All the world was like a sea of blood

This week, I went to a fascinating seminar about the Shahnameh at Janet Rady Fine Art, focusing on different representations of the hero Rostam through the ages (click here for Fereydoun Ave’s very original take on this).

I was reminded of my own recent posting here about Shahnameh recitations by the Bakhtiari, when Nick Jubber spoke from his new book.  This draws parallels between Ferdowsi’s story and characters, and the current situation in Iran: it apparently includes a chapter on Bakhtiari recitations of the Shahnameh.

Barbara Brend drew on her recent book on the Shahnameh of Muhammad Juki and her work curating the upcoming Fitzwilliam Shahnameh exhibition to tell the story of Rostam’s life.

Of course, she included the seven trials, or perils, of Rostam.  The last of these was his single combat with the White Div (or Demon).  Both combatants despaired of their lives – Rostam thought: “If I survive this day, I ne’er shall die”; while the White Div bemoaned his fate: “Life hath no hopes for me”.  Rostam eventually slew the White Div, before removing his liver (this is the bit where “all the world was like a sea of blood”), and used it to restore the sight of King Kaus.  The slaying is pictured on my photo above from the Qajar-era Arg (monumental gate) in Semnan (click here to see it in context, on the building).

Demons continue to be pictured on buildings, even by the most modern Iranian artists, as shown in the image here by Malekeh Nayiny (click here for another great demon by Malekeh – though her devilish creation in a pink tutu has to be my personal favourite).

Inspired by Barbara’s performance, though, the real purpose of this posting is to suggest that you might read (or more probably re-read!) more of the Shahnameh.

I’ve started you off with a little section from the White Div combat below, and click here for the rest of Rostam’s seven perils; but you might also like to (re)read how Sohrab was born when Tahmina sacrificed prudence to her passion for Rostam  . . “if thou wilt have me, I am thine”.

Fighting the White Div (from http://www.heritageinstitute.com/zoroastrianism/index.htm

Now Rustam hasted not to slay the div
Asleep, but roused him with a leopard’s roar.
He charged at Rustam, like a gloomy mountain
With iron helm and brassards, seized a millstone
And drave at him like smoke. The hero quailed,
And thought : “Mine end is come!” Yet like a lion
Enraged he struck full at the div and lopped
From that enormous bulk a hand and foot,
So mighty was he with his trenchant sword!
As ’twere some lofty-crested elephant
And lion in its wrath the maimed div closed
With Rustam, and one-footed wrecked the cave.
They wrestled, tearing out each other’s flesh,
Till all the ground was puddled with their blood,
And Rustam thought: “If I survive this day
I ne’er shall die.”
The White Div also thought :-
“Life hath no hopes for me, for, should I scape
This Dragon’s claws, maimed as I am and torn,
None great or small within Mazandaran
Will look at me.”