Survey and Introduction of Some of the Mythical Heroes of Kūshnāmeh*

Kūshnāmeh is classified as a national, mythological and heroic epic poem. It is composed by Iranshah ibn-e Abalkhair in the 6th century A.H. This epic is a legend about Kūsh Pilgūsh, Zahhāk’s nephew, who ruled strongly and tyrannically in China, Ethiopia and Africa for a long time. Although, during his long reign in China, Maghreb and Africa, he often fights with Jamshid’s dynasty, he eventually decides to become a theist and observe justice. The book includes the peculiarities of a number of mythological characters. However, there are some characters who have been earlier introduced by Abul Ghasem Ferdowsi in a different manner. Review of these common characters and their similarities and differences in the events reveals that the sources of the two epic poems are somewhat different.