Myth Madness: A Mythology Podcast

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.

The Persian ruler Kay Kavus is an utter fool. So when he falls into some serious trouble it becomes the hero Rostam's job to save him. To do so, in this episode, Rostam completes a series of trials. Due to the trials, Rostam is often superficially described as an Iranian Heracles.

Up to now the Shahnameh largely focused on conflicts between the forces of good and evil with evil being represented by monsters and strange otherworldly creatures. But now, the Shahnameh switches its approach, and the Iranian heroes will struggle against foreign human enemies. 
This episode (80) introduces the feud between the neighbouring kingdoms of Iran (Persia) and Turan, and the destruction wrought by the wars between them.

In this episode (79) I introduce Rostam, one of the most significant heroes in Persian legends and who is often compared to the Greek Heracles. The Shahnameh covers the story of his birth but for other stories of his youth, we have to look at other epic poems. While sharing from these, I also introduce the close association between Rostam's family and that of another Persian hero named Gudarz.

This episode (78) covers the romance of the Persian hero Zal (Zaal) and the beautiful princess Rudabeh. While a foreigner, Rudabeh represents the ideal Persian woman - virtuous, beautiful, dutiful, and intelligent. Their romance as presented in the Shahnameh, in the original language, is considered one of the best examples of Persian poetry. Its also just a great story, a bit like Romeo and Juliet if everyone was a good communicator.