Alamut (1938 novel)

infobox Book |
name = Alamut
title_orig = Alamut
translator =


image_caption = Cover of the English translation of the novel.
author = Vladimir Bartol
illustrator =
cover_artist =
country = Slovenia
language = Slovene
series =
genre =
publisher = Scala House Press
release_date = 2004
english_release_date =
media_type = Print ()
pages =
isbn = ISBN 0-9720287-3-0
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Alamut" is a novel by Vladimir Bartol, first published in 1938 in Slovene, dealing with the story of Hassan-i Sabbah and the Hashshashin, and named after their Alamut fortress.

Bartol first started to conceive the novel in the early 1930s, when he lived in Paris. In the French capital, he met with the Slovene literary critic Josip Vidmar, who introduced him to the story of Hassan Ibn Saba. A further stimulation for the novel came from the assassination of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia perpetrated by Croatian and Bulgarian radical nationalists, on the alleged commission of the Italian Fascist government. When it was originally published, the novel was sarcastically dedicated to Benito Mussolini.

The maxim of the novel is "Nothing is real, everything is allowed".

The novel was not published in English until 2004, when a translation was issued by Scala House Press in Seattle, USA, ISBN 0-9720287-3-0. Earlier it was translated into about 18 other languages including Czech (1946), Serbian (1954), French (1988), Spanish (1989), Italian (1989), German (1992), Turkish, Persian (1995), Arabic, Greek, Korean and Slovakian. As of 2003 it is being translated into Hebrew and Hungarian.

Plot

The novel is situated in the 11th century at the fortress of Alamut, which was seized by the leader of the Ismailis, Hassan ibn Sabbah or Seiduna (Our Lord). At the start of the story, he is gathering an army for the purpose of attacking the Seljuk Empire, which has taken over possession of Iran. The story commences with the journey of young ibn Tahir, who is, according to his family's wish, intending to join the Alamut garrison. There, he is appointed to the squad of the most valiant soldiers, named the "fedai". "Fedai" are expected to obey orders without any demur, death being not an obstacle. During their demanding training, they come to be convinced that they shall go to heaven immediately after their death, if they die in the line of duty. Hassan managed to achieve such level of obedience by deceiving his soldiers - he gave them drugs (hashish) to numb them and ordered afterwards that they be carried into the gardens behind the fortress, which were made into a simulacrum of heaven, including "houris". Therefore, "fedai" believe that Allah had given Hassan the power to send anybody into the Heaven for a certain period. Moreover, some of the "fedai" fall in love with "houris" and Hassan unscrupulously uses that to his advantage.

Meanwhile, the Seljuk army besieges Alamut. Some of the soldiers are captured and Hassan decides to demonstrate his power to them. He orders one "fedai" to jump off of a tower; he fulfills his master's order with a smile on his face, thinking that he will soon rejoice at his beloved in heaven. Afterwards, Hassan orders ibn Tahir to go and kill the grand vizier of the Seljuk sultan Nizam al-Mulk. Hassan wants to take vengeance for al-Mulk's treachery against him long ago. Ibn Tahir stabs the vizier, but, before he passes away, the vizier reveals the truth of Hassan's deceptions to his murderer. Ibn Tahir decides to return to Alamut and kill Hassan. When ibn Tahir returns, Hassan receives him and also reveals him his true motto: "Nothing is true, everything is permitted". Then, he lets ibn Tahir go, to start a long journey around the world. Another "fedai" kills the Seljuk Sultan and the Seljuk empire dissolves. The fight for the Seljuk throne begins. Hassan encloses himself in a tower, determined to work until the end of his days. He transfers the power over the Ismaelits to the hands of his faithful "dai", military and religious chiefs.