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Home Editorial board Publication ethics Information Current Archive Rules for authors Contacts	DOI: 10.46698/VNC.2026.32.25.001 SEMIOTIC INTERPRETATION OF THE TAUROCTONY SCENE IN MITHRAISM: IRANIAN MYTHOLOGICAL BASIS AND CRITIQUE OF A PURELY ASTRONOMICAL MODEL Shafaghi, Maryam , Godrati, Asghar Kavkaz Forum. 2026. Issue 25. Abstract: This article offers a semiotic interpretation of the tauroctony scene in Mithraism, drawing on Iranian mythological and religious traditions. Based on an analysis of Avestan texts, later Zoroastrian concepts, and comparative Indo-Iranian mythological data, the article examines the main symbolic elements of Mithraic iconography – the image of Mithra himself, the bull, accompanying animals, and the cosmic figures of Sun and Moon. The authors demonstrate that interpretations that reduce the tauroctony to a purely astronomical or zodiacal model fail to reveal the ritual, legal, and cosmogonic aspects of this scene. Semiotic analysis allows us to view the tauroctony as a structured visual text, in which each element functions as a significant sign within a holistic symbolic system. Particular attention is given to sacrifice as a cosmogonic act, reflecting archaic Iranian notions of the restoration of world order, mediation between divine law and earthly reality, and the maintenance of cosmic balance. The article also traces the transformation of this mythological complex as it was transferred from the Iranian cultural space to Asia Minor and the Roman world, where it was reinterpreted in new socio-religious contexts. In conclusion, the need for an interdisciplinary approach, integrating semiotics, comparative mythology, religious studies, and cultural history, is substantiated for an adequate understanding of Mithraic monuments and their symbolic language. Keywords: Mithraism, Mithra, tauroctony, Iranian mythology, semiotics, Roman East, history of religions. Language: Russian Download the full text For citation: Shafaghi, M., Godrati, A. Semiotic Interpretation of the Tauroctony Scene in Mithraism: Iranian Mythological basis and Critique of a Purely Astronomical Model. KAVKAZ-FORUM. 2026, iss. 25 (32), pp. 69-82. (In Russian). DOI 10.46698/VNC.2026.32.25.001 + References 1. Nouzad, F. K voprosu o kul’te Mitry [On the Cult of Mithra]. Armagan [Armagan]. 1975, vol. 43, no. 10, pp. 593–596 (in Persian). 2. Zomorshidi, Z., Fakhimi Far, A.A. Vliyanie mitraicheskoi kul’tury na iskusstvo i kul’turu Irana [The Influence of Mithraic Culture on Iranian Art and Culture]. Istoriya [History]. 2015, vol. 10, no. 38, pp. 79–105 (in Persian). 3. Amuzgar, Zh. Mifologicheskaya istoriya Irana [The Mythological History of Iran]. Tegeran, SAMT, 2005. 119 p. (in Persian). 4. Videngren, G. Religii (drevnego) Irana [Religions of Ancient Iran]. Translation from English M. Farhanga. Tegeran, Agakhan e Dide, 1998. 576 p. (in Persian). 5. 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