Samak the Ayyar : : A Tale of Ancient Persia.

• Superior document: Title is part of eBook package: De Gruyter Columbia University Press Complete eBook-Package 2021
• MitwirkendeR: Mechner, Jordan,; Rassouli, Freydoon,
• Place / Publishing House: New York, NY : : Columbia University Press, , [2021]; ©2021
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource

The adventures of Samak, a trickster-warrior hero of Persia’s thousand-year-old oral storytelling tradition, are beloved in Iran. Samak is an ayyar, a warrior who comes from the common people and embodies the ideals of loyalty, selflessness, and honor—a figure that recalls samurai, ronin, and knights yet is distinctive to Persian legend. His exploits—set against an epic background of palace intrigue, battlefield heroics, and star-crossed romance between a noble prince and princess—are as deeply rooted in Persian culture as are the stories of Robin Hood and King Arthur in the West. However, this majestic tale has remained little known outside Iran.Translated from the original Persian by Freydoon Rassouli and adapted by Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner, this timeless masterwork can now be enjoyed by English-speaking readers. A thrilling and suspenseful saga, Samak the Ayyar also offers a vivid portrait of Persia a thousand years ago. Within an epic quest narrative teeming with action and supernatural forces, it sheds light on the lives of ordinary people and their social worlds. This is the first complete English-language version of a treasure of world culture. The translation is grounded in the twelfth-century Persian text while paying homage to the dynamic culture of storytelling from which it arose.

Table of Contents

Frontmatter -- CONTENTS -- Introduction -- PART I -- SECTION 1 The Princess of Chin -- 1 The Sun Prince -- 2 The Mystery of the Ring -- 3 The Witch Nurse -- 4 A Minstrel Maiden -- 5 The Witch’s Dungeon -- 6 The Vizier’s Son -- 7 A Fatal Banquet -- SECTION 2 The People’s Defenders -- 8 The Grave Robber -- 9 The Prince of Machin -- 10 Stone Alley -- 11 Surrendering the Princess -- 12 Refuge Among Warriors -- 13 A Clash of Champions -- 14 Samak and Atashak -- 15 The Truce -- SECTION 3 Machin -- 16 An Impregnable Fortress -- 17 Reinforcements -- 18 In the Enemy’s City -- 19 The Brothers -- 20 Enemy Agents -- 21 Rescue from Torture -- 22 New Friends -- SECTION 4 Falaki Fortress -- 23 An Ocean of Warriors -- 24 Victory and Defeat -- 25 The Missing Princess -- 26 A Brave Envoy -- 27 The Wedding Thief -- 28 Sorkhvard’s Secret -- 29 Trail of a Lion -- 30 Massacre in a Canyon -- 31 Lovers Reunited -- PART II -- SECTION 5 Zafron Plains -- 32 Kings Bargain, Ayyars Dig -- 33 A Royal Marriage -- 34 Samak Fears for His Friends -- 35 Newlyweds Abducted -- 36 Battle of Princes -- 37 A Watchman’s Reward -- 38 Samak Is Captured -- SECTION 6 Twelve Canyons -- 39 An Ayyar’s Daughter -- 40 The Royal Ring -- 41 The Ayyars of Twelve Canyons -- 42 Rescued by Her Rival -- 43 A Clan Divided -- 44 A Double Rescue -- 45 An Army Ambushed -- 46 Wine for a Feast -- 47 A Locked Gate -- 48 Message From a Princess -- SECTION 7 Guran Meadow -- 49 An Ayyar’s Reward -- 50 A Life for a Life -- 51 In the Giant’s Lair -- 52 Death of a Prince -- 53 The Stone Warriors -- 54 A Plate of Halvah -- 55 Head of a Hero -- To Be Continued -- Guide to Kingdoms and Characters