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What is The Knight in the Panther's Skin and who wrote it?

Rustaveli's poem and its history.

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Short answer

The Knight in the Panther's Skin is a poem by the Georgian poet Shota Rustaveli, written during the reign of Queen Tamar. Scholars estimate that Rustaveli was born around 1160–1165, but very little is known about his origins and life. The oldest surviving manuscript dates from 1646.

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Why

  1. The poem's author is Shota Rustaveli, and it was written under Queen Tamar.
  2. The first printing came out in 1712 at a printing house founded by Vakhtang VI.
  3. The action covers India, Arabia and fictional lands.

Details

The work contains fantasy, utopian and anti-utopian elements. Researchers see it as reflecting the European worldview of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Read about Rustaveli himself and Queen Tamar in who are Queen Tamar, Shota Rustaveli and other heroes of Georgian history.

Tip

Look for editions that name the translator: there are several Russian and English translations and they differ a lot.

What may differ

In Russian the title is often rendered as tiger skin, and in English as panther's skin: both names refer to the same poem.

Common misconception

Everything is known about Rustaveli: his dates and biography survive.

What actually happens

Information about his origins and life is very limited, and the birth year is only a scholarly estimate.

People also ask

  • Who wrote The Knight in the Panther's Skin?

Sources

This answer is for reference. Data and estimates get revised over time, so check official websites.

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