The Georgian national epic retold and richly illustrated
Passed down orally over centuries, formative for the self-image of an entire nation, and an enchanting tale of love and heroism: Tilman Spreckelsen and Kat Menschik have taken on the Georgian national epic, giving it a modern retelling in a wonderfully illustrated volume.
Tinatin and Avtandil, Nestan Darejan and Tariel. Two pairs of lovers whose fates are intertwined in unexpected ways. The two women fall in love just as deeply as the two heroes, but they are the ones who call the shots – forcing Avtandil and Tariel to endure tough trials before finally truly winning over their beloveds. The poet Shota Rustaveli wrote the verses around 1200, when Georgia became a major power under the reign of Queen Tamar. When the Mongolians brought this golden age to an abrupt end, this epic from better days only became even more important to the Georgians – and has remained so, all the way to the present.
In her illustrations, Kat Menschik luxuriates in the medieval and oriental atmosphere, breathing new life into the old warriors. And Tilman Spreckelsen draws us straight into the heart of the drama around Avtandil and his friend Tariel, the unhappy lover in a panther’s skin.
