Myth Madness

King Fereydun was mentioned a few times in previous episodes. The first half of this episode recaps Fereydun’s birth and how he grew up to save the world from the monstrous tyrant Zahhak. The second half focuses on Fereydun’s sons, how they found their wives, and the trouble they got up to. I also quickly compare the Shahnameh’s Fereydun to his Avestan/Zoroastrian equivalent.

Throughout the Garshaspnama, the tyrant Zahhak repeatedly sends Garshasp on various adventures. But its a new world, Zahhak is gone and Fereydun is now king. Naturally, Garshasp embarks on a new quest, to go east and affirm Fereydun’s rule in China.

Over last few episodes, I covered parts of the Garshaspnama, a Persian epic poem composed around 1066 AD. In those episodes Garshasp fought a dragon and went to India to defeat a rebellious prince. He performed these deeds following the orders of Zahhak, the semi-monstrous king of the world. In this episode (73), Zahhak has another quest for Garshasp to embark upon, and once again its going to take Garshasp to faraway lands and face dangerous enemies.

This episode (72) continues my retelling of the Garshaspnama epic poem. After returning home from India, Garshasp visits his overlord, the tyrant Zahhak, to present the numerous riches he acquired on his journey East. He then travels west to the land of Rum, a mythological version of the Roman and Byzantine Empires, where he hopes to marry a beautiful princess. Finally, Garshasp comes to the rescue of his father Athrat and faces the enemy army of Kabul.

In this section of the Garshaspnama, Garshasp and his Iranian troops embark on a naval voyage of “India”. This India is an exotic magical place. A place of strange people, marvellous sights, and miracles as imagined by the medieval Persians.