Persian Myths & Tales


Book Description

The Shah Nameh (The Book of Kings), The Rubaiyat, The Divan, and The Gulistan (The Flower Garden) are amongst the greatest works of Persia, containing some of the most beautiful, rich and diverse language in the literary world. They rival Dante's Divine Comedy, India's Mahabharata, Sumeria's Epic of Gilgamesh and China's Dream of Red Mansions in their cultural impact, bringing to life the tales, myths and philosophy of ancient and high-medieval Persia. A fabulous concoction of verse and prose, these classical Persian texts offer stories of creation, love, conquest and the simple joy of life. The Flame Tree Gothic Fantasy, Classic Stories and Epic Tales collections bring together the entire range of myth, folklore and modern short fiction. Highlighting the roots of suspense, supernatural, science fiction and mystery stories, the books in Flame Tree Collections series are beautifully presented, perfect as a gift and offer a lifetime of reading pleasure.




Persian Tales


Book Description

A collection of fifty-eight traditional Persian folktales and legends translated from Kermānī and Bakhtīarī, including a guide to the pronunciation of Persian words and a glossary.




Persian Myths


Book Description

The traditional tales and stories of ancient Iran, which occupied a vast area of Central Asia, describe confrontations between good and evil, the victories of the gods, and the exploits of heroes and fabulous supernatural creatures such as the magical bird Simergh and the dev or black demons. Much of our information about Iran's pre-Islamic past comes from the holy book of the Zoroastrian religion, the Avesta, which was not written down in its present form until the thirteenth or fourteenth century A.D. but dates back originally to between 1400 and 1200 B.C. As well as the words of the prophet Zoroaster and stories about the wise lord Ahura Mazda, it also incorporates earlier pagan myths which reappear in the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), a magnificent epic in rhyme complete in A.D. 1010 by the poet Firdausi and featuring his most famous hero, Rustam. Dr. Curtis draws upon all of these sources to retell for modern readers the stirring legends of ancient Iran, which have inspired centuries of manuscript illustrations.




Persian Mythology


Book Description

Ancient Persia provides a mine of folk lore and myth as rich as its civilization. This volume covers a range of Persian myths, and the place of these myths in political, ritual and personal life.




Persian Mythology


Book Description




Wise Lord of the Sky


Book Description

Includes legends of the early world of Persia, the epic of the Kings, Story-tellers, myths and mythology, and more.




Rostam


Book Description

The selected adventures of Persia's Hercules, from Iran's great national epic No understanding of world mythology is complete without acquaintance with Rostam, Iran's most celebrated mythological hero. According to the Shahnameh (the tenth-century Book of Kings), this titan, magnificent in strength and courage, bestrode Persia for 500 years. While he often served fickle kings - undergoing many trials of combat, cunning, and endurance - he was never their servant and owed allegiance only to his nation's greater good. Anyone interested in folklore, world literature, or Iranian culture will find Rostam both a rousing and illuminating read. For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout world history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.




Persian Legends


Book Description

Persian legends and folktales selected and reinterpreted by the author.




The Epic of Kings, Hero Tales of Ancient Persia


Book Description

The Epic of Kings, Hero Tales of Ancient Persia Firdausi - The Epic of Kings, Hero Tales of Ancient Persia (The Shahnameh) is an epic poem by the Persian poet Firdausi, written between 966 and 1010 AD. Telling the past of the Persian empire, using a mix of the mythical and historical, it is regarded as a literary masterpiece. Not only important to the Persian culture, it is also important to modern day followers of the Zoroastrianism religion. It is said that the poem was Firdausi's efforts to preserve the memory of Persia's golden days, following the fall of the Sassanid empire. The poem contains, among others, mentions of the romance of Zal and Rudba, Alexander the Great, the wars with Afrsyb, and the romance of Bijan and Manijeh.




African Myths & Tales


Book Description

Africa south of the Sahara is a land of wide-ranging traditions and varying cultures. Despite the diversity and the lack of early written records, the continent possesses a rich body of folk tales and legends that have been passed down through the strong custom of storytelling and which often share similar elements, characters and ideas between peoples. So this collection offers a hefty selection of legends and tales – stories of the gods, creation and origins, trickster exploits, animal fables and stories which entertain and edify – from ‘Obatala Creates Mankind’, from the Yoruba people of west Africa, to ‘The Girl Of The Early Race, Who Made Stars’, from the San people of southern Africa, all collected in a gorgeous gold-foiled and embossed hardback to treasure.