The Kushnameh: The Persian Epic of Kush the Tusked (World Literature in Translation)

**The first English translation of a strange and unusual Persian epic, this action-packed tale of an evil, monstrous king explores questions of nature and nurture and brings the global middle ages to life.** The great Persian epic known as the __Kushnameh__ follows the entangled lives of Kush the Tusked––a monstrous antihero with tusks and ears like an elephant, descended from the evil emperor Zahhak––and Abtin, the exiled grandson of the last true Persian emperor. Abandoned at birth in the forests of China and raised by Abtin, Kush grows into a powerful and devious warrior. Kush and his foes scheme and wage war across a global stage reaching from Spain and Africa to China and Korea. Between epic battles and magnificent feasts are disturbing, sometimes realistic portrayals of abuse and oppression and philosophical speculation about nature and nurture and the origins of civilization. A fantastical adventure story stretching across the known world and a literary classic of unparalleled richness, this important work of medieval Persian literature is a valuable source for understanding the history of racism and constructions of race and the flows of lore and legend from the Central Asian Silk Road and the Sahara to the sea routes of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. The __Kushnameh__ is a treasure trove of Islamic and pre-Islamic Persian cultural history and a striking contemporary document of the “global middle ages,” now available to English-speaking readers for the first time. The first English translation of a strange and unusual Persian epic, this action-packed tale of an evil, monstrous king explores questions of nature and nurture and brings the global middle ages to life.

The great Persian epic known as the Kushnameh follows the entangled lives of Kush the Tusked––a monstrous antihero with tusks and ears like an elephant, descended from the evil emperor Zahhak––and Abtin, the exiled grandson of the last true Persian emperor. Abandoned at birth in the forests of China and raised by Abtin, Kush grows into a powerful and devious warrior. Kush and his foes scheme and wage war across a global stage reaching from Spain and Africa to China and Korea. Between epic battles and magnificent feasts are disturbing, sometimes realistic portrayals of abuse and oppression and philosophical speculation about nature and nurture and the origins of civilization.
 
A fantastical adventure story stretching across the known world and a literary classic of unparalleled richness, this important work of medieval Persian literature is a valuable source for understanding the history of racism and constructions of race and the flows of lore and legend from the Central Asian Silk Road and the Sahara to the sea routes of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. The Kushnameh is a treasure trove of Islamic and pre-Islamic Persian cultural history and a striking contemporary document of the “global middle ages,” now available to English-speaking readers for the first time.
  "The great Persian epic known as the Kushnameh follows the entangled lives of Kush the Tusked--a monstrous antihero with tusks and ears like an elephant, descended from the evil emperor Zahhak--and Abtin, the exiled grandson of the last true Persian emperor. Abandoned at birth in the forests of China and raised by Abtin, Kush grows into a powerful and devious warrior. Kush and his foes scheme and wage war across a global stage that reaches from Spain and Africa to China and Korea. In between epic battles and magnificent feasts, there are disturbing, sometimes realistic portrayals of abuse and oppression, and philosophical speculation about nature and nurture, and the origins of civilization. A fantastical adventure story stretching across the known world and a literary classic of unparalleled richness, this important work of medieval Persian literature is a valuable source for understanding the history of racism and constructions of race, and the flows of lore and legend from the Central Asian Silk Road and the Sahara to the sea-routes of the Indian Ocean and the Mediterranean. The Kushnameh is a treasure trove of Islamic and Pre-Islamic Persian cultural history and a striking contemporary document of the 'global middle ages,' now available to English-speaking readers for the first time"-- Provided by publisher. Cover 1 Title Page 4 Copyright 5 Contents 6 Acknowledgments 8 Note on the Text 10 Introduction 12 The Epic of Kush 46 Invocation 48 Frame Tale 58 A Story [of Alexander’s Travels in the East] 72 The Story of Kush the Tusked 86 Chapter 1 88 Chapter 2 133 Chapter 3 199 Chapter 4 250 Chapter 5 313 Chapter 6 355 Epilogue 398 Index 416 Series 433