Editing Sirius (section)

===Iranian mythology & Zoroastrianism===
In Iranian mythology, especially in [[Persian mythology]] and in [[Zoroastrianism]], the ancient religion of [[Persia]], Sirius appears as ''[[Tishtrya]]'' and is revered as the rain-maker divinity (Tishtar of [[New Persian]] poetry). Beside passages in one of the [[Tishtar Yasht|hymns]] of the [[Avesta]], the [[Avestan]] language ''Tishtrya'' followed by the version ''Tir'' in [[Middle Persian|Middle]] and New Persian is also depicted in the [[Persian literature|Persian]] epic ''[[Shahnameh]]'' of [[Ferdowsi]]. Because of the concept of the [[yazatas]], powers which are "worthy of worship", Tishtrya is a divinity of rain and fertility and an antagonist of [[apaosha]], the demon of drought. In this struggle, Tishtrya is depicted as a white horse.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Doostkhah |first=Jalil |title=Avesta. Kohantarin Sorōdhāye Irāniān |date=1996 |publisher=Morvarid Publications |isbn=964-6026-17-6 |location=Tehran}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=West |first=E. W. |title=Pahlavi Texts |orig-date=Created 1895–1910 |publisher=Routledge Curzon |publication-date=2004 |isbn=0-7007-1544-4}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Razi |first=Hashem |title=Encyclopaedia of Ancient Iran |date=2002 |publisher=Sokhan Publications |isbn=964-372-027-6 |location=Tehran}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Ferdowsi |first=A. |title=Shahnameh e Ferdowsi |date=2003 |publisher=Bank Melli Iran Publications |isbn=964-93135-3-2}}</ref>

Several cultures also associated the star with a bow and arrows. The ancient Chinese visualized a large bow and arrow across the southern sky, formed by the constellations of [[Puppis]] and Canis Major. In this, the arrow tip is pointed at the wolf Sirius. A similar association is depicted at the [[Dendera Temple complex|Temple of Hathor]] in [[Dendera]], where the goddess [[Satet]] has drawn her arrow at [[Hathor]] (Sirius). Known as "Tir", the star was portrayed as the arrow itself in later Persian culture.<ref name="Holberg2007-24"/>