The poet, after inditing a Prelude in praise of Mahmúd, tells how Asfandiyár set forth with his host to rescue his sisters from the Brazen Hold; how he met with divers adventures by the way, captured the Brazen Hold by a stratagem, delivered his sisters, slew Arjásp, defeated the Túránians, and returned in triumph to his father.

In this Part the rivalry between the two greatest heroes of Íránian legend proper, the priestly and the popular hero— Asfandiyár and Rustam—may be said to get fairly under way. For the present it is a rivalry of achievement only. In Part III. it is a personal contention in which every faculty of mind and body is exerted to the utmost in a desperate struggle that results tragically for both protagonists. This rivalry in legend may be said to have commenced even in Part I., where, just as Rustam delivered Tús and the Íránian host when beleaguered by the Turkmans on Mount Hamáwan,*

so Asfandiyár delivers Gushtásp and his army in similar circumstances from Arjásp.*

In the present Part, however, the rivalry becomes more pronounced. As Rustam went alone to release Kai Káús from imprisonment in Mázandarán and encountered seven adventures on his way, so Asfandiyár goes to Túrán to rescue his enslaved sisters and has a similar series of difficulties to overcome. Again, just as Rustam twice donned merchant's garb, on one occasion to get possession of Mount Sipand,*

and on another to rescue Bízhan when captive in the pit,*

so Asfandiyár assumes a like disguise to win the Brazen Hold.*

We should notice further that though the parallel expeditions of Rustam and Asfandiyár pass under the same name,*

yet the priestly redactors of the latter's legend have taken care that his achievements should be attended with more pomp and circumstance than his rival's. Thus Rustam goes alone to Mázandarán,*

but Asfandiyár, whose princely rank has to be recognised, makes his expedition to Túrán accompanied by his brother and minister—Bishútan—and an army. This, however, is not allowed to militate against the merit of his exploits. When an adventure has to be achieved, the hero sets forth alone, while Bishútan and the troops remain at a respectful distance in the rear till all is over, and then come up to offer their con­gratulations. Again, Rustam sleeps through his first adventure —the killing of a lion—and only wakes up to find that his steed Rakhsh has done the business for him.*

Asfandiyár slays suc­cessively and single-handed two monstrous wolves and a lion and lioness.*

The third adventure of both is the slaying of a dragon.*

Rustam succeeds with the help of Rakhsh, Asfandiyár with the assistance of a break and pair of horses! In the next adventure both, after an interlude of wine, lute, and song, put to death a witch;*

Ghúl, however, whom Asfandiyár slays, is represented as being the more formidable of the two beguilers. Finally, the taking of the Brazen Hold and the slaying of Arjásp by Asfan-diyár *

evidently is intended to eclipse Rustam's capture of Mount Sipand*

and his encounter with the White Dív in the cave.*

We may add that both heroes have a prisoner to guide them during part of their respective expeditions. Rustam rewards Úlád.*

Asfandiyár slays Gurgsár.*

The champion of the Faith must not show a mistaken merey to infidels! Evidently, however, from what we have seen above, it was not considered enough that Asfandiyár should be merely a great religious hero; it was de­sired that he should be a great popular hero as well, and surpass Rustam on the latter's own ground, for Rustam's Haft Khwán obviously is the original one. There seems also to be a malicious hit at Rustam in Asfandiyár's fifth adventure,*

that in which he kills the Símurgh, the traditional guardian of the race of Zál. Popular legend, however, stood firm on behalf of its great hero; it refused to supersede him or to acquiesce in the death of the Símurgh; on the contrary, it kept the great bird alive so that it might compass indirectly its own revenge by providing Rustam with the means of vanquishing Asfandiyár. Worsted in this world, and to redress the balance, priestly tradition called in aid the next, and declared Rustam's lot therein to be an unhappy one. This conflict between the legends of the two heroes is typified in the story of their personal encounter in Part III., and we shall gather from Firdausí's splendid version of it, “the deepest conflict of soul in the poem and one of the profoundest in all national epics,” as Professor Nöldeke justly calls it,*

that after centuries probably of unconscious give and take the con­flicting claims of the two protagonists were compromised, and their combined legend settled down into the marvellous equi­librium which now characterizes it.