A Review on the Modernized Correction of the Shahnameh Edited by Fereydoun Joneydi

The most astonishing critical edition of the Shahnameh ever produced in the history of the national Iranian epic text criticism studies is a six volume edition including one volume dedicated to the preface and five ones to the text, by Fereydoun Joneydi (Tehran, Bonyad-e Neyshaboor, 1387). The work does not follow the scientific method of text criticism; rather than concentrating on the manuscripts of the Shanameh, and collating them, it relies on the subordinateand marginal standards. From the total content, 33779 verses are considered as incorporated, and only 16095 are identified as authentically composed by Ferdowsi. Some of the editor’s rules and documents for recognizing two third of the Shahnameh as incorporated are: the necessity of coincidingthe verses with ideas of ancient Iran; concentrating on the etymological meaning of the words; taking into account the incorrect readings, and the meaningless verses; considering all the stories in the Shahnameh as historical; ignoring the old usage of the words and the historical grammar, and, finally, ignoring the literary aspect of the poet’s work. After a thorough study of all the six volumes, the paper concludes that the present edition of the Shahnameh unfortunately lacks scientific value—despite its editor’s thirty year enthusiastic endeavor. The nine parts of the study covers the preface of the edition, explains the authentic verses, readings, and the spellings of words. Also, it illustrates the authenticity of the alleged incorporated verses, mentions the missed parts, points to some more details, and, discusses methodological considerations, before the conclusion.