Monday 14 March 2022

Sohrab And Rustum

"Passing The Love  Of Women."

The moons of Rustum are called Sohrab and Raksh.

"Much the most important thing that happened to me at Campbell was that I there read Sohrab and Rustum ..."
-CS Lewis, Surprised By Joy (London, 1964), III, p. 48.
 
For the text of this poem, see here. For the meaning of Raksh, see here.

I reread CS Lewis because of an interest in philosophy and spirituality although philosophy involves disagreements. Lewis discusses HG Wells and parodies him in That Hideous Strength. Coincidentally, I reread Lewis's spiritual autobiography and Poul Anderson's Rustum History simultaneously. If Lewis is to be believed, then both divine and demonic influences can affect our reading.

1 comment:

Sean M. Brooks said...

Kaor, Paul!

I googled "Sohrab and Rustum" and I was interested to find out they are figures from the SHAHNAMEH, the national epic of Iran, collecting stories, legends, and history from the pre-Muslim past of Persia.

Lewis may have unjustly parodied Wells, but an article I read about his possible antisemitism, citing examples from his works, makes me think not all criticisms of him will be unfounded. And, alas, Wells' book CRUX ANSATA shows him to be anti-Catholic.

Ad astra! Sean