The Story of Barzu: As told by two storytellers from Boysun, Uzbekistan (Iranian Studies Series) - Tapa blanda

In the village of Pasurxi, near Boysun in the Surxandaryo region of contemporary Uzbekistan, a vivid oral tradition exists on the basis of stories from the Persian Book of Kings or Šohnoma (Shahnama), composed more than a thousand years ago by the poet Firdavsi (Ferdowsi). These stories deal with the hero Barzu who is presented in the stories from Boysun as the offspring of Suhrob, one of the most tragic heroes of the Šohnoma, and his father, the legendary champion Rustam, ruler of Sistan. The storytellers Jura Kamol and Mullo Ravšan composed two different versions of the story of Barzu in Tajik. The stories have been recorded, transcribed and analysed by Ravshan Rahmoni and translated by Gabrielle van den Berg.

In the area of Boysun, present-day Uzbekistan, there is a living and vivid oral tradition based on stories from the epic Shah-nama. Barzu, son of Suhrab, is tragically killed at the hands of his famous father, the legendary hero Rustam. The storytellers Jura Kamol and Mullo Ravshan composed two different versions of the story of Barzu in the Tajik as spoken in this area. This is the first printed version including a translation of these stories to appear. The stories have been transcribed and analysed by Ravshan Rahmoni, Professor of Tajik literature at the University of Dushanbe, and translated by Gabrielle van den Berg, lecturer in Persian at the University of Leiden.