#ferdowsi

[detailstodiefor]

My aesthetic is like dark academia but the medieval Iranian / Islamic golden age version. Shop on Etsy

[along-the-silkroad]

Iskandar and the talking tree, from the Great Mongol (Demotte) Shahnama, Tabriz, Persia, Ilkhanid, c. 1335 CE.

[melissshit]

Shahnameh x Star Wars

The fact that the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin doesn’t end there but also represents the relationship between what Jedi are and what Force wants. Obi-Wan isn’t just himself but can represent everything right and wrong with the Jedi Order while Anakin is only a human and can fall just as easily.

In Shahnameh, Jamshid was this great king who ruled for centuries but when he started to accept advice from his demon slaves, he got corrupted but he didn’t accepted it because those demons where still slaves. And Zahhak was the prince that was sent by God to punish Jamshid as his chosen champion but Zahhak took it far and didn’t imprisoned him, tried to talk sense to him but killed him. His close relationship with disguised Iblis made him a tyrant, the Serpent King.

[classymysterypandemonium]

History of Backgammon

Backgammon is one of the oldest known board games in the world, with origins going back around 5,000 years. It evolved from ancient games played in Mesopotamia (modern-day Iraq and Iran) and spread through the Persian Empire, the Roman Empire, and later into Europe.

Early Origins

Ancient Mesopotamia (c. 3000 BCE): Excavations at the Royal Cemetery of Ur (in Iraq) uncovered a game called the Royal Game of Ur, which is considered an ancestor of backgammon.

Ancient Persia (Iran): Around 6th century CE, Persians played a game called “Nard” (نرد) or “Nardshir” (نردشیر).

“Nard” means wood (the board was wooden),

and “Shir” means lion — so “Nardshir” could be translated as the game of the lion, or Shir’s game (possibly after the Sasanian king Ardashir I).

Spread and Evolution

The Romans adopted a similar game known as Tabula.

In the Byzantine Empire, Tabula and Nard influenced each other.

The game spread westward through Arab conquests, reaching Europe by the Middle Ages.

By the 17th century, the English version known as Backgammon appeared (from “back” + Middle English “gamen,” meaning game).

Persian Influence

The Persian version, Nard (نرد), was an intellectual game representing the struggle between destiny (dice) and human skill (moves) — a philosophical idea that later influenced the perception of chance and fate in gaming.

Persian poets such as Ferdowsi and Rumi mentioned Nard in their works as a metaphor for life, chance, and destiny.

فردوسی Ferdowsi

Rumi رومی

Fun Fact

In Persian legend, Bozorgmehr (بزرگمهر), a wise minister in the court of King Khosrow I (6th century CE), is said to have invented Nard to challenge Indian sages who brought chess (shatranj) to Persia. In response, Indians invented chess to symbolize wisdom; Persians responded with Nard to symbolize fate.

The Symbolism of Backgammon (تخته‌نرد)

Backgammon is not merely a game — it is a metaphor for life, destiny, and the balance between fate and free will. In Persian culture, every element of the board has a philosophical meaning, often reflecting ancient Zoroastrian, astronomical, and metaphysical ideas.

1. The Board — The World (جهان)

The board (تخته) represents the universe, divided into two parts — like day and night, good and evil, or life and death.

It is the cosmic stage upon which destiny unfolds and human actions take place.

2. The 24 Points — Hours of the Day

The 24 long triangles on the board symbolize the 24 hours in a day — the continuous passage of time.

The alternating colors represent light and darkness, joy and sorrow, or yin and yang balance in existence.

3. The 30 Pieces — Days of the Month

Each player has 15 pieces, making 30 in total — the 30 days of a lunar month.

These represent the journey of life, each piece moving through the board like the phases of the moon and the passing of time.

4. The Dice — Fate and Chance (بخت و اقبال)

The dice (تاس) embody destiny — forces beyond human control.

The randomness of the dice roll is the unpredictability of life; yet, the skillful player must adapt to whatever numbers appear — just as one must adapt to fate.

5. The Movement of the Pieces — Human Action (اراده)

While fate determines the dice, strategy and wisdom determine how one plays them.

This symbolizes free will within destiny — a central Persian philosophical concept.

Life gives you conditions you cannot choose,

but your choices define your journey.

6. The Two Players — Duality of Existence

Two players represent the eternal dualities:

Light and Darkness (Ahura Mazda vs. Ahriman in Zoroastrian thought)

Good and Evil

Joy and Sorrow

Life and Death

Their struggle is endless, yet balanced — as one’s gain is another’s loss, mirroring the cyclical nature of the cosmos.

7. The Home Boards — Birth and Death

Each player’s home board symbolizes return — the end of a cycle.

To “bear off” all your pieces is to complete the journey of life and reach spiritual peace or transcendence.

8. The Dice Numbers — The Six Paths of Life

The dice have six faces — representing the six directions (north, south, east, west, up, down) or the six stages of existence.

The total of the opposite sides is always seven, a sacred number in Persian mysticism symbolizing perfection and divine order.

9. Philosophical Meaning

Backgammon teaches the Persian worldview:

“You cannot choose the numbers life gives you — but you can choose how to play them.”

It is a game of patience, wisdom, and acceptance, teaching that:

Life is temporary and cyclical.

Fortune is ever-changing.

Wisdom lies in balance — not control.

10. Poetic Reflection (in Persian & English)

زندگی تخته‌نردی است میان بخت و خرد گاه می‌بازی و گاه می‌بری اما همیشه باید بازی کرد

Life is a backgammon game between fate and wisdom — Sometimes you lose, sometimes you win, But always, you must play.

i love my culture, it still fascinates me and i like to say that its 3 am and i used chatgpt to help me edit and translate from my persian notes to english

hope you liked this post

sincerely, with love and respect, helia

[whencyclopedes]

Literatura persa

La literatura persa difiere de la definición común de “literatura” en que no se limita a las composiciones líricas, a la poesía o a la prosa imaginativa porque los elementos centrales de estas aparecen, en mayor o menor grado, en todas las obras escritas de los persas.

Sigue leyendo...

[wellconstructedsentences]

I shall not die. These seeds I’ve sown will save my name and memory from the grave.

Shahnameh by Ferdowsi

[queer-ragnelle]

Reading the Shahnameh like

[misespinas]

I'm curious about the comparisons people could make between Joseph from the Book of Genesis and Siavash from the epic poem the Shahnameh.

Pleaseeeeee interact and feed my brain