Namaeh Farhangistan

Namaeh Farhangistan

A Study of the Shahnameh of Soleimani and the Use of Myths and Mythological Narratives in It

Document Type : Original Article

Author
Researcher at Academy of Persian Language and Literature, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/nf.2026.529760.1418
Abstract
The Shahnameh of the Hakim Ferdowsi has had a significant impact on the writing of epic poems after it, both inside and outside the borders of Iran. These poems, some of which are classified as historical epics, sometimes bear the name Shahnameh and sometimes are recorded with the name of the king in question. Although these epic letters were written in the style of the Shahnameh and were apparently an imitation of the great work of the Hakim of Tus, they have never been able to match it in terms of content, imagery, and even language. Instead, they have only been able to narrate history using the rich mythological and cultural motifs contained therein or to take advantage of the positive and negative models of the characters in the Shahnameh in order to praise their own praise or condemn their enemies. In Asia Minor, Shahnamehs have also been composed under the influence of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. The Shahnameh of Suleimani, composed by Fathullah Aref Chalabi (d. 969 AH/1561 AD), is one of these Shahnamehs. The Shahnameh of Suleimani is the fifth volume of the great five-volume Shahnameh of Humayun or the Shahnameh of the House of Osman. In addition to describing historical events, court ranks, schools, teachers and their ranks, wars and warriors during the reign of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent (926-974 AH/1520-1566 AD), this work is also an encyclopedia of various sciences that Aref wrote at the request of Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. The present article examines and analyzes the mythological names taken from the Shahnameh of Hakim of Tus and some mythological beliefs based on the first 100 pages of the Shahnameh of Suleimani, and shows that the Shahnameh of Suleimani (Suleiman Nameh) is more influenced by the Iskander Nameh of Nizami.
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Volume 24, Issue 5 - Serial Number 99
Nameh Farhangestan (Asia Minor Studies)
November and December 2025
Pages 68-93

  • Receive Date 21 July 2025
  • Revise Date 15 August 2025
  • Accept Date 17 September 2025