Study of the spiritual components of the goddess "Anahita" and “Cybele”

Subject Areas : Sport Management

Reza Bayramzadeh ¹ , Laleh Jahanbakhsh ² , Sasan Najafi ³

1 - University of Urmia, Department of Painting, Urmia, Iran.
2 - Art University in Tehran, Department of Art Research, Tehran, Iran.
3 - University of Urmia, Department of Persian Language and Literature, Urmia, Iran.

Received: 2019-10-02 Accepted : 2020-01-06 Published : 2020-03-20

Keywords: goddess, Spiritual components, Cybele, Fertility, anahita,

Abstract :

The present paper studied the cultural functions of two important goddess of the ancient cultures of Iran and Anatolia, namely Anahita and Cybele, and reflected the components on artworks. The present research statistical population was the important goddesses of Iran and the Minor Asia. The Sample of ancient Iran was Anahita and the goddess of the Minor Asia was Cybele. The method was descriptive and data was collected by the library and valid articles. By spiritual components classification of each goddess and how they were manifested in the artworks of ancient Persia and Asia Minor the following results were obtained: Goddess Anahita in addition to had a high rank among the gods of her time, was the goddess of fertility and fecundity, the water goddess, the goddess of love and goddess of war. Cybele was the goddess of fertility, mountain goddess, the goddess of wild animals and guardian goddess. Anahita personality was purifier. But the dominant element concerning Cybele could only be her limitless authority. All the symbols manifested her power. "Authority" was the central axis of Cybele; the goddess of the mountain, goddess of wild animals and cities gurdian. About the embodiment, Anahita was influenced by Cybele. Common point in how art reflected the components was “visual symbolism”. For example, in the Taq-e Bostan cameo and statues of Cybele in Ankara museum, to show the components of the fertility two symbols; water and pomegranate, were used. Difference points often arised from spiritual differences. In other words, in the case of Anahita, it was an attempt to reflect beauty and purity; in the case of Cybele, her authority was more important.

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