A Mythological Study of the Battle between Mithra and The Initial Cow and Its Relation to the Symbolic Bull-shaped Mace

The bull-shaped mace is one of the most symbolic battle instruments in Shâhnâme which is used in the cosmic battle between Fereydoon and Zahhak, and its function for annihilating the evil has proved it as a significant instrument. This article studies this instrument in the mythological context of the bulls’ function in Mithraism in which the victory of Mithra in the battle with The Initial Cow is a requisite for winter’s evolution and the triumph of brightness over darkness. In Zoroastrian culture, this myth is seen as the creation of animals by the sperm of the sacrificed bull, and in Iranian epics, it is a symbol for taking revenge and continence. Sketching the bull’s head on this mace can be a symbol of eternal victory that guarantees an everlasting delighted living.