Athena and Buran-Dokht: A Comparative Study between War Goddesses of Odyssey and Darab Nama

Research in mythology, by comparing the literature and culture of nations, leads to discovery of universal symbols. By studying the literary texts of the Indo-European nations, it can be seen that their myths, legends and epics reflect a common worldview. One of the important themes in these texts is the place of women and their special characteristics in mythological beliefs and rituals. The present article seeks to compare the role of women in the two epics of Odyssey and Darab Nama of Tarsusi with a mythological perspective and a comparative approach. Accordingly, the prominent functions of the main female characters in these two works and their similarities are considered. After mentioning the characteristics and functions of Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, and Buran-Dokht, the wonder heroine of Darab Nama, the authors try to show that Buran-Dokht is a latter-day recreation of Iranian goddess, Anahita who has a similar position to Athena. This kind of similarity in the epics of the two different cultures shows the common origins of the mythological characters in the literature of nations.