The Kushnameh: The Persian Epic of Kush the Tusked

"The Kushnameh is a fantastical story of an anti-hero with tusks and elephant ears. Dating from the early 12th century, the style of this translation feels close to that of an epic poem, with declamatory prose and often very beautiful turns of phrase. The action sweeps cinematically from the Korean to the Iberian peninsula, across a surprisingly connected medieval world. The story begins with a frame tale, where the narrative sits within another tale, like in 1001 Nights . In this frame tale, Alexander the Great comes across a statue of Kush the Tusked and seeks out a hermit who can tell him about this warrior king. So, alongside Alexander, the reader is told this unusual tale of utopia and tyranny, of mace-wielding warriors, moon-faced beauties and loyal advisers. As the action moves from Besila (the ancient Korean kingdom of Silla) to the Pyrenees, we hear of Nubians, Arabs, Hindus and Turks, and of many cities and countries along the way, most still familiar to us today. Abandoned by his father at birth because of his monstrous appearance, Kush is raised by Abtin who is biding his time in exile in China until he can restore his family’s dynasty on the throne in Iran . Kush grows into a formidable warrior entirely corrupted by his own power. Even Zahhak, the evil figure with a snake growing out of each shoulder, is shocked at how Kush treats his own children—never mind his oppressed subjects or unfortunate enemies on the battlefield. Against a backdrop of ancient legends, readers are faced with questions of nature and nurture, of what a monster really is and whether he can be reformed. What I find most fascinating is the book’s geographical range. From East Asia to the Horn of Africa, from Central Asia to Andalusia, we get a sense of the value placed not only on wisdom, but on travel in search of knowledge."