Down she, from the fort, came bravely like a lion
May 6, 2014 1:26 AM   Subscribe

The Story of Gordafarid (dir. Hadi Afarideh, 2008, 34 mins.) is a brief, poignant documentary about Fatemeh Habibizad, a.k.a. Gordafarid, a woman in Iran performing as a solo narrator of Persian classics. Gordafarid is also an inspirational character from Ferdowsi's 10th Century epic, the Shahnameh.

In English, there are several editions of the Shahnameh to choose from, including a free but problematic version, a recent, near-complete translation, and a giant, magnificently illustrated, but abridged edition.

The following videos provide additional context: Previously: Shahnama; Shahnameh.
posted by Monsieur Caution (3 comments total) 20 users marked this as a favorite
 
I thought I recognized that name! I read the Shahnameh three years ago and then had the opportunity to study many different antique illustrated manuscripts of the Shahnameh as well as related and abridged versions, at The Chester Beatty Library in Dublin, Ireland.

Gordafarid was a revelation as a woman warrior in the text, and she very rarely made an appearance in some of the illustrations depending on the book. She is not completely without precedent, as Ireland's Cuchulainn myths have women warriors like Scathach.

I will pour through your links later, but thanks!
posted by Slothrop at 4:35 AM on May 6, 2014


You may recognise it from MeFi's Own too *waves*
posted by ersatz at 4:45 AM on May 6, 2014


Ooh. I approve of this post.
posted by Gordafarin at 9:20 AM on May 6, 2014 [1 favorite]


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