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Downloaded From Review Article An Evaluation of the Historical Importance of Fertility and Its Reflection in Ancient Mythology Zohreh Behjati-Ardakani 1,2,4, Mohammad Mehdi Akhondi 1,2, Homa Mahmoodzadeh 2, Seyed Hasan Hosseini 3,4 1- Reproductive Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran 2- Avicenna Infertility Clinic, Avicenna Research Institute, ACECR, Tehran, Iran 3- Department of Sociology, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran 4- Department of Sociology, Aras International Campus, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran Abstract Myths are reflective of human concerns and needs during ancient times. By review- * Corresponding Author: ing them, it turns out that many human problems today, have a historical back- Mohammad Mehdi ground. Among the main themes of ancient mythologies, fertility and reproduction Akhondi, Reproductive have various representations in ancient civilizations. The purpose of this paper was Biotechnology Research Center, Avicenna to review myths and common symbols of fertility and reproduction in ancient civili- Research Institute, zations and evaluate the reasons of their continuous importance in different cultures. ACECR, Tehran, Iran, The data in this review study was obtained by scrutinizing the related literature. The P.O. Box: 19615-1177 gathered data indicated the multiplicity and variety of fertility symbols in ancient E-mail: myths. Most ancient fertility symbols were inspired by the nature and some of them [email protected] like earth and water were common in mythology of different civilizations. Therefore, Received: Apr. 11, 2015 the symbols consolidate the concept of conformity between human reproductive Accepted: Jul. 12, 2015 concerns and the nature’s necessities. Keywords: Ceremonial behavior, Culture, Fertility, Humans, Infertility, Mythology. To cite this article: Behjati-Ardakani Z, Akhondi MM, Mahmoodzadeh H, Hosseini SH. An Evalua- tion of the Historical Importance of Fertility and Its Reflection in Ancient Mythology. J Reprod Infertil. 2016;17(1):2-9. Introduction f we conceive society as a cultural concept of mechanisms for survival, but it provides us also in which the people’s behaviors are repre- with a definition of reality. It is the matrix into sentative of the types of relationships they which we are born; it is the anvil upon which our have with each other, then it necessitates evaluat- persons and destinies are forged" (2). Edward Taylor, the English anthropologist, de- ing the cultural aspect of each event for investi- Downloaded from http://www.jri.ir gating its social dimension. Therefore, in order to fined culture as "that complex whole which in- have an accurate understanding of fertility and cludes knowledge, belief, art, morals, law, cus- infertility as a social phenomenon and for evaluat- toms, and many other capabilities and habits ac- ing its social dimensions, a careful review of the quired by...[members] of society" (3). event’s cultural background is required. There are The definition of Taylor which seems to be various definitions of culture. Patricia Marshall on comprehensive and simple is actually descriptive her part defines it as "consistent ways in which in essence. He counts a number of phenomena in people experience, interpret, and respond to the collective life and provides his definition of cul- world around" (1). Robert Murphy believed that ture. In fact, the important feature of his definition "culture means the total body of tradition borne by is that it lacks the normative aspect. In his opin- a society and transmitted from generation to gen- ion, culture is the totality of human social life. eration. It thus refers to the norms, values and Therefore, his definition is not restrictive and ex- standards by which people act, and it includes the clusive, i.e. it does not restrict the concept of cul- ways distinctive in each society of ordering the ture to particular communities and include just world and rendering it intelligible. Culture is a set some individuals in this context. The collective J Reprod Infertil. 2016;17(1):2-9 Behjati-Ardakani Z, et al. JRI nature of the definition is its prominent character- Latin mythus, Greek mythos, meaning dumb and istic. Furthermore, he perceives culture as some- silent) was opposite of logos (word, speech, deli- thing that can be acquired, not inherited. In other cate and subtle speech, wisdom and intellect) and words, biological aspects do not have a role in this the Persian cultures considered myth (mythic, in- definition (4). valid and void) as the Arabic equivalent for Based on the assumption, for accurate under- historia (but not meaning as story or history, ra- standing of the social status of fertility, we are ther as the second meaning of the word which forced to explore the constructive components of equates to absurd and nonsensical stories) (7). culture. Art, mythology, religions and traditions as But despite the perceived absurdity, the myth, the configurations of the communities’ culture ignoring the historicity of the today’s world still were always reflective of the evolution in human remains stable. What is the secret of its immortali- beings, in their needs, desires and beliefs. The ty? Perhaps this question can be answered by the everlasting effects of past human history dating fact that the myths never die and they occur from back to the early paintings on the walls of caves time to time with new appearance because the are all indicative of the traditions and current ritu- concept of myth is the everlasting obsession of als. human mind that never abandons him and pro- The concept of fertility can be followed up from vokes such questions in his mind that he never the beginning of creation and in all ancient my- finds perfect and satisfactory answers for them. thologies, this great concept is duly manifested. The mythologists have found the trace of such Fertility has a deep and strong relationship with historical questions regarding life, death and crea- the perennial human desire to survive and perpet- tion in cryptic novels and plays in our era (8). uate his existence. The deep-seated desire of hu- There is an inextricable bind between history man for reproduction, his questions and imagina- and myth and several historians believe that no tions about development and the importance of boundary can separate the world of history from reproduction in his life, are clearly observable in the world of myth (The world of poetry) (9). In ancient myths and civilizations. For clarifying the fact, myth is a powerful and inscrutable source sociological significance of infertility, with an and as the play director, it assigns different roles emphasis on constructive components of commu- to the nominated actors of the history and thereby nities’ cultures, we made an attempt to refer to the becomes the founder of the history’s foundation. meanings of myths and legends of ancient fertility This is the main reason that the ancient myths, not symbols in great civilizations (5, 6). as superstitious and nonsensical story telling but The concept of myth: Mircea Eliade believes that as the concept that Eliade and other mythologists living myth in traditional societies is a sacred and suggested, always remain perpetual. divine story that features the work of gods and Through exploration in the myths, human con- supernaturals, or the ancestors who created the cerns which are inspired by the surrounding na- culture from the beginning, the timeless time. ture and the imagination can be discovered. An- Therefore, it is the narration about the genesis of cient myths were designed to harmonize the mind and body. Mind is able to have an eccentric jour- world, animals, plants, mankind, institutions, tra- Downloaded from http://www.jri.ir ditions and the reasons for their existence besides ney to old times and wishes to have objects that the whole creation of the universe. Mythological the body does not need them. Myths and rituals time, unlike historical time, is not linear, but is are tools to make a compromise between mind reversible and this is an inherent characteristic of and body and adapt the life style of people with the myth. Since myth is a constant model, it nature’s restrictions (10). should be repeated consecutively (5, 6). First creation, goddesses and nature: Symbols of However, till the emergence of new schools in fertility in ancient mythology have a history as mythology, myth seemed to be something mean- long as the creation of first myths. Primarily, the ingless and absurd from the viewpoints of those myths were about description of the world’s crea- who saw it from the outside (contrary to the belief tion. They depicted how the tree, the man, the sun of people who lived with myths). This concept of and all the other things came into existence. This myth which was in opposition with history is part of the mythology belonged to the time in popular from ancient Greek time up to now. In which the man was bewildered and frightened in ancient Greece, Mythos (myyhe derived from the the expansive world and wanted to give meaning J Reprod Infertil, Vol 17, No 1, Jan-Mar 2016 3 JRI Historical Importance of Fertility in Ancient Mythology to the extensive environment around him. Howev- Amesha Spentas or the followers of Ahura Mazda er, with the progress of science and rationality, (15, 16). less attention was allocated to this part of the my- Also, the Mesopotamian goddess, Sarpanitum/ thology. Today, to validate new discoveries, a Erua who was the wife of Marduk, the great god return to mythological roots is required (11). had a common origin with Sepandārmaz because Through the study of mythology of ancient civi- Erua is the goddess of birth and even the meaning lizations, we understand that most of myths and of the word is "Fertility". All the three words of vaunted goddesses are the ones that are mainly Armaiti, land and woman are the old Indo-Euro- connected with fertility and muliebrity.
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