The traditional tales and stories of ancient Iran, which occupied a vast area of Central Asia, describe confrontations between good and evil, the victories of the gods, and the exploits of heroes and fabulous supernatural creatures such as the magical bird Simergh and the dev or black demons. Much of our information about Iran's pre-Islamic past comes from the holy book of the Zoroastrian religion, the Avesta, which was not written down in its present form until the thirteenth or fourteenth century A.D. but dates back originally to between 1400 and 1200 B.C. As well as the words of the prophet Zoroaster and stories about the wise lord Ahura Mazda, it also incorporates earlier pagan myths which reappear in the Shahnameh (Book of Kings), a magnificent epic in rhyme complete in A.D. 1010 by the poet Firdausi and featuring his most famous hero, Rustam. Dr. Curtis draws upon all of these sources to retell for modern readers the stirring legends of ancient Iran, which have inspired centuries of manuscript illustrations.
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Book arrive fast and in excellent condition. I am though a little a disappointed because I bought it think it had more information about Zurvan. But overall is a very interesting book!
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Persian myths,
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I received the book as promised. Great quality. Fast shipping. It is a terrific book to learn about Persian mythology which has been overshadowed by Greek and Roman Mythology. It is very different and worth knowing about.
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This review is from: Persian Myths (Legendary Past) (Paperback)
The book arrived in perfect condition with a speedy delivery. This was a Christmas gift for my husband. He is teaching himself Arabic and Persian Arabic. It is hard to find Persian Myths... they must be outstanding to read because he finished the book in about a day or so.
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Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Much information about the ancient Iranians, their gods and the creation of their world can be found in the religious texts of the Zoroastrians, which include the Avesta and later sources such as the Bundahishn and Denkard. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
white demon, fabulous creatures Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Divine Glory, Angra Mainyu, Ahura Mazda, Kay Khusrow, Azhi Dahaka, Ardvi Sura Anahita, Kay Kavus, Vourukasha Sea, Alburz Mountains, Evil Spirit, Khusrow Parviz, Central Asia, Firdowsi's Shahnameh, Book of Kings, Kavi Haosravah, Khamseh of Nizami, Mahin Banu, Tree of All Seeds, Wise Lord, Zamyad Yasht, Caspian Sea, King Yima, Middle Persian New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Much information about the ancient Iranians, their gods and the creation of their world can be found in the religious texts of the Zoroastrians, which include the Avesta and later sources such as the Bundahishn and Denkard. Read the first page Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
white demon, fabulous creatures Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Divine Glory, Angra Mainyu, Ahura Mazda, Kay Khusrow, Azhi Dahaka, Ardvi Sura Anahita, Kay Kavus, Vourukasha Sea, Alburz Mountains, Evil Spirit, Khusrow Parviz, Central Asia, Firdowsi's Shahnameh, Book of Kings, Kavi Haosravah, Khamseh of Nizami, Mahin Banu, Tree of All Seeds, Wise Lord, Zamyad Yasht, Caspian Sea, King Yima, Middle Persian New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 9
books:
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10
books
cite this book:
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- Pahlavi Texts (Sacred Books of the East S, V.) (v. 2) by E.W.(Tr.) West in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Trübner's Oriental Series: The Shahnama of Firdausi: Volume VIII (Trubner's Oriental Series) (Vol VIII) by Arthur George Warner in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- A Literary History of Persia by E.G. Browne in Front Matter, and Back Matter
- Persian Mythology (Library of the World's Myths and Legends) by John R. Hinnells in Back Matter
- Sacred Books of the East by F. Max Muller in Back Matter
See all 9 books this book cites
- Skywatchers, Shamans & Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power (Wiley Popular Science) by E. C. Krupp in Back Matter
- Creation Stories of the Middle East by Ewa Wasilewska in Back Matter
- The Art and Archaeology of Ancient Persia: New Light on the Parthian and Sasanian Empires by Vesta Sarkhosh Curtis on page 186
- Forgotten Empire: The World of Ancient Persia by J. E Curtis in Back Matter
- Mythology: The Illustrated Anthology of World Myth and Storytelling by C. Scott Littleton in Back Matter
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