Rostam, the Dragon Killer, & the Dragon-Sized Banner

Some of the well-known Iranian heroes have killed dragons,including Rostam for instance. The reason for this act is that withinthe wide scope of the Iranian myths,dragon is the symbol of drought,and actually killing dragons is meant to signify the triumph ofplenitude over drought. Still,there is one case in Iran which paradoxeswith the dragon being the symbol of drought,Rostam Dastan. In theThird Stage of the war,although Rostam succeeds in killing dragons,his banner is dragon-sized,and he boasts about killing dragons to hisancestor-Zahak (in other words Azhi Dahak Avesta)- yet this issuecontrasts with his dragon-killing on one hand,and dragon being thesymbol of drought in the Iranian mythology on the other hand.Throughout this survey the author of this article has come to finallybelieve that Rostam’s dragon-sized banner,added to the holiness ofdragon in his perspective is most likely an influence of China’s mythswhich has penetrated into Iran. Therefore the dragon,which is actuallyRostam’s totem,and he deeply cherishes,unlike the Iranian myths,isthe symbol of rain,freshness,plenitude.