The study of the reasons for the similarities and differences of narration in the stories of Shahnameh and the History of Bal’ami

Document Type : Research Article

10.22067/jls.v40i3.13161

Abstract

Shahnameh and the History of Bal’ami are great and important literary works in Iranian culture. These two works have many similarities and embody the history of Iran from its beginning up to the authors’ time. The researches show that the sources and references that Ferdowsi and Bal’ami consulted were different. Ferdowsi consulted the prose Shahnameh of Abou Mansouri and the oral narratives; while Bal’ami consulted the History of Tabari and prose Shahnameh of Abolmo’ayed-e-Balkhi. In spite of the difference of the sources, the research shows that the similarities between these two texts are much more than the differences. The reason for the similarity of the texts is the honesty of the authors in narrating the stories and the reasons for the differences can be the followings: a-differences in the sources consulted, b- Ferdowsi as a poet, c- differences in methods, d- Ferdowsi’s religious and Islamic believes, e- The authors different opinions in narration.

Keywords: Shahnameh, The History of Bal’ami, religious believes, prose Shahnameh

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