Rustam battles the White Div, Shahnama manuscript,ca1330–40
Actual original museum bytes individually inspected: pale hairy humanoid div at left battles Rustam, with horse behind. Named museum record identifies White Div. Later restorer reattached the severed leg; current connected anatomy does not override textual injury.
Overview
Atkinson’s account connects the White Demon with the capture and blinding of Kai Kavus’s army in Mazandaran. Rustam reaches the demon’s cavern in his seventh trial. Inside the darkness, a mountainlike figure covered with hair rises into view. The demon hurls a huge millstone; Rustam avoids it, wounds his thigh and severs a leg before they grapple.
Rustam ultimately lifts the demon and throws him down, then removes his heart. The Met’s manuscript folio Rustam Kills the White Div, dated about 1330–40, records this particular battle. Its curator notes that a later restorer reattached the leg severed in the story. The image’s current condition therefore requires interpretation: a connected leg is not evidence that the narrative lacks the injury.
Origins & earliest records
Persian epic traditions; named source setting
Records & interpretation
Identified primary narrative or custodial object record directly read; image pixels verified only where explicitly noted.
Selected bibliography
Documented works and useful reading. This is not a list of every appearance.
- 01
Shahnama in Persian Literature, Volume1
Kai-Káús; Rustam’s Heft-Khan, seventh stage
- 02
Rustam Kills the White Div, manuscript folio
Later restoration reattached severed leg, according to museum.
Family & connections
A source-supported family tree or inspiration record has not yet been compiled for this profile. Related reading below indicates a connection in subject matter, not a proven lineage or creative influence.
Primary records and illustrations
Shahnama in Persian Literature, Volume1
Persian epic traditions. Kai-Káús; Rustam’s Heft-Khan, seventh stage
Actual passage or object record read directly. Museum image bytes not yet visually inspected for these new West Asian objects.
References
Sources supporting this profile. Linked pages have their own scope and editorial standards.
- Primary narrative in historical translationShahnama in Persian Literature, Volume1 — Kai-Káús; Rustam’s Heft-Khan, seventh stageResearch access: 2026-10-05
- Museum / primary object recordRustam Kills the White Div, Met 1974.290.7Research access: 2026-10-05
Image credits
Historical illustrationRustam battles the White Div, Shahnama manuscript,ca1330–40
Actual original museum bytes individually inspected: pale hairy humanoid div at left battles Rustam, with horse behind. Named museum record identifies White Div. Later restorer reattached the severed leg; current connected anatomy does not override textual injury.
