A Comparative Study of the Great Flood and the Character and Function of the First Saviors in Iran and Mesopotamia

Given the fact that myths are not unrealistic and illusory, and are rooted in reality, the myth is said to be a response to human’s inability to cope with his frustrations; a response to his weaknesses in achieving his aspirations and his fears of unexpected accidents. Meanwhile, one of the important events in the ancient human societies was horrible natural events that sometimes led to the destruction of the foundation of life, and regardless of how it was faced, the reason and cause of these unfortunate events was an important issue that produced different reactions in different civilizations and was influenced by different factors. Therefore, given the existence of a great flood narration in some myths of ancient nations, this research seeks to explain the similarities and differences among the narratives and beliefs about the Flood and the formation and development a life-saving myth in the civilizations of Iran and Mesopotamia by investigating the narrations about the flood and nature of the saviors of human life. Therefore, using an analytical approach, important historical sources and mythological narratives were collected and reviewed. The results suggest that the issue of rescuing and delivering human beings from disasters and agony has always been considered by some ancient civilizations and cultures like Iran and Mesopotamia, and narrations about the great flood have many similarities. However, due to the fact that these civilizations have somehow dealt with these narrations based on their cultural and biological conditions, there are, in some cases, notable differences in these narratives (in the reason behind the incident and the attribute of the saviors).