Motif of «dismemberment of body» in the initiation practice of the Indo-Europeans

This article considers one of the base elements of initiation ritual scenarios - dismemberment motif and it's reflection in the Indo-Iranian (mythoepic) culture. Motif's currency for Indo-Iranian tradition is confirmed by studying of the sources from mythological texts to Ossetia's epos. Results of the study indicate that it is an important structural component in Indo-Iranian ritual practice.