Myth Madness: A Mythology Podcast

This episode (86) focuses on Tus the Golden-Footed, one of the most compelling yet frustrating secondary characters in the Shahnameh epic poem. A strong warrior and brave leader but with a weak reputation among his fellow nobles, these stories show him to be arrogant and impulsive , but also explain why Tus feels he is unfairly deprived of the respect he deserves.

Following the tragedy of Seyavash, his father Kay Kavus was no longer suited to rule Iran. This episode (85) tells how Seyavash’s son Kay Khosrow was spared and how the Persian hero Giv wandered the land of Turan looking for Persia’s new king.

This episode (84) will cover the myth of Seyavash, a large part of the Shahnameh epic poem. Seyavash is presented as a perfect prince – strong, capable, wise, and handsome. But, these qualities are a double-edged sword for Seyavash. Sudabeh, Kay Kavus, and Persia’s enemy Afrasyab are all brought into his story, with tragic results.

This episode (83) features two more stories of the legendary Persian king Kay Kavus’s foolishness as recorded in the Shahnameh. The first involves a woman named Sudabeh, and the second again involves the mischief of divs.

This episode (82) will cover another of the Iranian hero Rostam’s adventures from the Shahnameh, an epic poem composed in Persian around 1010 AD. With the tragic story of Sohrab we begin to see Rostam’s flaws, his actions that come from them, and his despair that results.