بررسی سیر حضور اسطورۀ ماهی در مهرپرستی، اوستا و متون پهلوی، متون حماسی و عرفانی

 Fish is an ancient myth that has had a significant presence among the myths of ancient nations for a long time and has enjoyed a special place in paintings, drawings, stories, various texts, poems, etc., due to Attribution to the mineral element of water has always been praised for its purity and sanctity, which, due to these inherent capacities, has never been depleted of mythological concepts and meanings, and in any period, according to the dominant thought system of that time, It has been used to express good and Ahurai themes. In this research, using the content analysis method, we investigated the presence of the fish myth from love worship to mysticism, which the results of the research showed The myth of the fish has been present in the ancient narratives of this mysterious ritual since the birth of Mehr, which is also linked to Anahita due to its connection to water. Fish has a mythological-ritual presence in Avesta in the form of "Kermahi", which is the white guardian of Home in the Pahlavi texts, thus it is the life-giver of Zoroastrians in the end times. In epic and heroic texts, the presence of this myth fades until finally, in mysticism, along with the mysterious themes of the sea of ​​monotheism, it becomes a symbol of the existence of the seekers who are immersed in this sea of ​​true existence. The pure and ritualistic nature of this myth has not changed much in the beliefs and texts of different periods, and it has preserved its mythological characteristics in every field.
Keywords: Mythology, fish, love, Avesta, Pahlavi texts, epics, mysticism.
Introduction
Fish is an animal that has a special sanctity due to its association with water and is a symbol of purity, life and freshness. In the past, the sanctity of natural phenomena was directly related to the provision of human biological needs. Fish is often a female myth due to having common characteristics with goddesses; Because the type of reproduction of the fish that has been associated with abundance since long ago, this animal myth also has a lot of sanctity among the ancient nations who own the myth; Because the element of water has been pure and holy among all nations, rituals and religions due to its vital role and its miraculous cleansing power, the presence of fish in the myths of creation and form Taking the earth is a mythological symbol of the era of development. After the ancient period, due to its presence in the story of Yunus the Prophet (pbuh), the fish attracted some of the characteristics and qualities of the poets and caused it to be used in various literary works as a sign of divine contemplation and delay. be employed. Fish in general, as a good and divine symbol, even when depicted in the form of a whale, is an expression of God's awe and prowess, and among mythology, there are not many reports about fish being demonized and its belonging to evil forces, every Although sometimes in some statements and in some cultures, it is used as a symbol other than sanctity and purity, this theme does not harm the concepts of this animal and does not have a demonic meaning that causes it. It can be the fish's connection to water and its connection with the goddesses of water and light. Of course, the fish itself, as a pure and blessed force, has enjoyed a special sanctity since long ago, both among nations whose lives are tied to water and among other mythological states. In this research, we seek to find an answer to the question, what changes has the fish myth experienced in Mehr worship, Avesta and Pahlavi, Pahlavi and mystical texts? And like some other myths, has it been degraded under the influence of the beliefs of the time, or is it always expressing pure and Minoan themes in every era?
Materials & methods
The research method in this article is a descriptive-analytical method based on the in-text approach to investigate the presence of the fish myth in different beliefs and texts. The method of collecting information is based on the use of library resources, which have been developed and prepared with the help of a tool such as file capture. The data analysis method is also based on the content analysis method, which is based on the inference from the information obtained from the study and investigation of the role and presence of the fish myth in ancient Iranian and Islamic texts.In this research, we will start with the presence of the fish myth from Mehr worship sources and then examine its role and characteristics in the Avesta and Pahlavi texts, and then we will find reports of the presence of this animal myth in the Shahnameh and other texts. We will examine Pahlavi that we will finally reach the mystical texts and we will evaluate the features of this ancient myth in the key mystical texts of this period; It should be mentioned that in each course, after an introduction, we will present examples and testimonials, and at the end, the final analysis will be presented.
Discussion
The connection between the myth of the fish and the seal cult started from some narratives of the birth of the seal from water, and then it was tied to some seal symbols such as dolphins, lotuses, oysters and pearls. It is a link, reminiscent of Anahita, the goddess of waters. In the Avesta, there is a talk about a special kind of fish called "carp" which is praised for its keenness, gods like Bahram are compared to it in the power of vision. In the Pahlavi texts, the most important feature of this type of fish is the guardianship of the anusha-bakhsh tree "Hum Spaid", which thus guarantees the survival of Zoroaster's followers in the end of time. In the Shahnameh, the mythological belief that the earth is located on the horn of a cow and the back of a fish has left its influence in some of Ferdowsi's poems. And in Garshasb-nameh, we also see the presence of Val, which is described with surprise and exaggeration. By moving away from the mythological age, the myth of the fish is one of the few animal myths that has kept its mythological and mino characteristics with extensive ritual and cultural changes, and interacted with the topics that have changed due to the necessity of the times. and lives in complete harmony and compatibility with them. The most important religious report about fish is the story of Jonah (AS) being swallowed by a giant fish, which is actually God's messenger, and Jonah being swallowed by a fish is a test of his evolution.
Result
Due to its association with water, fish is taken as a good omen among all the ancient nations with every religion and mythological culture, it is a symbol of good luck and blessing, and it is natural when several ethnic groups have such a belief over a myth. that this myth also preserves its mythological characteristics and does not change much in the course of the various texts of a nation; Therefore, the fish in Mehr worship and Zoroastrian religion is a good and ahura myth that in the epic and heroic texts, there is no specific report to refute this claim until finally, in the field of mysticism, it becomes a secret of the existence of Wasili seekers. They are immersed in the ocean of monotheism, which is a divine and knowledge-based meaning. It is a mythical fish that has preserved most of its mino characteristics and is always a symbol of purity and clarity in Persian literature annals. Minoan and mythical fish have a story that due to this virtue, it has always been spared from degradation, removal, change, etc.