The Iranian cult of Mithra, known in Europe as Mithraism, gained widespread prominence in the ancient world, emerging as a recognized ideology in early Christian Western traditions. Today, the enduring connection between Mithraism and Western culture continues to inspire contemporary artistic imagination. A prime example is the series “GoT”, which serves as the focal point of this study. Through an intertextual comparative analysis of the scene depicting the “Death of the NightKing” in the series and the myth of the “Tauroctony” in Mithraism, this research addresses the following question: To what extent does the narrative structure and mythological function of the former align with the latter? The significance of this inquiry lies in understanding the genesis of modern arts by treating symbolic texts as reservoirs of dramatic situations.
Employing a library-based method within a comparative-analytical framework, this study utilizes structural semiotics and functional narratology. Findings indicate that beyond superficial symbolic parallels, both scenes share a deep narrative structure wherein the symbolic death of darkness serves as a prerequisite for the rebirth of order, earth’s fertility, and the salvation of humanity’s collective memory. By leveraging intertextual theories, the series reconstructs Dumézil’s tripartite Indo-European functional structure within the character of Bran, replacing the classical, god-like warrior hero with a vulnerable, humanized modern protagonist. This study demonstrates that Mithraism, transcending mere mythology, functions as a shared symbolic language. Within the context of modern media, it has regained semantic relevance for contemporary audiences, thereby enriching the historical and psychological depth of the fantasy genre.