Shahnameh​

Reading and Writing Workshop: The Shahnameh & Epic Poetry Motifs
Primary Text:

• Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh (The Book of Kings)
  • Public Domain Version: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/59784

Session 1: The Hero’s Journey – Rostam and Sohrab
Motif Focus: The archetypal hero’s journey and tragic hero.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – The story of Rostam and Sohrab (from Shahnameh)
• Homer’s The Iliad – Achilles and Hector (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6130

Discussion & Writing:

• Compare Rostam’s journey and his tragic encounter with Sohrab to Achilles’ confrontation with Hector.
• Write a reflection on how fathers and sons are portrayed in epic poetry.

Session 2: Divine Intervention and Fate
Motif Focus: Gods or supernatural forces guiding or dooming heroes.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – The Birth and Rise of Zal and Simurgh (from Shahnameh)
• Homer’s The Odyssey – Athena guiding Odysseus (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1727

Discussion & Writing:

• Discuss how fate and divine intervention shape Zal’s destiny compared to Odysseus’ journey.
• Compose a short scene where a supernatural entity intervenes in a mortal’s quest.

Session 3: Epic Battles and National Identity
Motif Focus: War and the defense of a homeland.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – The Battles of Rostam and Afrasiyab (from Shahnameh)
• Virgil’s The Aeneid – The fall of Troy and founding of Rome (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/228

Discussion & Writing:

• How do Rostam’s defense of Persia and Aeneas’ escape from Troy reflect national identity?
• Write an essay on how epic battles shape cultural memory.

Session 4: Monsters and the Hero’s Strength
Motif Focus: The hero’s confrontation with monstrous beings.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – Rostam’s Seven Labors (especially the White Demon) (from Shahnameh)
• Beowulf – Beowulf versus Grendel (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16328

Discussion & Writing:

• Analyze how Rostam and Beowulf’s encounters with monsters highlight their heroic qualities.
• Create your own mythic creature and describe a hero’s battle against it.

Session 5: Honor and Sacrifice
Motif Focus: The code of honor and self-sacrifice in epic traditions.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – The story of Siyavash (from Shahnameh)
• The Song of Roland – Roland’s final stand (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/391

Discussion & Writing:

• Discuss how Siyavash and Roland embody the idea of honorable sacrifice.
• Write a character monologue reflecting on the price of honor.

Session 6: Love and Loyalty
Motif Focus: The tension between love and duty.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – The romance of Bijan and Manijeh (from Shahnameh)
• The Ramayana – Rama and Sita (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/24869

Discussion & Writing:

• Compare how Bijan/Manijeh and Rama/Sita navigate loyalty and love amidst epic struggles.
• Write a scene where two lovers must choose between love and duty.

Session 7: The Fall of Heroes and Empires
Motif Focus: The inevitability of decline and the fall of great figures.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – The downfall of Jamshid and Zahhak’s rise (from Shahnameh)
• The Nibelungenlied – The death of Siegfried (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1151

Discussion & Writing:

• How do the fall of Jamshid and the death of Siegfried represent the tragic fate of heroes?
• Write a eulogy for a fallen hero that captures the epic tone.

Session 8: Cultural Legacy of the Epic
​Motif Focus: Epic poetry as a vehicle for cultural values and memory.
Readings:

• Shahnameh – Prologue and Ferdowsi’s invocation (from Shahnameh)
• Dante’s The Divine Comedy – Canto I, "Inferno" (Public Domain): https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/8800

Discussion & Writing:

• How do Ferdowsi and Dante frame their epics as moral and cultural legacies?
• Write an introduction to your own epic poem, stating its cultural purpose.