Mythological Functions of Death and Regeneration of Fertility in Soo va Shoon and Kalidar

One of the functions of mythology is its intertextual role which is remarkable in novel. Two aspects of this function are related to the myths of fertility and regeneration which can be seen in two Persian novels, namely So ova Shoon and Kalidar. The present article through following a structural analysis, examines these functions as manifested in the mentioned novels. The deep structures in Soo va Shoon and Kalidar reflect four elements of fertility myth which are rebellion, death, fertility and regeneration. The mythological structures of these novels interconnect Time, Man, and Universe; meanwhile the immortal characters of the novels, similar to the heroes of epics and mythology, through the incessant cycle of life and death, ridicule the punishments of the despotic gods