather. The surgery goes well and Rostam, greatest of all Persian heroes, is born. Everybody is absolutely taken with him, especially his grandfathers. Mehrab says that he and the boy will restore Zahhak's line to greatness, and everyone has a good laugh.
Interlude
Things change in Persia. Manuchehr dies and is succeeded by his son Nozar. The neighbouring nation of Turan, led by King Pashang, invades Persia. Nozar is killed by the Turanian prince Afrasyab, who briefly takes the throne of Persia until defeated by Zal. Zal places Zav, probably the rightful heir, on the Persian throne. Afrasyab kills his own brother, Aghiras, making himself the heir to the throne of Turan. King Zav holds the Persian border for many years but isn't able to do anything about the Turanians on his border, and when he dies, Afrasyab leads another attack...
Rostam's first battle
Zal is called upon to defend Persia, but he points out that he's getting pretty old and his son is actually a lot more awesome. However, no-one has a horse strong enough to carry him. Zal orders all of the horses in Zavolestan and Kabol to parade before Rostam. There comes by a foal as big as its mother. It doesn't have a brand, and Rostam asks whose he is. The herdsmen say that he's no-one's, because whenever someone tries to rope him, the mother attacks them viciously. Rostam tries to rope the young horse, and the mother attacks him viciously. However, he shouts at her and she runs away, terrified. Rostam asks how much the horse is, and a herdsman says that if he's going to defend Persia, that'll probably do, especially since no-one else can ride him.
The horse is named Rakhsh.
Zal and Rostam are now prepared to defend Persia, but don't actually have a king. Zal consults the priests, who tell him where to find Kay Qobad, a descendent of Feraydun. Kay Qobad leads the army into the field. Rostam rides straight for Afrasyab, and throws him to the ground. The Turanian forces break and are routed. Afrasyab tells his father that fighting Persia is actually really hard and has just got a lot harder, and Pashang sues for peace.
Next: Rostam, Kay Kavus and the Persian space program.
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