Poetics and Politics of Iran’s National Epic, the Shāhnāmeh

This book considers some of the Western interpretations of The Shahnameh - Iran's national epic, and argues that these interpretations are not only methodologically flawed, but are also more revealing of Western concerns and anxieties about Iran than they are about the Shahnameh. Iran's national epic, the Shahnameh, is Persian culture's central text and is deeply connected to Iranians' sense of self. This book considers Western interpretations of the poem and argues that these interpretations are not only methodologically flawed, but reveal Westernconcerns and anxieties about Iran. Ultimately, Mahmoud Omidsalar reaches a radically different understanding of the history of the Shahnameh Front Matter....Pages i-xvii Introduction....Pages 1-10 Shāhnāmeh and the Presumptive Authority of the West....Pages 11-31 An Epic’s Journey: A Brief History of the Shāhnāmeh’s Transmission....Pages 33-46 At Home: The Shāhnāmeh in New Persian....Pages 47-61 A Fierce Fidelity: Ferdowsi and His Archetype....Pages 63-69 Why the Shāhnāmeh?....Pages 71-75 The Man in the Myths....Pages 77-91 The Poet, the Prince, and the Language....Pages 93-110 Epic Unity: The Case Against Under-Analysis....Pages 111-131 Sibling Rivalry....Pages 133-145 Killing Demons, Deposing Kings: The Akvān Episode....Pages 147-151 Of Lusting and Ousting....Pages 153-159 Conclusion: Shāhnāmeh and the Tyranny of Eurocentrism....Pages 161-180 Back Matter....Pages 181-254 Iran's national epic, the Shahnameh, is Persian culture's central text and is deeply connected to Iranians' sense of self. This book considers Western interpretations of the poem and argues that these interpretations are not only methodologically flawed, but reveal Western concerns and anxieties about Iran. Ultimately, Mahmoud Omidsalar reaches a radically different understanding of the history of the Shahnameh