Shota Rustaveli is a great Georgian poet of the 12th century. It was the heyday of the Georgian kingdom under the rule of the famous Georgian Queen Tamara. It was a time when great Georgia was known all over the world - a small state on the Black Sea coast was respected even by stronger and more powerful neighbors. One of the most respected statesmen at that time was Shota Rustaveli.
Biography
There are practically no official sources telling about the early childhood of the great poet.
He was born at the turn of the 60-70s of the 12th century. It was not possible to determine the place of birth - most likely, the word "Rustaveli" is not a surname, but indicates the area in which Shota was born. The name "Rustavi" was carried by several settlements located in various regions of Georgia.
The origin of the future poet also remains a mystery. According to some sources, Shota Rustaveli was born into a we althy and influential family. Then the question arises as to why such a brilliantdid the person hide his family name? It seems more logical to guess that he was born into a poor family, but for his abilities he was taken to the house of one of the Georgian nobles, probably Bagrationi.
The information about the good upbringing that Shota received is almost reliable: he spent his early years in one of the monasteries of Meskheti, and then studied in Greece, was fluent in Greek and Latin, studied the heritage of Homer and Plato, theology, the foundations of poetics and rhetoric. This knowledge was useful to him in the public service.
Georgia in the 12th century
The reign of Queen Tamara is not in vain called the golden age of the Georgian state. This woman united small specific principalities into one big country. The reign of an intelligent and well-educated monarch led to the flourishing of the culture and writing of ancient Georgia, to the creation of new literary works, which rightfully took their place in the list of world literary monuments of the past. In addition to the great Rustaveli, at the court of Tamara, poets such as Shavteli and Chakhrukadze created their works, whose odes, singing Queen Tamara, have partially survived to this day. Such an environment quickly provided a literary take-off for the young poet, and Shota Rustaveli was able to please the world with his immortal work.
Creating a Poem
Somewhere between 1187 and 1207, Shota Rustaveli wrote his poem "The Knight in the Tiger (Leopard) Skin". The action of the poem takes place over a large geographical area, and among the characters of the poem there are representativesnon-existent countries and peoples. Skillfully using various literary techniques, the author truthfully depicted the multi-level reality of contemporary Georgia. The heroine of the poem is waiting for marriage with the unloved. She refuses to marry him, for which cruel relatives imprison her in the Kadzhet tower. Three twin knights fight for her freedom and in the end the girl is released. This literary monument ex alts the victory of goodness and justice over envy and bondage.
In the text there are several historical and literary indications of the allegorical meaning of the poem, as well as indirect indications of the period of creation of this literary work. The prologue sings of Tamara's reign and her love for David Soslan. In the final stanzas, the poet mourns the death of the queen, there is also a hint at the authorship of Shota Rustaveli - it is indicated that the author of these lines is “an unknown Meskh from Rustavi.”
Public service
The poem was highly appreciated by contemporaries. The author receives the position of the royal librarian. Tamara gives him a golden pen, which was awarded to Shota Rustaveli for his literary contribution. The biography of the poet mentions that a gift of a golden pen should always be in the librarian's hat. It was considered a sign of his learning, literary talent and personal favor of the queen. This feather accompanies Shota Rustaveli everywhere - photos taken from ancient frescoes prove that the poet always wore this insignia.
Days in Jerusalem
Gradually admiration for the resplendentTamara grew into a deeper feeling. When the queen found out about this feeling, Rustaveli fell out of favor. The poet was forced to flee to Jerusalem.
There he, most likely, took monastic vows in the monastery of the Holy Cross and, in gratitude for the shelter, painted the walls of the ancient temple with wonderful frescoes, reminding him of his distant homeland. The Georgian poet also died there. The monastic brothers did not forget about the significant role of the poet - his gravestone is decorated with the inscription "Shota Rustaveli - Georgian statesman (vizir)". There is also an image of Rustaveli in elegant Georgian clothes and with corresponding inscriptions in Georgian. In the inscription, the poet asks God to be merciful to him and forgive him all his sins.
