The Music of the Shahnameh: Iran's Book of Kings

It has 62 tales, 990 chapters, and over 50,000 couplets. To the Persians it is analagous to "Goethe for the Germans, of Pushkin for the Russians, or of Shakespeare for the English-speaking world" (Fitzwilliam Museum). The epic comprises of individual tales of the adventures and misfortunes of the Persian saga and it is no wonder this masterpiece is named the Shahnameh, or Book of Kings.

The Shahnameh, which is "the longest poem ever written by a single author" was created by Ferdowsi between 977 and 1010 CE. The epic begins with the dawn of creation and continues through the history of the Persian people before Islam. Between the leaves of these dense and cryptic pages lie the essence of the Persian identity and Zoroastrian worldview.

As mentioned before, the epic combines historical events with myth in a unique blend that lends more wisdom than pure fact. Many modern editions include glorious illustrations that bring the thrilling tales to life using traditional Iranian art styles.

The Shahnameh and Iranian music have a long and intertwined history. In ancient times, bards would sing the stories of Ferdowsi with musical accompaniment. This tradition is reflected in other cultures as well. For example, the epic Beowulf was performed by bards for generations before it was documented.

Classical Iranian musicians will pull from the Shahnameh to supplement their lyrics. Additionally, certain instruments such as the tar, setar, and ney are associated with performing the Shahnameh. Even certain scales are reserved for different parts of the Shahnameh. Iranians use the dastgah system for their modes, or permutations of a scale that give rise to different moods. The chahargah mode, with its triumphant sound, would be reserved for heroic episodes of the poem while the rast panjgah mode would seranade a story of sorrow.

In an age of limited freedom of expression for the modern Iranian, the Shahnameh remains a source of comfort and national pride. Todays musicians continue to weave its legends in their lyrics both as a way to unite Iranians and to spite the Islamic Republic. Like Shakespeare, the themes of the Shahnameh are ever pertinent and its ties to a culture pre-Islam are a reminder of the inextinguishable force that is the Iranian spirit.