visual capacity of Siavash?s character (myth of the vegetation deity of Iran) on account of Ferdowsi?s poems in Shahnameh

Ferdowsi’s Shahnameh, is a celebrated historical epic poem of Iran. Heroes are the main characters of Shahnameh. There are many positive and negative characters in Shahnameh. Siavash is a positive hero of Shahnameh whose fate becomes the ground for heroism and the fights of other heroes. In this article we try to investigate the visual capacity used in Siavash’s character as vegetation deity of Iran according to Ferdowsi's epics in Shahnameh, and to scrutinize his most important behavioral characteristics and physical qualities. In this paper, behavioral traits, physical qualities and staging features of Siavash’s story are examined. Results show that the most important behavioral characteristics of Siavash include courage, agility, freedom, honesty, daring, patriotism and innocence. Siavash is aware of God’s Will and before his death, he predicts his tragic fate. Siavash has common superficial characteristics with other heroes of Shahnameh, including weapons such as shield, drum, awl, beam, ivory shield, and so on. Some characteristics are also unique only to Siavash. Like the armor with magical property mentioned in the Shahnameh. The most important staging features in the story of Siavash include passing through fire and his martyrdom. Siavash’s behavior in Shahnameh is a reminiscent of mystical image of a perfect man, he was a legendary man with a good soul who is oppressed by cruel people and is brutally killed. Siavash’s pure body and soul makes his purity to become eternal and turn into a plant which bears truth of his existence. Of his blood a plant is grown called Farr Siavashan (Siavash’s glory). For this reason, this character has become the vegetation deity. Vegetation of the plant is a sign of immortality of honesty, the honesty which may be trampled by mean and jealous people, but is not perished and from its worldly body an eternal plant grows which is a sign of go immortality of honesty and trueness