The Knight in the Panther's Skin

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King Rostevan and Avtandil go hunting. Illustration from a manuscript by Mamuka Tavakarashvili, 1646
King Rostevan and Avtandil go hunting. Illustration from a manuscript by Mamuka Tavakarashvili, 1646

The Knight in the Panther's Skin ("Vepkhist'q'aosani", „ვეფხისტყაოსანი“ in Georgian) is a well-known epic poem written in the 12th century (though the earliest surviving copy dates to the 16th century) by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, who was a Prince, the Treasurer (Mechurchletukhutsesi) of Queen Tamar of Georgia. The Knight in the Panther's Skin is often seen as Georgia's national epic. The poem was first printed in 1712, in Tbilisi.

In the poem, Rustaveli talks about Medieval European humanistic ideals: chivalry, feelings of love, friendship, courtly love, courage and fortitude. The heroes of the poem are brave, philanthropic, and generous. The heroes of the poem are not restricted to Georgian nationality. The regions of Arabia, China, and India all figure in the poem.

The poem was translated to many languages, including Hebrew, Russian (five different translations), Polish, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Hindi, Arabic and English. The poem was also translated to most of the languages spoken in the former Soviet Union and the languages of the former socialistic block.

The story is of the passionate search for a woman, symbol of the sun, stolen to the west across the sea, by a knight who undertakes the complex task for her distraught suitor.

[edit] See also

Tariel - One of the main characters of the poem
Tariel - One of the main characters of the poem

[edit] External links