A Study on the Winged Horse in Shahnameh

Articles in Press

Document Type : Research Paper

Author

Department of Persian Language and Literature, Faculty of Literature and Humanities, Yasouj University, Yasouj, Iran

10.22108/rpll.2026.147519.2547

Abstract

Among the mythological features in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh are the images of gods and sacred animals that can be examined and analyzed in the underlying layers of the verses of Shahnameh. Narratives related to the winged horse in Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh are scattered and we are not dealing with a single narrative. Some narratives refer to the horse’s feathers/wings and the theme of flight, and others refer to the winged horse in the form of similes and metaphors. In the story of Kaykhosrow riding Shabrang, Ferdowsi tries to show us an image of the winged horse. The aim of this study, in addition to examining the history of the winged horse in Iranian mythology, is to answer the leading question: are Shabrang Behzad (Siavash’s horse) and Rakhsh (Rostam’s horse) winged horses? In the remainder of the present study, based on the method of library searches, the descriptive-analytical reading method was used. The research results show that due to the rationalization of stories during Ferdowsi’s time, many mythological aspects were reflected in the underlying layers of the verses of Shahnameh. Behzad’s Shabrang and Rakhsh are winged horses, and this aspect is more true for Behzad’s Shabrang.? In the remainder of the present study, based on the method of library searches, the descriptive-analytical reading method was used. The research results show that due to the rationalization of stories during Ferdowsi’s time, many mythological aspects were reflected in the underlying layers of the verses of Shahnameh.

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Main Subjects

Textual Criticism of Persian Literature

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 August 2026

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