Journal of Poetry Studies (boostan Adab)

The present study focuses on the story of “Rostam and Sohrab” in Shahnameh and examines the modes of narrator presence and its impact on the structure of narration and the ... Read More

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Reflection of Ugliness in Ferdowsi's Shahnameh Based on Umberto Eco's Perspective

Elham Choobineh; Seyed Shahrokh Mousavian; mohammadhossein nikdarasl

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript, Available Online from 10 May 2026

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2026.54835.4709

Abstract

As the most fundamental epic text in Persian language, Shahnameh presents a multi-layered picture of ugly concepts. Concepts that in addition to the physical dimension, are also manifested ... Read More As the most fundamental epic text in Persian language, Shahnameh presents a multi-layered picture of ugly concepts. Concepts that in addition to the physical dimension, are also manifested within the characters. This research, using a descriptive-analytical method, examines the reflection of ugliness in Shahnameh and uses Umberto Eco's perspective in his book "The History of Ugliness" and attempts to provide a deep understanding of aesthetic function of ugliness in Shahnameh. In his book "The History of Ugliness", Eco has examined the manifestations of ugliness in Western civilization from a historical and cultural perspective, showing that in Western history, ugliness has often been associated with the interior of the person. Also, Ferdowsi presented external and internal ugliness in Shahnameh within the framework of Iranian ethics, epic and worldview. This article attempts to show the commonalities between these two approaches to the concept of ugliness. The results showed that like the Western tradition, Ferdowsi considered deeper moral and social layers beyond appearance in his depiction of ugliness. Characters such as Zahhak and Demons are clear examples of facial ugliness and inner corruption. There are exceptions that make the reader reflect on the complex relationship between appearance and interior; for example, Sudabeh with her beautiful exterior, has an ugly interior, and Zal with his unnatural exterior, has a beautiful interior. Eco also exemplifies Helen's external beauty with an ugly interior. Iran's enemies are also seen as "others" in an identity and cultural demarcation, a manifestation of ugliness. In addition to external ugliness, the Shahnameh also features many internal uglinesses; uglinesses that are not visible on the person's appearance but have contaminated the person's interior and led to ugly behaviors; such as the ugliness resulting from the love of power in Goshtasb or the ugliness resulting from foolishness in Keykavus, etc.

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An analyzing the transformations of Fereydon's narratives from Avesta to Naqali scrolls

Mahmoud Rezaei dasht arzhaneh; Seyyedeh zahra Malekpoor

Volume 17, Issue 1 , April 2025, , Pages 35-54

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2024.47533.4407

Abstract

After analyzing the narrations of Fereydun in the Avesta and pre-Islamic texts, the Shahnameh, the histories of the Islamic period, and the Naqali scrolls, it became clear that although ... Read More

Newly-Discovered Evidence on the Meaning and Usage of "Bulbul" in Persian ‎Narrative Texts

mohammad hadi khaleghzadeh

Volume 17, Issue 1 , April 2025, , Pages 105-112

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2024.51570.4580

Abstract

Ferdowsi, in the introduction to the story of Rostam and Esfandiar in Shahnameh, identifies “bulbul” (literary meaning the nightingale) as the narrator of Esfandiar's tale, ... Read More

Was Manouchehr's Kingdom a Hundred and Twenty Years Old One? A Discussion on Manouchehr's Years of Life and Kingdom, Based on Pahlavi and Historical Narratives and Orally-Narrated Scrolls )

mohammad shiroei; abdolnaser nazaryani

Volume 12, Issue 4 , March 2021, , Pages 171-192

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2019.34690.3500

Abstract

Abstract Copies of the Shahnameh contain titles that describe the beginning of the kingdom or the title of the event. At the beginning of Manouchehr's kingdom, the following ... Read More

Reflecting on the recording and description of some verses of the Shahnameh

Ghodratollah Rasm; mahmoud rezaei dasht arzhaneh

Volume 12, Issue 3 , November 2020, , Pages 61-86

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2019.33693.3402

Abstract

Abstract Ferdowsi's Shahnameh is a marvel on which the more we reflect and contemplate, the more we confront its linguistic dlicacies and nested meanings. Shahnameh ... Read More

Stuffed Tree?

amir soltanmohamadi

Volume 12, Issue 1 , June 2020, , Pages 291-301

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2019.34419.3469

Abstract

Shahnameh is a unique text that has been challenged by scholars in the field of Shahnameh due to the fact that the text and vocabulary of the text are old, as well as its rare words. ... Read More

On a Line of Poetry Attributed to Ferdowsi (You are the beginning and the end of the universe)

sajad aydenlo

Volume 11, Issue 2 , September 2019, , Pages 1-30

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2018.30122.3079

Abstract

One of the famous stories about Ferdowsi is that a Sheikh, who had not prayed on his body, dreamed at night that Ferdowsi was in heaven due to one line of poetry. In most ... Read More

The Rights of Prisoners of War in Shahnameh According to the Third Geneva Convention (1949)

somayeh ershadi; ahmad zakeri

Volume 10, Issue 1 , May 2018, , Pages 1-22

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2017.25709.2701

Abstract

The Rights of Prisoners of War in Shahnameh According to the Third Geneva Convention (1949) S. Ershadi* ... Read More The Rights of Prisoners of War in Shahnameh According to the Third Geneva Convention (1949) S. Ershadi* A. Zakeri** Islamic Azad University of Iran, Karaj Branch Abstract One of the significant aspects of human rights in international conflicts that actually has greater executive power than other relevant provisions is the rules governing the treatment of prisoners of war. Among the international treaties, the Third Geneva Convention, adopted in 1949, is the most important and the most comprehensive document on the protection of the rights of prisoners of war. Captivity and discussion about the rights of prisoners of wars is one of the remarkable issues in Shahnameh that is seen during the wars and with various and sometimes different patterns by the poet. Since Shahnameh includes the customs and laws of war and represents Iranian civilization as well as other ethnicities of the ancient times in this area, it is one of the richest and important resources that can reveal aspects of rituals and policies of governments about the rights of prisoners in different historical periods. This study aims to evaluate different aspects of the rights of prisoners of war in Shahnameh based on the articles and provisions of the Third Geneva Convention. It is argued that Iranian kings in Shahnameh in comparison to non-Iranian kings were more committed to the human dignity and rights of prisoners of war and behaved more humanely towards them. On the other hand, respecting the rights of prisoners of war in the historical period, especially among the Sassanid Kings, is more tangible than the other two periods and it mainly covers securing the prisoners. Keywords: prisoners of war, the rights of prisoners of war, the Third Geneva Convention, Shahnameh. * PH. D. candidate in Persian Language & Literature, ershadi.s92@gmail.com ** Associate Prof of Persian Language & Literature, a- zakeri@kiau.ac.ir

Sound and Meaning in Shahnameh

gita zakeri; abdolhosein farzad

Volume 9, Issue 1 , June 2017, , Pages 97-120

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2016.3891

Abstract

There is a close relationship between sound and meaning and the way phonemes are deployed and the conveyed meanings are intertwined. In choosing their words, language speakers are highly ... Read More

A Discussion on the transfer of Manouchehr’s defeat by Afrasiab to Nozar

Hossein NAJARI; Ali Farzane qasrodashti; Mahmoud Rezaei Dasht Arzhaneh

Volume 9, Issue 1 , June 2017, , Pages 169-184

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2016.3892

Abstract

Some of the narratives in Shahnameh are different from what is cited in other sources. One of the reasons for this discrepancy could be due to the changes that happen in epic narratives ... Read More

Mythic structure analysis "wind" in the Shahnameh

Volume 7, Issue 3 , December 2015, , Pages 153-170

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2015.3032

Abstract

Wind, the powerful and invisible force of nature, to which a large part of ancient Iranian mythology is allocated, is known by such names as "Wāy" or "Wāyu", "Wāt", "Wātah", etc. ... Read More

The myth of the birth of Zurvan; the passage from matriarchy to patriarchy and its reflection in Shahname

Hamidreza Ardestanirostami

Volume 6, Issue 1 , June 2014, , Pages 27-54

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2014.1837

Abstract

One of the ancient religions which seems to be originated from Zarathustra in the Achaemenid era is Zurvanism. In this era, thinking about the first two gods, Ahura Mazda and Ahriman, ... Read More

The first two lines of the narrative of Rostam and Sohrab are among

Volume 4, Issue 4 , January 2012, , Pages 133-146

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2012.469

Abstract

The first two lines of the narrative of Rostam and Sohrab are among controversial lines of Ferdowsi's Shahnameh. Many researchers have presented different ideas about the different ... Read More

Shahnameh is an epic combined of historical and mythological

Volume 4, Issue 4 , January 2012, , Pages 147-171

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2012.474

Abstract

Shahnameh is an epic combined of historical and mythological elements forming the narrative. The mixture of history and myth in Shahnameh, and the transformation of its source stories ... Read More

Sam/Sohrab and Zal/Rostam: The Battle of Father and Son

Volume 4, Issue 1 , January 0, , Pages 123-148

https://doi.org/10.22099/jba.2012.232

Abstract

Sedighi * Hormozgan University Abstract * Assistant Professor in Persian Language & Literature, navisa_man@yahoo.com Read More

Volume 18 (2026)

Volume 17 (2025)

Volume 16 (2024)

Volume 15 (2023)

Volume 14 (2022)

Volume 13 (2021)

Volume 12 (2020)

Volume 11 (2019)

Volume 10 (2018)

Volume 9 (2017)

Volume 8 (2016)

Volume 7 (2015)

Volume 6 (2014)

Volume 5 (2013)

Volume 4 (2012)

Volume 3 (2011)

Volume 2 (2010)

Volume 1 (2009)

Keywords = Shahnameh

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