Comparative Study of Persian and West African epics

(Emphasizing on the epic of Rostam and Esfandiyar and the

Manding epic)
Written by: BOUBACAR SAMBOU
PhD of Persian Language and Literature
Tarbiat Modares University

Abstract
In the present article, we will introduce the epic of the
Sundiata or Manding, and compare its epic aspects with the
battle of Rostam and Esfandiyar in the Ferdowsi's Shahnameh and
examine their differences and similarities. Their similarities
are the inability to defeat the rival in the first battle and
discovering the secret of invulnerability; betrayal as the same
reason for death of both heroes; anti-heroes who are captivated
by throne; invulnerability of heroes and prediction of their
death; choosing their son to meet the rival and being killed
with a wooden arrow. The research method is descriptive-
analytical and the method of data collection is documentary.
Keywords: West Africa, Iran, Epic, Shahnameh, Manding

1. Introduction
Ferdowsi's Shahnameh is the main source of Persian mythological
and epic narratives written in Persian based on the Khwaday-
Namags. Mythological narratives include ancient stories about
the people of Iran that have been orally transmitted and written
down. Such a narrative style has been also common in West
Africa. In order to learn and read the history of the Mandingan
dynasty and writing the epic of Sundiata, Djibril Tamsir Niane
communicated with village Griots who passed their history
orally. The role of Sundiata, the hero of the famous Manding
epic resembles the Iranian hero of Shahnameh, Rostam. In the
story, there is also another character, Soumaoro Kanté, who is
invulnerable and comparable to Esfandiyar. The prediction of
births, childhood stages, risky journeys, the death of the
Manding hero, etc. are comparable to the story of Rostam.
Importantly, the epic aspects of the battle of Rostam and

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Esfandiyar and the battle of Sundiata and Soumaoro Kanté are
significant. The present article introduces and compares the
great Iranian hero and the hero of the West African region,
namely, Rostam and Sundiata, and their battle with the anti-
heroes, Esfandiyar and Soumaoro Kanté.
The research method is descriptive-analytical and according to
the definition of fundamental research, it is a descriptive-
comparative approach and adheres to the general stages of
research, namely, the content of the life and battle resources
of both Iranian and West African heroes is in Farsi and French
and we have proposed new theoretical comments. Because our
research is based on comparative literature and follows the
American school, we first introduce and compare the similarities
and then the differences between the two epic stories.
The subject of the article is new, and so far the epic stories
of Iran and West Africa have not been compared in any other
research. The oral and written works of the West African peoples
have not been extensively studied in Farsi, some of these works
are:\ Culture and Civilization in Africa, by Mohammad Reza
Khatami; A Look at African History: The Cradle of Human
Creation, Research and Editing by Ozra Khatibi; African Politics
and the Culture and Civilization of Mali, by Sirus Ahmadi
Nohadani; and several translated books, such as The Black Mind:
A History of African Literature. Front Cover. O. R. Dathorne.
University of ‎ Minnesota Press, 1974, Translated by Ebrahim
Younesi (1989). The epics of each of the two regions are unknown
to their people. The battle of Rostam and Esfandiyar, being one
of the most famous stories of Persian heroism in Europe
(translated by Jules Mohl), is unknown in many West African
countries. In the African continent as well as in Europe, there
have been researches on the Sundiata epic, but they have not
considered a comparative aspect in relation to the story of
Rostam and Esfandiyar. Searching for online and library
resources also proves the unprecedented extent of such research
in other countries and in Iran.‬
In this section, in order to provide an overview of the research
background, we mention some of the researches conducted about
the Sundiata epic:
In Africa:
Dialiba KONATE, L’épopée de Soundiata Keïta, (2002;

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Youssouf Tata CISSE & Kamissoko Wa, Soundjata, la gloire du Mali
(1991);‎

:ep‎ruE nI
Jan JANSEN, The Sunjata Epic: The Ultimate Version, (2001)‎
;

Lilyan KESTELOOT, Soundiata, l'enfant-lion, (1999)‎

;

Fr Zeltner, La Légende de Soundiata, (1913)‎

;

2. Introducing the writers of the epics

2.1 Ferdowsi:
Hakim Abolqasem Mansour-ibn-Hassan Ferdowsi Tusi is a great
Iranian epic poet and one of the most famous Persian poets. He
was born in Tabran of Tus, in a family of the peasant class. The
peasants had special zeal and strictness in preserving their
race, ancestry, and history and in keeping with national
customs. Ferdowsi was aware of the history of Iran and the
history of his ancestors. He loved Iran and was fond of national
honors (Safa, 2007: 122/1). Ferdowsi expresses his thoughts
simply and fluently, and usually expresses his intentions in the
Shahnameh without regard to stylistic devices, but he is also
interested in the choice of eloquent rhetoric. That is why his
speech is both simple and eloquent; it is both fluent and
accurate so that one cannot find more simple or more elegant
than his words. Such a statement is called "in simple words, but
with great meanings".
2.2 Djibril Tamsir Niane:
Djibril Tamsir Niane, Honorary Professor of Harvard University
(Washington DC) and Tokyo University (Japan), was born in
Conakry, Guinea, in 1932. He is the author of several books on
the history of ancient African culture. Some of his writings led
to his imprisonment in the Sékou Touré rIgimI‎ (GuipIa’s‎
president) from 1961 to 1962 and even he was banished to
Senegal. For many years he sought to understand ancient African
culture through the stories of the Griots and eventually wrote
an epic called the Sundiata or the Manding Epic. Djibril's
purpose for this book was to compare Western writings with oral
culture in the countryside. He has published many articles in
Institut Fondamental d'Afrique Noire (IFAN). Djibril Tamsir

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Niane is also a playwright and has written many works,
including:
‫ ـ‬Research on Mali Empire in the Middle Ages Concurrently with
the Research of the People of Guinea and the African Research
(1975), Paris: African Presence;
- Western Sudan during the Great Empires (1975); Paris: African
Presence;
‫ ـ‬Stories of Yesterday and Today (1985), Paris: African
Presence;
-Sissako or the Last Fortress (1971), in collaboration with
Shaka Oswald (France), performance by Daniel Sorano National
Theater Group; Dakar (1976);
‫ ـ‬West African History (1960 -1961), in collaboration with Jean-
sura Canal, Conakry: African Presence;
- African History (5th and 6th Grades) (1987), Paris: Nathan;
- Geography of Guinea (Third and Fourth Grade Middle School)
(1987), Paris: Nathan ‫؛‬
- Civic Education (1994), SAEC
To get a closer look at the subject, let's sketch out the two
stories:
Summary of Rostam & Esfandiyar story: Esfandiyar hopes to reach
the kingdom after his success and apparently Gashtasp does not
agree. Esfandiyar consults with her mother, and her mother talks
to Gashtasp. Gashtasb predicts Esfandiyar's death in Zabulistan,
with Jamasp's help. He asks Esfandiyar to go to Zabul to arrest
Rostam and bring him. Esfandiyar goes to Zabulistan with
Peshotanu and Bahman. Messages are exchanged between Rostam and
Esfandiyar, and they show each other their martial art. They
fight and Esfandiyar injures Rostam, but Rostam's blows are not
successful. Rostam advises with Zal and seeks help from Simorgh
illustrates the way to hit Esfandiyar for Rostam, and Rostam
makes an arrow by Tamarix wood with the guidance of Simorgh. He
tries to repel Esfandiyar from the battle, but he fails.
Eventually, he shoots an arrow into Esfandiyar's eyes and kills
him.
Summary of Soundjata, or the manding epic: One day a diviner
predicts the arrival of two hunters, along with a woman to the
city of Niani, and says that King Naré Maguan Konfata must marry
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that woman. The woman's name is Sogolon Kedjou. Sundiata is born
from the king's marriage to Sogolon Kedjou. Sundiata had a
difficult childhood. He crept until he was seven. One day the
king summons Sundiata and calls him his successor. Later, the
king dies. Queen Sassouma Bérété (first wife), puts her son,
Dankaran Tumani on the throne with the help of the court of the
olds. After this, Sogolon is forced to leave Niani with his
children. When Sundiata was in exile for seven years, Soumaoro
Kanté, the king of the Sosso land, invades Manding and conquers
it. Sundiata decides to return to Manding. The first battle
breaks out between the two, but Sundiata defeats him in the
second battle, after discovering the Wizard King's
invulnerability secret.
The main hero of each epic is a well-liked character, and
usually with his wondrous deeds traces the fate of a tribe or
race. In this section, we look at the comparative study of the
similarities between characters and their roles from birth to
death.
3. Common items in the two stories:
The present study is based on comparative literature.
Comparative literature is based on study programs that consider
the influence of texts on different cultures, regardless of
national or linguistic boundaries. Today's comparative
literature focuses on comparative anthropology, discourse
theory, reception theory, translation studies, cultural
materialism, and a variety of other approaches.
The first school in comparative literature is the "French
School". Its most important specification is "historicism", that
is, the historical or effect-influence relationship of the
principles of the French school. According to the comparative
literature foundations of this school, "the language of the two
literature must be different and there should be historical
relations between the two" (Kafafi, 2010: 17-20). Therefore, the
theoretical foundations in our study do not fit because in the
French school "literary work itself is not dealt with, only the
external issues are investigated, such as the influence and
effect of the work and its review of sources and fame" (Volck &
Warren, 1994: 43). The present study follows the "American
school" because the main principle is originality. In this
school of literature, all features of a literary work are at the
center of attention.

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In the review and comparison section of the two works, we first
compare the similarities and then their differences.
3.1 Similarities between Rostam and Sundiata (the heroes)
Two sources have written about Rostam:
Like some of the other heroes of the Shahnameh, Rostam was of
the great Iranian commanders in the Parthian era which ruled in
Sistan and, due to his great deeds he found his way to the
national narratives of the Eastern Iranians, and if this
assumption be true, Rostam have a historical existence, but when
he came to national stories, he became a fictional existence and
all the features of a hero was appeared in him (Safa, 2010:
567).
Sundiata is the hero of the famous Manding epic (one of the
famous tribes of the West African region). He has been nicknamed
"the lion cub" and "the son of a buffalo." He is an enlightened,
brave, powerful and supportive person who relies on miracles and
superstitions.
There are some similarities in the life and heroic practices of
Rostam and Manding(Sundiata):
3.1.1. The Role of Astrologers and diviners in predicting the
birth
In the epic, the element of foresight and prophecy plays an
important role. Some humans are capable of interpreting the
signs and predicting fate. Predictions indicate the future tasks
of the hero. The role of astrologers and their prophecies is not
only undeniable in the marriage of Zal and Rodabe and the Naré
Maguan Konfata and Sogolon Kedjou, but also the birth of Rostam
and Sundiata.
The prediction element in Rostam's story begins when Sam asks
astrologers to look at the future of Zal and Rodabe's marriage.
The astrologers tell Sam that you should be glad that the
Mehrab's daughter will give birth to a brave man for you who is
named Zal (Danesh pazhouh, 2011: 51-53). Sam writes a letter to
Manouchehr requesting the king of Iran to marry his son.
"Astrologers see stars of Zal and Rodabe for Manouchehr and tell
Manouchehr that a child will be born from this marriage who

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lives long and has power and Farr (charisma)1" (Abu al-Maali al-
Husseini, 2008: 64).
To daughter of Mihrab and son of Sam
There will be born a genius, fair hero
The world will be conquered by his sword
dethroning any king, putting them behind the clouds
(Ferdowsi, 1/1406-1408)
At the beginning of the Manding Epic, a hunter chases the animal
that comes near the wall of the Niani court and then predicts
that two foreigners will come to court with a woman and the king
should marry her. "This woman will be the mother of a man who
makes the name of the land Manding everlasting. He will become
the seventh star and the seventh conqueror of the earth. He will
become even more powerful than the Diouloukara Naini, that is,
Alexander the GEIat” (Niane, 1960: 21).
Prediction in the story of the birth Prediction in the story of the birth
of Rostam of Sundiata
Predictions of Zoroastrian priests Prediction of the hunter (single)
and astrologers (group)
Prediction with Indian Zij (variable Prediction with 12 seashell
astronomical table)
Two predictions (First Sam and then Only one prediction (Hunter)but
Manouchehr for confirmation) confirmed by the blacksmith

3.1.2. Overeating:
An important feature of some epic heroes is their overeating.
Rostam is the most prominent hero of the Shahnameh that his
overeating is emphasized. Dr. Khaleghi Motlagh (2012: 284)
believes that overeating is the characteristic of primitive epic
heroes and is derived from Rostam Sakai's behavior. During his
infancy, ten nurses served Rostam and he ate as much as five
men. He had accelerated growth until he reached full maturity at
the age of eight (Serami, 2009: 780-781):
Ten nurses suckled Rostam
For from milk are strength and constitution
He ate as much as five men

1
According to ancient Iranians, the mysterious and supernatural power that leads to the victory of kings is known
as a light that hits the heart (Anwari, 2003: About the word "Farr").
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And people turned from such repasts
(Book I, 270: 1516-1517)
He put another onager before himself-
His customary portion at each meal
He sprinkled salt, cut up the meat, and ate;
Meanwhile Bahman could not but gaze
He ate a little of his onager
But not a hundredth part of Rostam’s meal
(Book V, 322, 363-365)
In general, overeating and over-drinking are characteristics of
the heroes. and in this, no one is equal to Rostam (Nodushan,
1348: 309). Another important point is that other heroes, such
as Bahman and Esfandiyar, reproached and ridiculed this
character of Rostam. For example, when Rostam blames Bahman for
eating fewer foods, in response, Bahman criticizes Rostam's
overeating and even his garrulity:
Bahaman said: Never such prince
Should talk or eat much
Eating little he is great
In war and ever hath his life in hand
(Book V, 322: 368-369)
In the story of the Sundiata, this is also attributed to
Sundiata. His overeating is legendary. In Manding epic, it is
said that the Sundiata, though unable to walk at the age of
seven, "When her mother was out of the hut, he would drag
himself to find food in neighboring houses." He was very
glutt p us”‎ (Niane, 1960: 36). Some joked that his name comes
from the two words in the Manding language, ‎
"Soun"‎ meaning thief
and ‎
"Djata"‎ meaning lion, and his name is translated as "The
lion that steals".
Rostam and overeating Sundiata and overeating

Ten nurses suckled Rostam when he was There was only his mother to suckle
a child him but she was not enough

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 He ate as much as five men It is not specified how much he ate;
but he stole food from neighbors
Bahman and Esfandiyar ridiculed him He was ridiculed with these words:
because of overeating “ThI‎li p‎wh ‎stIal‎f ds”

3.1.3. Hunting and fighting elephants in childhood

Rostam's chivalrous behavior begins in his childhood with the
hunting of the white elephant. Zal's big elephant escapes from
prison and people fear that it will annihilate somebody and no
one can fight it. Rostam picks up Sam's mace, knocks him over
the elephant, and kills him. Rostam has a keen interest in
hunting and has hunted and killed many strange animals
(Nodooshan, 1969: 295-296). After killing the elephant, he
returns to his dorm, as if nothing happened, and falls asleep!
This is also a sign of the power that is with him until the last
moments of his life (Serami, 2009: 781).
In the Sundiata epic, there are also indications of his interest
in hunting and fighting animals. Sundiata sometimes hunted
elephants with nearby princes. The townspeople gathered at the
Great Niane Square to welcome the young hunters. They were
singing the "Bow Hymn" that they had made for Sundiata. During
his childhood, he was awarded the degree of Sinbun or Master of
Hunters (Niane, 1960: 33), which was given to great hunters.
Rostam Sundiata

Killing the white elephant by himself Hunting an elephant (with others) in

childhood

3.1.4. Travels and passing the stages

The hero of the epic usually goes on long and risky trips, as
Rostam encountered many difficult journeys and paths throughout
his life. The most fascinating story is Rostam's Seven Labors is
in Mazandaran. Kavus was caught in Mazandaran. Zal commanded
Rostam to rescue him and tells him there are two ways to get
there: one long and safe and the other short and risky. Rostam
took the second path and started the journey alone and said, "I
only seek help from God" (Nodooshan, 1348: 317).
In the epic of Manding, Sundiata's upbringing outside his
hometown lasts for seven years. He eventually wins the title of
hero by going through the difficult stages of chivalry. African

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epic works often depict the heroic life and actions of a hero
from childhood. Laurent Gbagbo, the author of Soundjata: le lion
du Manding, (1979) ‎
, believes that the first difficulty Sundiata
faced was her own body that had not enough strength to survive
for seven years. Then, as a result of the court's disrespect for
her mother, Sundiata decides to walk and does so. The same day
another abnormal behavior occurs: digging the big Baobab tree
without any tool! Conspiracy over succession after the death of
King Naré Maguan Konfata is another problem that Sundiata faces
as a child. After Sundiata encounter the nine witches and make
life insecure, Sogolon Kedjou leaves Niani with his children. He
learns how to thwart a conspiracy at King Mansa KonKon's palace,
because the king plans to kill him after defeating the king in
the Wouri2 game. From there he was banished to Méma (Gbagbo,
1979: 2-5). When he and his mother is in Méma with Tounkara, he
participates in battles on behalf of the king and is victorious
over everyone. At the age of fifteen, Méma's King took Sundiata
to the battlefield. He teaches the art of war to Sundiata
(Niane, 1960: 70).
Journey of Rostam Journey of Sundiata

Reason: To save Kavus in Mazandaran Reason: Banishment and upbringing of

the hero
Rostam travelled alone Sundiata travelled with his family

He became a hero after passing seven He became a hero after a 7-years

stages journey

3.1.5 The inability to defeat the rival in the first battle and
discovering the secret of invulnerability
Rostam cannot defeat Esfandiyar in his first battle with
Esfandiyar. In the first fight, after boasting the fight begins.
Esfandiyar's youth neutralizes Rostam's force, but the problem
is with the prince. That same day, both he and his horse receive
severe wounds. Even when hovering over the back of the Ekvan-
diw, he did not see himself so close to death (Islami Nodooshan,
2011: 24).
As night comes, Rostam proposes to finish the war and promises
to do whatever he wants the next day. Esfandiyar shows his
generous and magnanimity and accepts his offer; he is confident

2
It is a type of game that those who are familiar with magic and magic have the ability to do
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he will not lose the grip. Rostam goes back up the hill for a
moment and regrets, "I Look for a way out of misery." Zal and
Simorgh, in the meantime, warn Rostam of the terrible
consequences of killing Esfandiyar, but there is no other way.
It seems that the world is too narrow to accommodate the two
heroes (Sundiata also told Soumaoro Kanté‎ that two people cannot
sit on a single royal mat). In this battle one of the two must
be eliminated and that is Esfandiyar. If it is unacceptable,
such death is far from submission. A brave man like him should
not have the same fate as others as long as he is alive; his
carcass will not fall on the battlefield (Ibid., 24). Thus, with
the help of Zal and Simorgh, Rostam discovers the secret of
invulnerability and Esfandiyar's weakness.
In Manding epic, Sundiata cannot defeat him in his first battle
with Soumaoro Kanté. The first battle takes place in the city of
Niguiboria. On the battlefield, Sundiata draws his bow and
releases the arrow as he approaches Soumaoro Kanté, he
disappears in the dust. Sundiata sees him again and throws an
arrow with all his might. When the arrow hits Soumaoro Kapté’s
chest, he falls on the ground. Sundiata throws the third arrow
and Soumaoro Kanté takes it with one move and shows Sundiata
that he is invincible. Sundiata gets angry and grabs the sword
to kill him. Suddenly, Soumaoro Kanté disappears in front of his
eyes. Mandin Bori sees Soumaoro Kanté on top of the hill and
shows him to the Sundiata. Sundiata is surprised and stops
fighting. It is sunset and Soumaoro Kanté disappears and his
troops flee. How can you beat a man who is invulnerable to metal
and disappears and appears whenever and wherever he wants?
(Niane, 1960: 97) Sundiata seeks a solution because he has
failed to defeat Soumaoro Kanté on the first day. He meets
prophets and astronomers, who tell him to sacrifice a hundred
white cows, a hundred white sheep, and a hundred white cocks. At
that time, he is informed that his half-sister, Nana Triban, and
Blafasque (his brother-in-law) have escaped from the palace of
Soumaoro Kanté. Sundiata takes the news as a good omen and
greets them. After visiting the Sundiata, Nana Triban explains
to him the reason for invulnerability of Soumaoro Kanté (Niane,
1960: 119).
The battle between Rostam and The battle between Sundiata and
Esfandiyar Soumaoro Kanté
The two heroes fought without army The two fought with their armies

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 Rostam got injured in the first
battle
Discovering the secret of
invulnerability with the help of Zal
and Simorgh (family)
Sundiata was not injured in the
battle
Discovering the secret of
invulnerability with the help of Nana
Triban and Blafasque

3.1.6 Betrayal as the common cause of the death of both heroes

Death is the end of the journey. In the life of the heroes,
death is the being the peak of life that gives it meaning and
glory. The meaning of every hero's life is in the way he dies
(Nodooshan, 1969: 292). At sixth hundred years of his life,
Rostam and his horse Rakhsh falls into the well with the deceit
and betrayal of his brother Shoghad and got killed.
Rostam, who had realized this plot and the role of Shoghad
before dying, demanded that he would make his bow ready and
place it beside him in case that if a lion came to them it could
not attack him when he is alive. Shoghad did so, but because he
was frightened of Rostam, he hid behind an old plane tree that
was over the well. Rostam stitched together Shoghad and the tree
with an arrow and he thanked God for giving him the power to
take revenge from his rival before his death (Sharifi, 2008:
698).
Betrayal is also an important factor in how Sundiata dies.
Griots of the epic narrator has not said anything about the
death of the hero (Sundiata) in Djibril Tamsir Niane book, but
the author has two narratives in his notes. According to the
first narrative, Sundiata is killed in a public ceremony in
Niani (the capital of his empire) by a betrayal (an arrow). In
the second narrative, the ‎ "Peuls"/ "Pulaar" / Fulani‎ tribe
accuse and betray Sundiata for breaking the covenant between
their tribe and the tribe of Peuls, and finally, Sundiata drowns
in Sankarani River. In his essay entitled ‎ « Soundiata Keïta,
héros historique et légendaire, empereur du Manding », ‎ Mamby
Sidibé narrates a story that is close to the second narrative of
Djibril Tamsir Niane.
The death of Rostam The death of Sundiata

Betrayed by his brother Shoghad and Betrayed by his friends (killed by a

the king of Kabul arrow in a public ceremony)
Because Rostam collected tax (kharaj) Because Sundiata collected tax

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 Died at the age of six hundred Died when he was young (less than 30)

3.2. Similarities between Esfandiyar and Soumaoro Kanté (Anti-

heroes)
3.2.1 Lust for power and throne
Esfandiyar obeys his father after his release from prison to
reach the throne. He comes to his father and stands up and says,
"Did you see how I defeated Arjasp?" But my fate was chain and
prison in Gonbadan-dege! He came and killed Lohrasp and
Farshidvard and 38 of my brothers and destroyed everything, and
you fled to the mountain in defeat. You sent Jamasp telling him
to come back and save the country. I went through the very
difficult seven labors and killed Arjasp, burned his castle and
took back your daughters. What are you saying now? In order to
get Esfandiyar out of his way, Vishtaspa had already planned. So
he said: Go to Sistan and kill Rostam. If you do that I will
give you the throne (Riazi, 2007: 328-329).
In the Manding Epic, Soumaoro Kanté fought the Sundiata because
he wanted to extend his land to Manding. With the strength of
his troops he extended the borders of his land day by day. No
one could resist him, and all the kings trembled at him.
Soumaoro Kanté exploited his magic power as much as he could,
conquering the countries around him and expanding his borders.
When the son of Sogolon Kedjou(Sundiata) decided to take back
Manding, the land of their ancestors, prophets told Soumaoro
Kanté to stop the evil and attack the Sundiata, but Soumaoro
Kanté was thinking of fighting Fakoli3‎, his nephew because his
sister has rebelled against him. Soumaoro Kanté really fits the
famous saying "Power and wealth blind the man". Sundiata also
told Soumaoro Kanté in his boasting, "There are no two people on
a royal mat" (Niane, 1960: 112).

3
Fakoli is Soumaoro 's niece. Fakoli's wife would make food for three hundred people, so Soumaoro took that
woman from Fakoli and imprisoned her as one of her wives. Fakoli also rebelled against Soumaoro.
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 Esfandiyar
He does not listen to his mother's
advice (not going to Zabul).
Katayoun's prediction of the fate of
his son, Esfandiyar was correct, and
he instructed his son not to be
ambitious and capricious. he said,
"Hey, Esfandiyar, do not be childish
foe earning your Father's
crown(Shoghi, 1971: 212).
Soumaoro Kanté
He ignores the words of his son who
was defeated in the war with the
Sundiata (Sundiata is scarier than
milk). His diviners told him to block
the way for Sundiata, but ignored him
because he was thinking of fighting
his nephew (Fakoli). He even ignored
the words of Sundiata when he was
boasting.

3.2.2. Invulnerability
The invulnerability is that one is superior to the other. Humans
are equal when they wound each other. If one finds among them
the invincible one, he will most definitely be the unique hero
which is embodied in the psychological needs of mankind
(Nodooshan, 2011: 49). In the world literature, this
characteristic has been attributed to several heroes, including
Esfandiyar in Shahnameh and Soumaoro Kanté in the epic Sonata.
The Shahnameh does not mention Esfandiyar's invulnerability, but
it is mentioned in the Zaratusht-nama by Bahram Pazhdo that
Zarathustra made Esfandiyar invulnerable.
There are two other accounts of Esfandiyar's invulnerability:
First, Zarathustra bathed Esfandiyar in a sacred water or river,
which caused him to become invulnerable, leaving only his eyes
as vulnerable. Second, when Esfandiyar killed the dragon, he was
in the box and plunged into the blood of the dragon, which
caused him to become invulnerable. Washing in the water seems to
be more rational than the other two accounts of Esfandiyar's
vulnerable eye (Mazandarani, 1998: 54).
In the Sundiata epic, there is also a hero named Soumaoro Kanté,
who is invulnerable. There is nothing to say about his ephemeral
tale in Djibril Tamsir Niane's book, but in Le Mandé de nos
ancêtres (2004) by Samaké Youssouf Kourouma, the historian of
Mali, there is a narrative that Soumaoro Kanté gained the
magical and invulnerability from elves and the fairies of the
forest. In another narrative, her sister marries a jinni that
has given her this force in addition to an army of jinnis
(Kourouma, 2004: 29-30). Soumaoro Kanté exploited his magical
and invulnerable power, and all the kings feared him.

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 Invulnerability of Esfandiyar Invulnerability of Soumaoro Kanté

Zoroaster makes him invulnerable Jinnis and Peris makes him

invulnerable
His whole body is invulnerable except His whole body is invulnerable
his eyes

3.2.3. Predicting the death of the invulnerable heroes

In both works, the prediction of the main heroes' battle with
the anti-heroes and the triumph of one against the other is
specified. Before Rostam's battle with Esfandiyar, Jamasp, an
astronomer and minister of the Gashtasb, predicted Esfandiyar's
death by Rostam. Esfandiyar's fate was to be killed by of
Rostam. Gashtasb find the intention of his son, Esfandiyar, he
calls him on and asks astronomers and predictors to look into
Esfandiyar's astrology as to whether he will seize the throne
and live long or not:
Then he called Jamasp the king
And Those Luhrasp’s diviners
They came, their tablets on their breats, and he
Inquired about the brave Esfandiyar:
Is he to have long life? Will he abide
In peace, prosperity, and all delights?
Is he to wear the crown of king of kings,
And will the good and great rely on him?
(Ferdowsi 1374: 713)
In the Sundiata epic, astronomers have predicted the death of
the sorcerer King Soumaoro Kanté‎
, and even told him that the one
who kills you will be born in Manding and he is Sundiata.
Sundiata visits astronomers before battling Soumaoro Kanté‎
, that
is, boasting, to make sure that it is time to face Soumaoro
Kanté‎
. They tell him that it is time for him and he (Sundiata)
to be the only hero to kill Soumaoro Kanté‎ . Astronomers then
select Sundiata in an official ceremony as the commander of the
entire land of Manding, and offer to sacrifice for his victory;
The sacrifices are: seven cotton threads (to sew only the
commander garment), seven alive cocks, seven sheep, seven

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donkeys, seven goats, seven cows and seven horses. Animals must
be at least seven months old (Kourouma, 2004: 73-74).
Predicting Esfandiyar's death Predicting Soumaoro Kanté's death

Esfandiyar did not know he would be Soumaoro Kanté was aware that he will
killed by Rostam be killed by Sundiata
The astrologers had not predicted the Astrologers had predicted the death
death of Rostam for Esfandiyar of Soumaoro Kanté for Sundiata

3.2.4. Choosing the sons to meet the rivals

Bahman is Esfandiyar's eldest son, who accompanies him to
Zabulistan. Esfandiyar seeks a transmitter that fits his status,
a person from the Qian family, close to him and intelligent,
Thus, Bahman is chosen, who is the second commander after
Peshotanu. Bahman completes the mission. He first confronts Zal
and speaks with him, then, he talks to her rudely, then hugs a
rock from the mountain with the intention of kill Rostam.
Bahman's childish behavior (just like Katayoun and Pushoten)
testify that his father cannot kill Rostam and, with the same
childish simplicity, intends to get Rostam out of the way
(Nodooshan, 2011: 122).
In Manding epic, the selection of a son to meet and deal with a
rival is also seen. Soumaoro Kanté sent his son, Sosso Balla ‎ ,
along with a group of troops to block the way of the Sundiata to
the city of Tabon. Sundiata defeated Sosso Balla ‎ and his troops
on the battlefield. When she returned to her father, Sosso Balla
told him that Sundiata was more frightening and predatory than
lions, and nothing could stop her. His father sadly told him,
"Be quiet poor child! You shudder at a boy of your age (Niane,
1960: 92-95).

Esfandiyar Soumaoro Kanté

Bahman met Rostam by himself without Sosso Balla attacked Sundiata with
any armies armies
There was no fight between Bahman and Sosso Balla fought Sundiata
Rostam

3.2.5. Anti-heroes who are defeated by a wooden arrow

As Simorgh told him, Rostam throws a poisonous wooden arrow into
the eyes of Esfandiyar and defeats him.

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The next morning, as Rostam and his horse stand against
Esfandiyar, he begs just like what Simorgh has told him: a
treasure promise, a slave, whatever he wants, as much as he
wapts,‎ apd‎ all‎ TynI‎ f‎ sIEvicIs,‎ apd‎ rsfapdiyaE’s‎ apswIE‎ is‎ thI‎
again "no". Then the Tamarix arrow is released (Eslami
Nodooshan, 2011: 25).
As Simorgh had advised him, Rostam hits Esfandiyar's eye with a
Taramix arrow, which causes Esfandiyar to die. The story of
Rostam and Esfandiyar is one of the deepest and most profound
parts of the Shahnameh (Mazandarani, 1998: 55).
In Manding epic, before the battle in the city of Krina,
Sundiata knew the secret of Soumaoro Kanté’s‎invulnerability and
prepared the weapon to injure him, namely a metal arrow but not
a wooden arrow with a white crown on it. And defeated him.
The Sundiata took the bow and threw an arrow at him with all his
might. The arrow hit Soumaoro Kanté’s body and, as he was
invulnerable, it only scratched his shoulder, but its effect
became clear at the same time: Soumaoro Kanté felt weak and his
body began to tremble and saw the bird of darkness in the sky
(The Messenger of Death) and realized that it was the end of his
life (Niane, 1960: 119).
Esfandiyar Soumaoro Kanté

A poisonous arrow hit his eyes
The arrow makes him vulnerable and he
dies in the battlefield
A poisonous arrow just injure his
shoulder
The arrow only makes him vulnerable
and then while escaping from the
battlefield he dies

4. Distinctions between the story of Rostam and Esfandiyar and

the epic of the Sundiata
Comparisons between the two works, which have much in common,
one can also find distinctions, especially because they are from
different continents. The first difference we see is the
difference in the name and title of two epic stories. The story
of Rostam and Esfandiyar is about two Iranian heroes, while in
Manding epic the book is derived from the only national hero of
Manding land, the Sundiata. This type of choice suggests that
the epic writer intended only to engrave the Supdiata’s name
eternally in the minds of the Manding people. Esfandiyar's anti-
hero character is positive, but the anti-hero character is in
the Sundiata epic, is the wizard Soumaoro Kanté who is evil.

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Another distinction between the two epic invulnerability of
Esfandiyar and Soumaoro Kanté, in which "Esfandiyar's death
depends on one plant (Tamarix) and only one of his members is
harmed by weapon" (Safa, 2009: 599). Soumaoro Kanté is injured
by an arrow on which the cock's finger is impregnated with
molten gold. On the other hand, unlike Esfandiyar, whose one eye
is vulnerable, the whole body is invasive and invulnerable. In
the fight, Rostam and Esfandiyar fight in the presence, but
Sundiata and Soumaoro Kanté boast via an owl so that two owls
are forced to boast.
5. Conclusion
the definitions of American comparative literature scholars,
such as Taher Ahmad Mackie and Henry Mark, we conclude that
comparative literature extends beyond the narrow boundaries of
historicism in the literature of nations. American comparative
literature is a type of cultural study (Seyyedi, 2011: 17). We
can see from the two stories that, despite the differences in
the subject, they have in common the things that link them
together. The heroes of the two epics have supernatural power
from childhood to death. Rostam and Sundiata make voyages that
endanger national, ethnic, racial and spiritual values and
ultimately achieve championships through risky journeys and by
overcoming obstacles. Predictors and astronomers play an
important role in predicting events and accidents (parental
bonding, the birth of the hero (Rostam and Sundiata), and death
of the anti-hero). Other points in common between the two are
eager to hunting and war, Pre-War Boasting, hand-to-hand combat,
Use of Weapons, Anti-Heroes Invulnerability, Understanding the
Secret of invulnerability by a member of the family and the
defeat of the rival, the presence of children on the
battlefield, and the lust for power and throne. Alongside the
many similarities between the two stories, we find some
differences in their structure and subject matter, that they
seem normal because of the geographical distance between the two
continents and the obvious cultural, racial, ethnic, and
religious differences.

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