Have you ever read a story where a hero or a god dies, but then comes back to life? Well, this idea of a "dying-and-rising deity" is a lot like that. It's a concept that's found in many ancient religions where a god or goddess dies and is later brought back to life.
Now, let's imagine that you have a toy that you really love playing with. But then, one day, it breaks and doesn't work anymore. You feel sad and maybe even cry because you loved that toy so much. But then, your parent or guardian fixes it and it's like brand new again! You feel happy and excited to play with it once more.
That's kind of like what's happening with a dying-and-rising deity. People would worship these gods and goddesses because they believed that they had power over certain aspects of nature or human life. But sometimes, the deity would seem to "die" or disappear for a while. People would feel sad and might even lose faith in the deity. However, some followers would continue to pray and worship, hoping for the deity to return.
And sometimes, the deity would come back! This would make the followers feel really happy and excited, like their god had been resurrected or brought back to life. It was a way to show that their faith had been rewarded and that the deity was still powerful and cared about them.
So, to sum it up, a dying-and-rising deity is a god or goddess in a religion who seems to die and then come back to life. This idea gives hope and comfort to followers who may have felt lost or abandoned, and shows the power and love of the deity.