The study of mythological and ritualistic Aspects of lion and bull in two manuscripts of Kalila and Dimna (Ilkhanid and Timurid eras)

Mythology in ancient Iran has always brought different meanings; however some of these myths such as lion and bull have a special position in beliefs of Iranians and they were well remembered by people of this land. The purpose of this paper is to study the specific position of these myths in illustrations of Kalila and Dimna manuscripts and their influences on miniature painting. This research attempts to provide some answers to this main question: what are the influences of lion and bull in ancient Iran on illustrations of lion and bull in Kalila and Dimna manuscripts? For this research, descriptive-analytical research method and library-based documents have been applied. The results of this research indicate that from ancient times, mythology had a significant role in creation of art works and artists of Islamic periods used these motifs in different arts especially in Iranian miniature painting. In fact mythological and ritualistic aspects of lion and bull can be observed clearly in illustrations of Kalila and Dimna manuscripts and therefore the meanings of these motifs can be generalized, interpreted and decoded.