Gordafarid
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Gordāfarīd[1] (Persian: گردآفريد) is one of the heroines in the Shāhnāmeh "The Book of Kings" or "The Epic of Kings", an enormous poetic opus written by the Persian poet Hakīm Abū l-Qāsim Firdawsī Tūsī around 1000 AD. She was a champion who fought against Sohrab (another Iranian hero who was the commander of the Turanian army) and delayed the Turanian troops who were marching on Persia. She is a symbol of courage and wisdom for Iranian women.
| “ | But one of those within the fortress was a woman, daughter of the warrior Gazhdaham, named Gordafarid. When she learned that their leader had allowed himself to be taken, she found his behaviour so shameful that her rosy cheeks became as black as pitch with rage. With not a moment's delay she dressed herself in a knight's armour, gathered her hair beneath a Rumi helmet, and rode out from the fortress, a lion eager for battle. She roared at the enemy ranks, "Where are your heroes, your warriors, your tried and tested chieftains?" | ” |
| — Ferdowsi, Shāhnāmeh[2] | ||
“The Princess Warrior” (2016), a children’s book by Anahita Tamaddon offers young readers a modern re-interpretation of the story of Gordafarid.
In this version of the story, Gordafarid is a young warrior raised to believe that Turanians are cruel and monstrous creatures set to destroy her Iranian homeland and enslave its people. She does not question what she has been given to believe since birth, until one day, she faces mighty Sohrab of the Turanians in battlefield. Gordafarid is surprised to discover that Sohrab is no more of a monster than the Iranian boys she grew up with. This discovery leads her to believe that different peoples, even enemies, have a lot more in common than they may think. The book is designed to empower young readers to question national myths, especially when it comes to the questions of war and peace.
References
- ↑ Khaleghi-Motlagh, Djalal. "GORDĀFARID". Encyclopædia Iranica. Retrieved 27 February 2016.
- ↑ Yar-shater, Ehsan (1998). The Lion and the Throne: Stories from the Shahnameh of Ferdowsi. Korea: Mage Publishers (published 1997). p. 214. ISBN 0-934211-50-7.
- Abolqasem Ferdowsi, Dick Davis trans. (2006), Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings ISBN 0-670-03485-1, modern English translation (abridged), current standard. See also
- Levy, Reuben (translator), The Epic of the Kings: Shah-Nama, the National Epic of Persia, (Mazda Publications, 1996) (abridged prose version)
- Warner, Arthur and Edmond Warner, (translators) The Shahnama of Firdausi, 9 vols. (London: Keegan Paul, 1905–1925) (complete English verse translation)
- Shirzad Aghaee, Nam-e kasan va ja'i-ha dar Shahnama-ye Ferdousi(Personalities and Places in the Shahnama of Ferdousi, Nyköping, Sweden, 1993. (ISBN 91-630-1959-0)
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