In the beliefs of predecessors suicide had a religious aspect and was committed for various reasons. People believed that by offering their lives to the gods, they would actually serve them and their death bring welfare and prosperity to the society or that they w
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In the beliefs of predecessors suicide had a religious aspect and was committed for various reasons. People believed that by offering their lives to the gods, they would actually serve them and their death bring welfare and prosperity to the society or that they would join their beloved and guardian in the other world and find peace in heaven for this reason wholeheartedly they embraced death. This research is an attempt to study the methods of suicide in epic texts until the 7th century using the descriptive analytic method. Results show that suicide is a voluntary act, an example of human sacrifice and its examples are more prominent in Shahnameh and Garshaspnameh than other epics. In epic texts suicide is carried out in five ways namely taking poison, bloodshed (cutting off head and tearing open the side), throwing oneself from the fortress, self-immolation, and refusing to eat and drink (starvation). Among the above methods bloodshed is more prominent for it seems that blood has an important role in fertility of nature. Suicidal case are seen more in Shahnameh in comparison with Garshaspnameh however intentions for suicides are more diverse in the latter. In shahnameh suicide is committed either for mourning a child and close relatives, or to defend an insult while this act in Garshaspnameh is often done for fertility reasons in nature, satisfaction of idols, prediction of future events and earning respect of the gods.
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