ENVIS Centre, Ministry of Environment & Forest, Govt. of India

Printed Date: Friday, April 19, 2024

Birds in Legends, Mythology and Religion - III

 

Country or Religion

Mythological creature Role and Myth  

PERSIAN MYTHOLOGY


 
Chamrosh A bird said to live on the summit of Mount Alborz and is the archetype of all birds. Chamrosh is described as having the body of a dog with the head and wings of a bird.

Chamrosh

Source : http://www.mythicalcreatureslist.com/image/Chamrosh-novablue

Roc An enormous mythical bird of prey, often white, reputed to have been able to carry off and eat elephants.

Roc by Charles Maurice Detmold (Source : Wikipedia)

Simurgh A gigantic, benevolent, mythical flying creature, often part dog or human.

Sassanid silver plate of a simurgh (SÄ“nmurw), 7th or 8th century CE (Source : Wikipedia)


NATIVE AMERICAN MYTHOLOGY
 
Raven Representative spirit of actual ravens, and often depicted as a trickster or culture hero figure.

Picture of "Raven Releasing the Sun", by Todd Baker.  (Source : Wikipedia)

Thunderbird An enormous bird that causes thunder and stirs the wind from the beating of its wings.

Northwest Coast styledKwakwaka'wakw totem pole depicting a thunderbird perched on the top. To Kwakwaka'wakw, different thunderbirds are ancestors, whom they descend from. (Source : Wikipedia)

KOREAN MYTHOLOGY Samjoko A 3-legged bird associated with the sun.

The Korean version of a three-legged bird found in Asian mythology. Also called the Yagatarasu in Japan, this raven-like bird is even said to surpass the phoenix in power.