Introduction to the Shahname: Learn Persian through Masterpieces
January 8th - February 26th
Instructor: Ruben S. Nikoghosyan
Languages: English, Persian
Duration: 8 weeks (16 hours)
Frequency: 1 class per week (Wednesday)
Duration of Sessions: 2 hours
Participation Fee: 230 USD (*15% discount for applications submitted before December 15)
Deadline for Applications: December 30th
Classes Start: January 8th (9pm Yerevan Time)
Location: Online (Zoom)
Required level of Persian: Intermediate
Text Edition: Abu’l Qasem Ferdowsi. The Shahnameh (The Book of Kings). Edited by Djalal Khaleghi-Motlagh. New York.
Registration: To apply, please click the “Apply” button above. Complete all required fields and submit. Accepted applicants will receive further instructions on participation.
Note: All materials will be provided by the instructor
"Rustam Kills Isfandiyar with a Double Pointed Arrow", Folio from a Shahnama, 15th c. (Metropolitan Museum)
It took 30 years for Ferdowsi to write his masterpiece, but one does not need 30 years to read the Shahnāme, despite its daunting size. The key to understanding the Shahname lies in mastering its language—its grammar, words, and syntax. The Shahname is beautiful, elegant, inspiring, and wise, with a sophisticated simplicity that few texts can achieve. Yet, behind its simple and straightforward exterior, it hides centuries—nay, millennia—of culture and history, waiting to be uncovered by the gentle brush of a philologist.
This course is designed to do exactly that, equipping participants with the linguistic, philological, and literary tools needed to engage with the Shahname—a treasure trove of subtle poetry, Iranian philosophy, and epic spirit.
Course Overview
This course is designed to equip participants with the tools needed for independent study of the Shahname after its completion. The readings, selected from various stories, provide participants with a deeper understanding of the Shahname’s content. These readings will be conducted in the original Early Classical Persian and accompanied by detailed commentary on grammar, metre, mythology, and the etymology of key terms.
Discussions at the beginning and end of the course will further enhance participants’ understanding of the cultural, historical, and linguistic context in which the Shahname was composed. As a work rooted in pre-Islamic Iranian traditions and language, the Shahname contains layers of non-Islamic elements that cannot be fully understood without familiarity with these traditions. To address this, the instructor will highlight the text’s connections to Zoroastrian Middle Persian literary traditions and language.
Additionally, the course will tackle several common misconceptions about the Shahname and its author, providing participants with a solid foundation for engaging with this remarkable text on their own.
By participating in this course, the participants will:
- Gain the tools for independent study of the Shahname.
- Learn 400–500 new words in Early Classical Persian.
- Analyze original text selections with detailed commentary on grammar, metre, mythology, and etymology.
- Enhance their understanding of the Shahname’s stories and themes.
- Explore the cultural, historical, and linguistic context of its composition.
- Discover connections to Zoroastrian Middle Persian literary traditions.
- Understand the layers of non-Islamic elements within the Shahname.
- Discuss and clarify common misconceptions about the Shahname and its author.
- Build a strong foundation for engaging with this literary masterpiece.
Course Structure
The classes will take place once a week over an 8-week period. Each session will last 2 hours (plus an additional 10–15 minutes), totaling 16 hours of intensive instruction on the Shahname. Each session will revolve around readings and discussions of selected passages from the Shahname. Below is a breakdown of the main activities during each class:
- Discussion of homework passages (20 minutes)
- Reading the text (40 minutes)
- Break (10 minutes)
- Reading the text (40 minutes)
- Discussion (15–20 minutes)
The course is designed to encourage students to ask questions and discuss topics related to the Shahname. All questions are highly encouraged, as they foster academic dialogue and help create a fertile environment for exploring the hidden dimensions of the text. Each participant is encouraged to actively contribute, making the discussions dynamic and enriching for everyone.
Methodology
In my courses, I employ a simple yet highly effective method that combines literary, historical-linguistic, and philological approaches to clarify even the most obscure passages and words in a text.
During this course, I will draw on my expertise in pre-Islamic (Middle) Persian language and literature, as well as my knowledge of Iranian and non-Iranian languages, broader historical and geographical contexts, and, most importantly, literary contexts. This interdisciplinary approach will illuminate the meanings of words, expressions, and ideas within the text.
By explaining the underlying logic and foundations of the Shahname, this method will not only help participants understand the selections covered in the course but will also equip them with the tools to read and interpret other parts of the Shahname independently.
Course Readings
Reading passages for Day 1 & 2
Abu’l-Qasem Firdawsi: The Shahnameh. ed. by Khaleghi-Motlagh, vol. 1
1. Introduction: lines (ll.) 1-33 (pages 3-5)
2. The reign of Gayumart (Keyumars): ll. 1-19 (pp. 21-22)
3. [The reign of Hušang: all (pp. 29-31)]
4. The reign of Tahmurat (Tahmuras):
The enthronement: ll. 1-7 (p. 35);
The Div Rebellion: 25-47 (pp. 36-37).
5. The reign of Jamšīd: ll. 1-40 (pp. 41-43).
Recommended readings:
Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh: FERDOWSI, ABU’L-QĀSEM i. Life (Encyclopaedia Iranica).
Dj. Khaleghi-Motlagh: Ferdowsi (the Persian translation of the Enc. Iran. article).
V. F. Minorski: “The older preface to the Shāh-Nāma.” In: Iranica: Twenty Articles. Tehran 1964, pp. 260-273.
The Text of the old Preface to the Šahnama of Abu-Mansur (from an article by R. Rezazade Malek)
Reading passages for Day 3&4
1. Jamšīd:[1].
Jamšīd’s hubris: lines 60-74 (pp. 44-45).
[The patricide of Zahhāk: ll.[2] 113-118 (p. 48).]
2. Zahhāk:
[The rule of the Tyrant: ll. 1-14 (pp. 55-56)];
[The story of Kāve the Blacksmith: ll. 184-225 (pp. 66-69)].
3. Fereydun:
[The enthronement: lines 1-4 (p. 89)];
The division of the world: ll. 270-283 (p. 107);
[Irāj’s speech: ll. 408-423 (pp. 115-116)].
4. Manučehr (The love story of Zāl and Rudābe):
The birth and abandonment of Zāl: ll. 56-79 (pp. 165-167)
Zāl learns about Rudabe: ll. 278-295 (pp. 183-184).
Zāl falls in love: line 319 (p. 185).
[Rudābe is told about Zāl: ll. 478-490 (pp. 196-197)];
Zāl and Rudābe meet: ll. 504-540 (pp. 198-200).
Recommended readings:
A. Shapur Shahbazi and Simone Cristoforetti: “ZĀL.” In: Encyclopaedia Iranica, 2009.
A. Shapur Shahbazi: “RUDĀBA.” In: Encyclopaedia Iranica, 2002.
Ehsan Yarshater: Dāstānhā-ye Šāh-nāma (Stories from the Šāh-nāma). Tehran 1959, pp. 79-116.
Dick Davis: Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings. Viking 2006, pp. 63-103.
[1] Passages in square brackets are additional readings. We might not read them in the class, but you can read them at home and discuss them in the class.
[2] ll. = lines
Reading passages for Day 5 & 6
Abu’l-Qasem Firdawsi: The Shahnameh. ed. by Khaleghi-Motlagh, vol. 2.
1. Key Kāvus:
[Philosophical thoughts: ll. 1-10 (p. 3)];
The Praise of Māzandarān: ll. 21-34 (pp. 4-5).
2. Haft-Xwān-e Rostam:
[Rustam starts his journey: ll. 275-295 (pp. 21-22)];
[Rustam slays the Dragon: ll. 338-388 (pp. 26-29)].
3. Rostam o Sohrāb:
Rustam goes hunting: ll. 7-21 (pp. 118-120).
During the night Tahmine comes to Rostam: ll. 53-74 (122-123)
Sohrab fights Gordāfarid: lines 178-187, 191-202 (pp. 132-133);
[The final fight between Rustam and Sohrab: ll. 847-865 (pp. 185-186)]; Rostam recognizes his son: ll. 866-881 (pp. 186-187).
Rcommended readings:
Abo’l-Fazl Xatibi: “Hoviyyat-e Irāni dar Šāhnāme”. In: Nāme-ye Farhangestān 4/8.
Testimonials
Ruben was always available to clarify questions about grammar and vocabulary and was very responsive to questions that I sent him between classes. I especially appreciated how he used his deep knowledge of Middle Persian to explain questions that came up about the numerous peculiarities of early classical Persian. After taking these two courses with Ruben, I've noticed a significant improvement in my ability to grasp the subtleties of classical Persian texts, nuances that previously eluded me. I sincerely appreciate his exceptional courses; they have renewed my love for classical Persian literature."
