Assistant Professor of the Department of Persian Language and Literature. Faculty of Literature and Humanities. Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Razavi Khorasan. Iran
10.22034/perlit.2026.71472.3937
Abstract
Rostam's battle with Div-e Sapid (the White Demon) is the most prominent confrontation between the hero of the Iranian national epic and demons. However, based on the mythological nature of the epic's literary genre and the evidence that has cast a shadow on various aspects of this battle, it seems that the Haft Ḵᵛān-e Rostam was reported and depicted based on the context and characteristics of an older behavioral pattern. The present study believes that from a mythological perspective and by focusing on the Mythological Motif of the Mihr's Bull-Slaying, it is possible to shed light on the context and functions of Rostam's conflict with Div-e Sapid, and to provide a more meaningful interpretation of it compared to Freud's psychoanalytic approach in Mahmoud Omidsālār's recent analysis. By providing other explicit evidence of Mihr's Bull-Slaying manifestations in epic texts, the hypothesis of the reflection of the mythological depiction of "the war between Mihr and Bull" in the Šāh-Nāma can be justified and even proven. The present article is inductive and organized in three parts: introduction, theoretical foundations, and main discussion. The results of the research, while confirming the hypotheses of the article, indicate that the pattern of Mihr's functions as a symbol of light, goodness, and courage has been transferred to heroes and Ayyār, and the evil, darkness, and fear of the primeval Bull, whose sacrifice is a source of salvation and renewal, has been transferred to the Div -Bull and witches of the epic. The presence of guides and enlightenment
Jafarpoor, M. (2026). The Hypothesis of the Reflection of the Mythological Motif of the "Mihr and Bull-Slaying" In the Šāhnāma & Other Epics. Persian Language and Literature, (), -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2026.71472.3937
MLA
Jafarpoor, M. . "The Hypothesis of the Reflection of the Mythological Motif of the "Mihr and Bull-Slaying" In the Šāhnāma & Other Epics", Persian Language and Literature, , , 2026, -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2026.71472.3937
HARVARD
Jafarpoor, M. (2026). 'The Hypothesis of the Reflection of the Mythological Motif of the "Mihr and Bull-Slaying" In the Šāhnāma & Other Epics', Persian Language and Literature, (), pp. -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2026.71472.3937
CHICAGO
M. Jafarpoor, "The Hypothesis of the Reflection of the Mythological Motif of the "Mihr and Bull-Slaying" In the Šāhnāma & Other Epics," Persian Language and Literature, (2026): -, doi: 10.22034/perlit.2026.71472.3937
VANCOUVER
Jafarpoor, M. The Hypothesis of the Reflection of the Mythological Motif of the "Mihr and Bull-Slaying" In the Šāhnāma & Other Epics. Persian Language and Literature, 2026; (): -. doi: 10.22034/perlit.2026.71472.3937
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