KNIGHT IN THE PANTHER’S SKIN, THE

(The Man in the Panther’s Skin, Vepkhistkaosani)

by Shota Rustaveli

(12th century)

Shota Rustaveli’s poemThe Knight in the Panther’s Skinis considered by many to be the pinnacle of Georgian literature. Although little is known about its author’s life (not even the dates of his birth and death), scholars do know that, as his name indicates, Rustaveli was probably born in Rustava, a city in Meskheti in south Georgia. He was apparently a prince and the treasurer and court poet during the reign of Queen Tamar of Georgia, and scholars believe he was well educated and that he traveled widely.Also it seems that Rustaveli was not only a talented poet, but was also a gifted visual artist who painted frescoes in the Georgian Monastery of the Cross in Jerusalem,where he was charged in the early 13th century with the restoration of the monastery after Muslims had driven the European crusaders out of Jerusalem in 1187. Also translated as “The Man in the Panther’s Skin” or “The Knight in the Tiger’s Skin,”Vepkhistkaosaniwas first printed in 1712 in the capital of Georgia, Tbilisi, and has since been translated into many languages by numerous authors including Arthur Leist and Marjory Wardrop, and most recently into English by Venera Urushadze. It was illustrated in the 20th century by the Georgian painter Sergo Kobuladze.

Legend says that Rustaveli was orphaned as a child and raised by his uncle, a monk, which may explain some of the religious and philosophical concerns in his epic. The poem is a tale of adventure and romance with philosophical and nationalistic undertones. It presents humanistic ideals such as love, friendship, philanthropy, and courage as well as horrific fighting scenes. The epic, in 1,600 fourline stanzas, is marked by its metrical pattern of flowing rhyme and understated alliteration.The Knight in the Panther’s Skinand its author are highly regarded in the Republic of Georgia. The poem is seen by some as Georgia’s national epic although the nations of India, China, and Arabia also form the setting of the poem. Rustaveli is still regarded as the greatest Georgian poet: The highest prize in Georgian art and literature is the Shota Rustaveli State Prize, and the main street in Georgia’s capital is named Rustaveli Road. Landmarks in Tbilisi include the Shota Rustaveli State Academic Theatre, the Shota Rustaveli Institute of Georgian Literature of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, and the Shota Rustaveli Underground Station.

■ Rustaveli, Shota.The Knight in the Panther’s Skin. Translated by Venera Urushadze. Commack, N.Y.: Kroshka Books, 1998.