Hunara: Journal of Ancient Iranian Arts and History

The Iranian Dragon-slaying Myth: Dragons, the Avestan Saošiiant, and Possible Connections to the Iranian Water Goddess Anāhitā

Document Type : Original Research

Author

Manya Saadi-nejad

Concordia University

https://doi.org/10.22034/hunara.2023.173300
Abstract
The myth of an archetypal hero, either divine or human, slaying a dragon-serpent who is most often blocking access to a body of water is very ancient. Various water-related rituals and their attendant myths arose out of the vital dependence of the prehistoric Indo-European peoples on rivers to maintain their way of life. “Killing a dragon” was a symbolic way of "freeing of the waters" and also exercising control over the potentially chaotic vicissitudes of flowing water. In performing this task, the dragon-slaying hero ensured fertility and thus the continued survival of his community.  In light of the mythological connection between dragons and water, this paper considers whether dragon-slaying myths can be further connected to the Iranian water goddess, Arəduuī Sūrā Anāhitā and the Avestan saošiiant.

Keywords

Dragons
Water Goddess
Anāhitā
Saošiiant

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