The Knight in the Panther's Skin
Also known as: The Man in the Panther's Skin, The Knight in the Tiger's Skin, Vepkhistqaosani
Rustaveli’s chivalric epic follows Avtandil of Arabia and the mysterious knight Tariel—clad in a panther’s skin—as they seek to rescue Tariel’s beloved, Nestan-Darejan, weaving courtly love, sworn friendship, and high adventure across imagined Arabia, India, and beyond.
Description
A cornerstone of Georgian literature, Rustaveli’s poem blends Persianate romance with Georgian courtly ideals. When Avtandil encounters a grief-stricken knight clothed in a panther’s skin, he vows to learn his story and aid him. Tariel, heir and commander in India, loves Nestan-Darejan; through intrigue and sorcery she is abducted by the Kadjis to the fortress of Kadjeti. Bound by oaths, Avtandil undertakes years of searching, forging alliances—most notably with the valiant Pridon—and mastering disguise, diplomacy, and arms. The companions storm Kadjeti and restore Nestan to freedom, culminating in reunions, marriages, and orderly succession. Composed in monorhymed shairi quatrains, the poem exalts steadfast friendship (ghmertsmadameoba), courage, and magnanimous rule while celebrating the alluring power and peril of love.
Historiography
The poem survives in a rich but relatively late manuscript tradition; the earliest extant copies date to the 16th–17th centuries, while the first printed edition was issued in Tbilisi in 1712 under King Vakhtang VI. The original 12th–13th-century archetype is lost, and textual variants reflect a lively copying culture. Marjory Scott Wardrop’s English translation (1912) helped introduce the work to Western audiences; numerous modern Georgian critical editions and translations have refined readings, stanza counts, and proper names. The work’s status as Georgia’s national epic shaped its reception through medieval, early modern, and Soviet periods.
Date Notes
Generally dated to the reign of Queen Tamar of Georgia; composition likely c. 1190s–early 1200s.
Major Characters
- Avtandil
- Tariel
- Nestan-Darejan
- Tinatin
Myths
- Avtandil’s Quest for the Knight in the Panther’s Skin
- Tariel’s Love for Nestan-Darejan
- The Brotherhood of Knights
- The Rescue of Nestan-Darejan
Facts
- Composed in monorhymed shairi quatrains (four 16-syllable lines per stanza).
- Earliest surviving manuscripts postdate the author by several centuries; 1712 Tbilisi edition standardized text.
- Set across imagined Arabia and India, reflecting Persianate and Georgian chivalric worlds.
- Centers on a triad of friendship and love: Avtandil, Tariel, and Nestan-Darejan.
- Avtandil’s vow of aid frames the epic’s multi-year quest structure.
- The Kadjis’ sorcery and the fortress of Kadjeti provide the climactic rescue setting.
- Celebrated as Georgia’s national epic and a touchstone of Georgian identity.
- Marjory Scott Wardrop produced the first complete English translation in 1912.
- Rustaveli’s ethical ideal blends courage, generosity, and loyal companionship (ghmertsmadameoba).
- The poem’s imagery—rings, letters, panther’s skin—codes secrecy, oath, and identity.