Eleventh-century Persian poet
Ferdowsi
devoted more than thirty years to crafting the Shahname,or book of
Kings. since its appearance over a thousand years ago, it has come
to be considered Iran's national epic, its more than 50000 couplets
telling the story of creation and chronicling the legends and kings,
the heroes and quests and mythical creatures,at the hreart of
Persian mythology.
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Gordafarid
Gordāfarīd(Persian: گردآفريد) is one of the heroines in the
Shāhnāmeh.She was a champion who fought against Sohrab (another
Iranian hero who was the commander of the Turanian army) and
delayed the Turanian troops who were marching on Persia. She is a
symbol of courage and wisdom for Iranian women.
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Simurgh
The simurgh made its most famous appearance in Ferdowsi's epic
Shahnameh,where its involvement with Prince Zal is described.
According to the Shahnameh, Zal, the son of Saam, was born albino.
When Saam saw his albino son, he assumed that the child was the
spawn of devils, and abandoned the infant on the mountain
Alborz.The child's cries were heard by the tender-hearted simurgh,
who lived atop this peak, and she retrieved the child and raised
him as her own. Zal was taught much wisdom from the loving
simurgh, who has all knowledge, but the time came when he grew
into a man and yearned to rejoin the world of men. Though the
simurgh was terribly saddened, she gave him three golden feathers
which he was to burn if he ever needed her assistance.Upon
returning to his kingdom, Zal fell in love and married the
beautiful Rudaba. When it came time for their son to be born, the
labor was prolonged and terrible; Zal was certain that his wife
would die in labour. Rudaba was near death when Zal decided to
summon the simurgh. The simurgh appeared and instructed him upon
how to perform a cesarean section thus saving Rudaba and the
child, who became one of the greatest Persian heroes, Rostam.
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