Question

Sundiata and the Shahnameh both tell us about our epic heroes' births and childhoods. What are some of the differences between Rostam and Sundiata's childhoods and their actions/behavior as children? How do those early years influence your expectations of the epic hero and his later actions? In 1-2 paragraphs

Answer 1

Rostam is portrayed as a miracle baby. When Rudabeh was expecting Rostam, Zal burns a Simorgh feather and a Simorgh appears. The bird makes arrangements for a caesarean birth and Rostam was born. After birth within weeks Rostam turns into a man and he is capable of killing a unstoppable rampaging white elephant. After this he overcomes a group of rebels single handedly and due to this he is hailed as a champion. Later he completed 7 tasks to prove his might.

The childhood of Sundiata is opposite of Rostam. Like Rostam Sundiata didn’t have a peaceful childhood. Sundiata suffered from a disability and this made the childhood difficult. Due to the disability he has to crawl until age 3 and was not seen as a successor of leadership. After his father’s death his step brother becomes king and Sundiata is mistreated. Sundiata learns how to walk, trains hard and returns as a powerful warrior to free Mali from his brother’s miserable rule. He defeats his brother and becomes king and made Mail a prosperous nation under his rule.

The major difference between Rostam and Sundiata is, Rostam has a supernatural birth and was born with everything required to live a live of a hero while sundiata was born a human and a cripple who had to change himself by harwork to reach the status epic hero.

Rostams birth and the childhood heroics declares him as an epic hero straightaway while the birth and childhood of Sundiata do not reveal if he is a epic hero but he later acquires the qualities to be called as an epic hero. Rostam was born to be a king, in fact, he is portrayed as the hero born to complete tasks. Sundiata on the other hand was born as a normal man and the struggles he face motivated him to become a leader and his achievements made him an epic hero.