Description: Olga M. Davidson's major reassessment of the classical Persian epic the Shahnama argues that its poet is actually a character in the work who coexists with the heroes and kings celebrated in the poem. Documenting the text's oral performance tradition, Davidson shows that the heroic style of the Shahnama stems from ancient Indo-European traditions.
Brief description: Olga M. Davidson is a Faculty Fellow at the Institute for the Study of Muslim Societies and Civilizations at Boston University.