Document Type : Research article
Author
Assistant Professor of the Department of Persian Language and Literature.Hakim Sabzevari University, Sabzevar, Razavi Khorasan. Iran
Abstract
Highlights
Introduction
Myth is a type of ancient worldview that reports ancient human discoveries and serves as an answer to the unanswered ontological questions of man that scientific and philosophical worldviews have failed to explain. Although the original epic is based on myth, non-ancient epics are not entirely free from the reflection of mythological motifs. In myth, the concepts of good and evil are depicted as generalizations, but epics are more concerned with examples of the two concepts of good and evil. Man in myth is not limited to the historical and epic man, but is a being mixed with the whole world, a mixture of the universe and God. Due to its earthly nature, epic cannot fully adapt itself to the method and application of myth, but it is not completely devoid of the characteristics of myth, because it is rooted in it. The epic man is a mixture of mythological man and earthly man, so his mythological half is magnificent and superhuman, and his earthly side, despite being surrounded by life and death, is influenced by the mythological half. Accordingly, in analyzing the personality and why and how of the epic heroes' actions, one can always look to myth.
Methodology
The present study is inductive and is organized in three parts using a descriptive-analytical method. In the first part, an introduction is presented, with the following parts: the problem, questions, hypotheses, background, significance, and the purpose of the research. Then, in the second part, the theoretical foundations of the hypothesis of the reflection of the mythological scene of the confrontation between Mihr and the Cow in the battle of Rostam and the White Demon are explained under four headings: Omidsālār’s psychoanalytic analysis of the battle of Rostam and the White Demon, the mythological analysis of the present study of the aforementioned conflict, the relationship between the Cow and the White Demon, and finally, the justification of the relationship between Rostam and Mihr in two aspects of obtaining the military position and crowning have been examined and proven. Then, in the final part, in order to confirm the positive hypothesis, other similar examples from epic texts have been introduced.
Discussion
Indra was one of the gods who became a goddess in Iranian mythology, and some of his heroic and heroic qualities were transferred to the god Mihr. In the reflection of the myth of Mihr’s confrontation with the cow in the epic, the heroes and courtiers assume the functions of Mihr, and according to the numerous available evidence, this recurring archetype is not limited to the Šāhnāmeh and has been repeated many times in epic texts to the extent that it also finds a fundamental function. In this process, Rostam, as a symbol of light and goodness, is considered to be the embodiment of Mihr’s behavioral pattern, and the white demon, which is considered to be the embodiment of darkness and the proliferation of evil, is sacrificed in the place of the first cow so that the concept of growth and life can be realized. The White Demon is the most well-known demon in Iranian mythology, epics, and stories, and has a life span as long as the mythological history of Iran. During the transition from myth to epic, the cow's power in this ancient mythological play is transferred to the White Demon, the embodiment of evil and darkness, and by order of Zāl, Rostam, the representative of light and goodness, who is in charge of the sealed power, defeats the White Demon with a dagger. In this process, Rostam is considered the savior of Kaykāvus and the Iranian army from the magic of the White Demon, and in order to free them from the prison of Māzandarān and restore light to their eyes, he is forced to confront the White Demon and kill him. The destruction of the white demon, like the killing of the bull, is seen as the beginning of a new era of Rostam's opening to the group of heroes, his formalization as the crown giver and renewal of the Kaykāvus kingdom, and the continuation of peace and stability in Iran. At the end of the transition process, the function of the sun god's feast and the offering of the sacrificial bull are interpreted as the feeding of Kaykāvus and the Iranian army from the liver of the white demon and their clear vision. It seems that, however, Rostam, as the most prominent hero of the Šāhnāmeh, often resorts to various secret tricks of the Ayyār in her battles, and moves away from the role of a hero and appears in the role of an Ayyār. In accordance with the model presented in the qualification for the rank of soldier in the spiritual ranks of the Mihr ritual, the test plan of passing Haft Khan for Rostam, in the Šāhnāmeh and killing the white demon and saving Kaykāvus and the Iranians from the embodiment of evil and darkness, is in fact a kind of ceremony of initiation and initiation of the central character of the Šāhnāmeh into the realm of heroism and maturity and his acceptance into the group of heroes and the establishment of the rank of soldier in the Mithraic ritual for Rostam. Rostam, in honor of achieving this spiritual rank, after killing the white demon, first releases Kaykāvus and his companions from captivity, then returns light to their dark vision and places Kaykāvus on the throne of Kiāni again and gives the crown of the Iranian kingdom, which is the symbol of the sun's curl and the rays sent by it (the king), to Kaykāvus, like a soldier returning a Mihr, and is honored with the program of " Crown-giver".
Conclusion
In the cases studied, the pattern of Mihr’s functions and earthly appearance as a symbol of light, goodness, and courage has been transferred to heroes and nobles, and the evil, dark, and fearful appearance of the primeval cow, whose sacrifice is a source of salvation and renewal, has been transferred to demon-cows and sorceresses. The presence of guides and the enlightenment and blessing from the meat or blood of the sacrificial cow are also considered to be other notable manifestations of the evidence discussed. The overall conclusion of this study shows that based on a mythological approach, it is possible to provide a more substantiated interpretation of the story of Rostam's fight with the white demon, as well as justify its relationship with the Mihr bull-slaughter ritual, which is not only unique, and not limited to one report, but also analyzed and proven through other evidence.
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