Kush Nama

Kush-Nama (Persian: کوش نامه‎‎), is a Persian epic poem and part of a mythical history of Iran written by Ḥakim Iranshān (or Irānshāh) b. Abu'l-Khay between the years 501-04/1108-11.

A critical edition of the poem based on unique manuscript of the work is found in a collection held in the British Museum (OR 2780) and published by Professor Jalal Matini. The collection contains five epic poems: namely, Asadi Tusi's Garshasp-nama, Ahmad Tabrizi's Šāhanšāh-nāma, Tāriḵ-e Čangiz Ḵān va Jānešinānaš ("The History of Genghis Khan and his Successors") the Bahman-nama, and the Kush-nama. It is likely that a prose version of the work existed during the same time. This manuscript has 10,129 couplets and contains some scribal errors. The work contains some headings, but for ease of analysis it is divided into an introduction and two parts. In Part I, the reader encounters Kuš with his hideous face and deceptions.

The introduction (lines 1-226) begins by the customary tradition of extolling God. Subsequently, the author then references the Bahman-nama as his previous work. Then he gives the reasons behind their composition, and ends with praise of the patron. The story deals with the eventful life of Kush the Tusked (or Persian: Pil-gush, "The Elephant-eared"), the son of Kush who is the brother of the king Zahak. Kush the Tusked is said to have lived 1,500 years. The epic poem is dedicated to the Seljuk Sultan, Malek-Šāh (r. 498—511/1105-18). The writer's name does not appear in the work.

The work encompasses events that take place during the reigns of the mythical kings of Iran, Zahhak and Faridun. In a section at the beginning, the story deals with the heroism, triumphs, deceit and philandering of the character Kush the Tusked. The claim of Kush the Tusked being divine is also recounted in the story. The tale starts with the dragon-fiend king Zahhak who was on the verge of slaying Jamshid. Zahhak predicts that a person from Jamshid's royal line shall avenge his death. In order to circumvent this prediction, Zahhak sends his brother Kush to Čin (parts of China and Central Asia in Persian mythology) to get rid of Jamshid's off-springs. These off-springs have in their possession, the chronicle called the Andarz-e Jamshid ("Jamshid's Testament"), a book that foretells events in the family's future and counsels them on what to do when they do. Based on the advice of this book, Jamshid's descendants remain hidden, roaming the forests and stay away from the reach of Kush. While looking for Jamshid's descendants, Kush stumbles upon the Pilguš (literally, the "elephant-eared") Tribe. He battles this tribe and takes a woman from the tribe as his bride. The woman bears him an elephant-eared and tusked son. But when Kush sees the hideous like face of his son, he flies into an angry range. He kills his wife for giving birth to such a demonic creature. Subsequently, he abandons his son in the forest that was the hiding place of the house of Jamshid.

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