Analysis of the story of Siavash based on the deep construction of the myth of fertility goddess and plant god

If the myth of the goddess of fertility and the martyred plant god is analyzed according to the opinion of religious mythologists, it is the justification of ancient humans for the rebirth of plants in the spring season. In this myth, which was prevalent in Mesopotamia, Egypt, ancient India and possibly among the natives of the Iranian plateau, the role of a plant is played by a god, who accepts temporary exile or death, goes to the underworld and after a while he returns to the earth in a new form and brings blessings and birth with him. This belief has been preserved in different cultures in the form of traditions such as Isis and Osiris, Sibyl and Attis, Adonis and Aphrodite, Tammuz and Ishtar, Ram and Sita and the like. Although in Iranian culture, a myth that clearly expresses this belief has rarely been seen, the story of Siavash may be a sketch of this belief that was recorded in the historical period. In this story-telling, Siavash is the plant god that brings new life with his sacrifice. The role of fertility goddess in this story is played by Sudabeh. The common elements in the myth of the plant god and the story of Siavash, such as: reliance on the important role of women, love and marriage, martyrdom and regeneration, attention to the ritual of mourning, water and plants, and blessing, support this claim. In this article, looking at the different narratives of the said myth in adjacent cultures, the common elements of Siavash's story and the myth of fertility goddess and plant god have been represented.