"This was the fate alloted me. The heavens gave my key into your hand.
It's not your fault. It was this hunchback fate…
Such is decreed by the stars, That I be slain by the hands of my father…"
(from Firdowsi's Shahnameh)
Issa Dibaj
Most western correspondents reporting on the devastating earthquake of 21 June 1990 in Northwest Iran, expressed amazement at the survivors' astonishing spirit of resignation in the face of such a great human catastrophe. Termed "Iran's worst recorded disaster"1, it claimed more than 50,000 lives, and left thousands more homeless; and yet the nation's unanimous reaction was, "It was divine Providence. This was meant to be". Iranians seem to quietly surrender to the inevitable, bearing the tragedy with characteristic fortitude.
But why? Why such a 'this was-meant-to-be' attitude rather than the more Western attitude of "God helps those who help themselves"?
To answer this question it is wise to look at Persian poetry, which as stated in the introduction, is known and widely quoted by all Iranians whatever their class or education. The Iranian does not just study poetry as an historical canon; he sees it as a source of wisdom and inspiration for life today. If there is fatalism in Persian poetry, then this would inevitably sway the way the Iranian thinks about the world.
Although the theme of the inevitability of fate and the futility of man's resistance to it can readily be seen in almost every major piece of Persian poetry2, I will limit this article to a discussion of Firdowsi's Shahnameh -a definite world classic which provides invaluable insight into the Iranian psyche. In this regard, the "Tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab" will be discussed in detail.
The Shahnameh (Book of Kings) is the most important work of the famous Persian poet, Abolqasem Firdowsi (932-1025). It is a collection of different tales from Iran's ancient past, its myths and legends, and its history. One of the most fascinating tales in Shahnameh is the "Tragedy of Sohrab and Rostam", a narrative of about 2000 lines which revolves around an old feud between Iran and Turan, now the Turkish regions of Central Asia. Rostam is Iran's greatest hero. He is ambitious, fiery, quick-tempered, and often drunk. He is serving his Shah, the foolish Iranian king Kay Kavus, though he is doing so rather reluctantly and with some degree of contempt for him. Rostam has saved the life of this Shah on many occasions. One day, one of the courtiers, called Giv, drunkenly proposes a raid into Turan. Rostam agrees, but loses his horse and has to turn to the hospitality of the king of Semengan in Turan who gives Rostam food and wine, and gladly agrees to give his daughter, Tahmineh, to be Rostam's bride. As soon as Rostam finds his horse, however, he heads for Iran, leaving behind Tahmineh pregnant with an unborn son, Sohrab.
Years later, when Tahmineh eventually tells Sohrab who his father is, Sohrab is fired with the zeal to make Rostam ruler of Iran and himself Shah of Turan. To do this, he should overthrow the kings of Iran and Turan, Kay Kavus and Afrasiyab.
I will cast Kay Kavus from off his throne,
I will give to Rostam the crown of Kaianides,
And together we will subdue the land of Turan,
And Afrassiyab shall be slain by my hands.3
Thus Sohrab raises an army and invades Iran in search of Rostam, not knowing that the one to confront him in battle is none other than Rostam, his own father. The two meet and fight three times: the first fight ends in a draw; on the second day, Sohrab throws Rostam, but Rostam tricks him into giving him a second chance; on the third day, after a furious fight, Rostam throws Sohrab and quickly stabs him. Drawing his final breaths, Sohrab confesses to Rostam that his only wish was to join his father and make him the king of Iran. Rostam, realizing that Sohrab is indeed his son by seeing an armband he had given Tahmineh to wrap round the child when he was leaving her, embraces his son just as Sohrab dies. He laments the death of his son in some of the most moving passages of the poem:
"Oh, brave and noble youth, and praised among
All men, whom I have slain with my own hand!"
Oh, noble youth, and proud, courageous seed of pahlavans!
The sun and moon won't see your like again,
No more will sheild or mail, nor throne or crown.
Who else has been afflicted as I've been?
That I should slay a youth in my old age
Who is the grandson of the world-conquering Saam,
Whose mother's seeds from famous men as well.
It would be right to sever these two hands.
No seat be mine henceforth save darkest earth.
What father's ever done this?
I now deserve abuse and icy scorn.
Who else in all this world has slain his son?
His wise, courageous, youthful son?
Firdowsi himself was a Muslim writing for a Muslim patron and a Muslim court, but Shahnameh is essentially Zoroastrian in its worldview. The underlying dualism throughout the epic is undeniable. The two powers of good and evil- Ahura Mazda and Ahriman- are in perpetual conflict. Presiding over this conflict is Izad or Yazdan (the Creator and keeper of the world). He ultimately gives victory to good, the Ahura Mazda; but in the meantime, it is the power and influence of evil -the Ahriman- that steadily increases; and most of the time, fate is seen as working side by side with evil. The underlying truth, however, is that they are all guided and controlled by the one God Yazdan, including "the hunchback fate". After being beaten in the first battle, Rostam utters these words as he waits in expectation for the second fight:
Tomorrow when he rides into the field,
My only hope's to fight him hand to hand.
And though I'll strive, I don't know who will win.
Nor do I know what choice Yazdan will make
Strength, victory, and fame all come from him
Who has created both the sun and moon.
And contemplating a possible second defeat, he sighs:
This fate, alas, Yazdan decreed for me.
This is something that the serious reader of Shahnameh (and classical Persian poetry in general) can not afford to ignore. In Persian poetry everything, however wicked and unfair, is ultimately controlled by God and therefore it is not for man to question or challenge its justice or wisdom. Furthermore, in Shahnameh, God chooses to exercise this controlling authority through the institute of monarchy -the Iranian monarchy to be more exact. God in Shahnameh is always pictured as being on the side of Iran and its kings. Therefore to challenge the Shah -however justified- is to challenge God himself, and hence is doomed to failure. The theme of the inevitability of fate in Shahnameh works side by side with the inevitability of monarchy. The Shahs are meant to be rulers. They are the ones who bring to man fire, food and civilization. The Shah as God's representative determines man's destiny and way of life. To attempt to challenge and overthrow a king -however foolish and corrupt- is a crime against God. It is doomed to failure.
This is exactly what is at the root of the tragedy of Rostam and Sohrab. Both are great heroes driven by noble motives. Rostam is an example of courage, manliness, heroism and patriotism, and most of the time, he serves Iran well. Likewise, Sohrab is a perfect example of filial piety. His sole ambition is to find his father and make him the king. His desire to overthrow Kay Kavus and Afrasiyab and replace them with the much worthier figure of Rostam is quite justified and commendable.
For him to die at the hands of his own father is the most shocking event throughout the poem, especially as those benefiting from his death -the foolish king Kay Kavus Shah of Iran and Afrasiyab, Iran's greatest enemy- hardly deserve such a sacrifice. Their fate seems so unfair. And yet both get caught up in tragedy, for they have dared challenge the Shahs and in so doing, have stood against God. Rostam's pride and his impulsive nature causes him to repeatedly resist the Shah's authority and refuse to obey his commands:
When I am enraged, who then is Shah Kavus?
Who's there to humble me? Who is this Tus?
True, his contempt for the Iranian Shah is more than justified. But he is God's choice, and therefore should not be challenged.
God's choice is indeed unfathomable, but it is also unchallengable4. Its wisdom is known only to God, and man has no right to dispute it. That explains why Rostam, of all people, should be responsible for killing his son. It also explains why the brave Sohrab should die at the hands of his own father: he has attempted to overthrow God's chosen Shahs, Kay Kavus and Afrasiyab. Both realize the curious hand of fate in bringing them to such a tragic end. Sohrab in his final moments attributes the blame to fate, telling Rostam that
"This was the fate alloted me.
The heavens gave my key into your hand.
It's not your fault. It was this hunchback fate
Such is decreed by the stars,
That I be slain by the hands of my father…
It does no good to slay yourself with grief.
What's happened here is what was meant to be."
However, this is far from the workings of blind fate. God's scheme of things in Shahnameh ultimately has a meaningful purpose to it: to protect and sustain Iran -God's favourite nation- in the face of attacks from its enemies. In the long-lasting mythical feud between Iran and Turan, Iran has always been identified with good, and Turan with evil. Therefore, the fight between their two representatives, Rostam and Sohrab, is in fact a manifestation of the primordial fight between good and evil -Ahuramazda and Ahriman. True, Yazdan ultimately does give victory to good -to Iran; but this comes at a price. It demands the painful sacrifice of a son by his father. Sohrab -this perfect combination of good and evil, Iran and Turan, Rostam and Tahmineh - must die if Iran is to gain victory.5
CONCLUSION: WARNINGS AND BRIDGES
Warnings
In some ways the overemphasis on blind fate in Shahnameh and Persian culture has blighted people's lives because they assume they cannot change their destiny. So whatever the circumstances, there can be a tendency in the Iranian heart to just resign themselves as there is nothing they can do. However, in the Bible there is a clear line of teaching that man's free will can change his destiny; indeed, man can choose to work with God's will which is ultimately for his own good. The warning then for the Christian communicators is to be very careful when dealing with the term 'God's will'. They must explain that Christians believe in exercising faith in the goodness of God's will, which is very different from resigning yourself to blind fate.
Bridges
At the same time though, Shahnameh can be used to build bridges towards Christian truths. First of all the Iranian emphasis on fate is much nearer Biblical teaching than the average Westerner's belief that everything depends on evolutionary chance. Persian literature is one major reason why most Iranians believe their lives are in the hands of a higher power who is working out His purposes which at present we do not understand. Secondly, all Iranians know that at the heart of their greatest epic lies the tragic death of a son at the hands of his own father which leads to Iran's ultimate victory over her enemies. Surely this gives the creative Christian communiator much to build on.
Issa Dibaj is a translator and a specialist in English and Persian Literature.
1From Farsinet.com/news an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.7 which struck the Iranian northwest province of Gilan and claimed nearly 50000 lives. Many more were made homeless.
2Take the roses of Hafez or the wine-cup of Omar Khayyam for instance.
3Translated by Jerome W. Clinton
4This theological emphasis regarding God being unfathomable and unchallengable is similar to the teaching at the end of the book of Job.