A Comparative Mythological Analysis of Gopatshah –Aghrirat with Ganesha and Isis
Subject Areas : Myths of Iran and nations
Ali Amini
1
*
,
Mohsen Mahmoodi
2
1 - The Assistant Professor of Persian Language and Literature, Shiraz University
2 - M.A in Ancient Culture and Languages, Shiraz University
Keywords: Aghrirat, Isis, Daksha, Ganesha, Gopatshah,
Abstract :
In the myths of Iran and its neighboring ancient lands, namely India, and Egypt, we encounter figures with hybrid forms of human and animal bodies, carrying profound symbolic significance. This article examines two Indian figures—Ganesha with the head of an elephant and the body of a human, and Daksha with the head of a goat and the body of a human—as well as the Egyptian goddess Isis with the head of a cow and the body of a human. It then turns to the Iranian mythological character Gopatshah, who possesses the upper body of a human and the lower body of a cow, and is considered one of the immortals in Iranian mythology. While the reasons and processes behind the creation of composite forms for Ganesha, Daksha, and Isis are clearly described in their respective mythologies, surprisingly, the origin and formation of Gopatshah remain unrecorded or lost in Iranian tradition. Using an analytical-comparative method, this study seeks to explore the possible origins of Gopatshah. By examining the formation of the human-animal hybrid bodies of Ganesha, Daksha, and Isis, the article employs analogy to shed light on Gopatshah’s creation. The comparative analysis suggests that Gopatshah may represent a resurrected form of Aghrirat, who was cut in half by his brother Afrasiyab for freeing Iranian captives. It is hypothesized that, perhaps with divine intervention, Aghrirat’s upper body was fused with the lower body of a cow, granting him immortality.
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