Above and under the giraffes that appear in the many copies of this work.

 

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Ferdowsi; Shahnama, (The Book of Kings) (1000) Persia
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Abul-Qasem Ferdowsi Tusi (c. 935 or 940–c.1019 or 1026), was a Persian poet and the author of Shahnameh (Book of Kings), which is the national epic of Greater Iran. Ferdowsi was born in the village of Paj, near the city of Tus, in Khorasan (now Iran). Several local scholars had compiled a prose Shahnameh in 1010. Ferdowsi used it as one of the sources of his epic. Ferdowsi was buried in his own garden, a mausoleum  was constructed over the grave and it became a revered site. The Africans of which he speaks are mostly from Ethiopia; the Zangis name is only used to mean black, dark, night.

In the Shahnama the poet devotes eighteen distiches to the fight between Alexander and the Ethiopians, called Habbash. The Ethiopians are described as naked black, strong and brave. They fight against Alexander with whale bones and spears. The battle endures a considerable time but ends without a winner because Alexander’s army retreats due to the appearance of fierce aggressive wolves. Presumably, Firdawsi established the episode of Alexander against the Zangis in the Persian literary tradition, although the oral tradition of the story pre-existed.

 

Taken from: Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings By Abolqasem Ferdowsi

                    The negative Images of Blacks in some Medieval Iranian Writings by Minoo Southgate

 

Among the illustrations in the book however there is one (called Sulayman enthroned) where all people and animals of the world have gathered and which shows a giraffe. The different drawings come from different mss.

 

When night came, a black cloud spread over the army, making the world as dark as a Zangi’s face.
The earth seemed like a sea of pitch, from which all light had gone into hiding.

The night was still as dark as a Zangi’s face when someone came to Kay Khosrow (1) from Gostaham, the son of Nozar.

.
What with the dust sent up by the army and the dust from the crumbling ramparts,
the world became as dark as a Zangi’s face;
you’d have said a black cloud had arisen, and that the air was like a lion’s maw.
.
He went on hastening towards a place. Where the world's light by darkness was effaced.
The night was dark as face of Zangi black. No moon shone out ;
there was of stars a lack. Thou would'st have said in fetters was the sun

 

Out of his other works the following sayings got extracted:

Do not hope for any good from the ignoble, for the Zangi will not turn white by washing. (from his Satire on Mahmud of Gazne)(2)

Taken from: The Oral Background of Persian Epics: Storytelling and Poetry By Kumiko Yamamoto

 

One part of the Shahnama is called: The tragedy of Sohrab; in this part a Zangi Hero warrior of the Iranians goes to fight the Turanians their archenemies.

 

Rostam’s horse is stolen. He goes to enemy territory, Turan, in search of his horse. The local ruler receives him generously and promises to find the horse. He invites Rostam to stay for a night. Rostam accepts. When night comes on, he withdraws to his room. The princess Tahmine secretly joins him and reveals that she is in love with him and that she desires a child from him. They spend the night in loving embrace. The next morning, Rostam’s horse is found and he returns to Iran. A son is born and named Sohrab. When he becomes older, he is anxious to be reunited with his father. He goes to Iran with an army, hoping to see his father. ………

 

……… Zal (Father of Rostam) sends Sam-e Zangi to the battlefield.

Sam-e Zangi comes to the Iranian camp. He defeats some Turanians.

After describing how Sam-e Zangi has the preparations made for vigilance on the battleground, the storyteller signaled a new turn of the events.

Sohrab on a first occasion fights with Rostam’s foster-brother (Sam-e Zangi) without knowing his opponent’s identity. Only after the combat in which he wins (he kills him), he comes to know who the opponent was. After that he also kills an uncle of Rostam.

 

……… When they finally meet, Sohrab asks Rostam to reveal his identity, which Rostam refuses. Rostam throws Sohrab down and immediately thrusts his dagger into Sohrab’s side. The dying Sohrab says that his father, Rostam, will avenge him. This is how Rostam learns the identity of his son.

 

Note: The Zangi Hero Champion here is used in the same way as the Zangi Champion (of who not even a name is given) in Iranshah ibn Abu’l-Khayr: Bahmannama (Book of Bahman) (1100) and Tul Mast the Zangi Champion in the Hamzanama (15th). They take part only to be killed.

(1) Key Khosrow: Kay Khosrow is a legendary king of Iran of Kayanian dynasty and a character in the Persian epic book, Shahnameh.

(2) Mahmud of Ghazni ( 971 – 1030) was the first independent ruler dynasty of Ghaznavids, ruling from 998 to 1030. He build the empire which extended from northwestern Iran to the Punjab in the India, Khwarazm in Transoxiana, and Makran.


 

In the book there is also a war against the people of Ethiopia