Fertility Myths in the Legends of Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Lorestan, and Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Provinces

Fertility myths are one of the most important and repetitive types of myths of the nations in the world, which describe the fate of "martyred vegetable god", "hero / god dragon", and "hero / evil-killer god" and is usually an allegory of the death and life of nature. It is also the change of seasons. The mythological beliefs, while spreading among the people, are also accumulated in the collective subconscious of the people; therefore, myths - created by the general public - are a good means for the reflection of fertility myths in different eras. So, in this article, a descriptive and comparative method examines the reflection of fertility myths in 140 legends belonging to the provinces of Chaharmahal. And Bakhtiari, Lorestan, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad. The aim of the present study is to achieve the mythical patterns of fertility crystallized in the legends of the mentioned provinces. The findings show that the patterns of "martyred vegetable god" are reflected in 14 myths, "hero / god of dragons" in 9 myths, and "hero / evil-killer god" in 30 myths. The reproductive myths have been transformed into myths influenced by religious issues and the change of the patriarchal discourse to patriarchy.