Epic of Kings

Hi, I'm Jack! I'm 8, and this is my website about the Shahnameh: The Epic of Persian Kings.

I started this project in 2026 so I could share something I love with other kids who might love it too.
(If you're reading this in the future… hi! 👋🏼)

When I was 5, I was obsessed with Greek mythology. I read all the stories, went to a Greek mythology summer camp, and taught my parents about the heroes. I loved Hercules because he went on lots of cool adventures.

I wanted more stories like that, so my Babayi (grandpa) gave me a copy of Dick Davis's English translation of the Shahnameh. That's where I met Rostam, and somehow he felt even bigger than Hercules. In Greek myths, the heroes sometimes win because a god helps them. Rostam doesn't get helped by any gods, he just has to be
smarter or stronger than whoever he's fighting. (Okay, the Simorgh helps him out once or twice, but a bird isn't
a god!) I think that's why his stories feel more real to me.

The Shahnameh has a lot of stories about people trying to do the right thing for their king or their family, and sometimes that makes terrible things happen. It has lots of epic battles, but my favorites are the ones where there isn't really a bad guy at all. Just two good people who have to do something they don't want to, and
they both lose. Like Esfandiyar, who looked up to Rostam but was ordered by his king to fight him anyway.
It doesn't end well.

Some of these battle stories made me so sad I folded the pages over so I wouldn't have to see them again.
But those are the stories I think about the most.

When I'm reading the Shahnameh, I sometimes forget where I am. I feel like I'm riding with Rostam and his mighty horse Rakhsh across ancient Persia or standing in a king's court, wondering what will happen next. I love books that can do that. I've read the stories so many times that the front and back covers and some of the pages ripped completely off!

Rostam was my favorite when I was younger. You can even hear 6-year-old me tell a few of his stories! I like the 7th Trial the best. Can you hear my excitement?

The Shahnameh has myths and legends, but it also tells stories of ancient Persian kings. Sometimes I wonder which of the stories actually happened.

My mom is Persian too, so when I read the Shahnameh, it feels like I'm learning a piece of my family's history.
One of my dreams is to read it in Persian one day. I'm still learning how, but I'll get there!

I've always wanted to share the Shahnameh with my friends, so I asked my mom to help me find some cool apps or websites I could show them. I wanted games and maps and family trees, things that would bring the characters to life and make the stories easier to understand. But we couldn't find what I was looking for. So I asked my mom if we could make it ourselves! It took a lot of work, but we built it together with help from an awesome Royal Court.

I also write about the Shahnameh, mythology, history, and other cool stuff on the Epic of Kings Substack.

Every time I read the Shahnameh, I find something new. I hope you do too. - Jack