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Monthly Archives: November 2011

Bird Figures in Mythology

08 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Mantrik in Garuda in Other Religions, Uncategorized

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Birds in Mythology



Rising above the earth and soaring through the skies, birds have been symbols of power and freedom throughout the ages. In many myths and legends, birds link the human world to the divine or supernatural realms that lie beyond ordinary experience.

Birds assume a variety of roles in mythology and religion. They play a central part in some creation myths and frequently appear as messengers of the deities. They are often associated with the journey of the human soul after death. Birds also appear as tricksters and oracles. Ravens and other species that feed on carrion, the flesh of the dead, may be symbols of war, death, and misfortune, as well as mediators between humans and the supernatural world. Other birds represent strength, love, and wisdom.

Birds and Creation

Myths from several regions associate birds with the creation of the world. One of several creation stories in ancient Egypt said that when land rose out of the primeval waters of chaos, the first deity to appear was a bird perching on that land. The Egyptians called the god the Benu bird and portrayed it as a long-legged, wading heron in the sun temple at Heliopolis. The Benu bird created the universe and then made gods and goddesses and men to live in that universe.

A number of creation myths from Southeast Asia feature birds. On the great island of Borneo dwell the Iban people, who tell of Ara and Irik, two bird spirits floating above an expanse of water at the beginning of time. Seizing two eggs from the water, Ara made the sky from one egg, while Irik made the earth from the other. As Irik squeezed the earth into its proper size, mountains and rivers appeared on its surface. Then the two creator spirits shaped bits of earth into the first people and woke them to life with bird cries.

Other creation stories begin with the laying of a cosmic egg from which the universe emerges. Indonesia, Polynesia, and the northern European countries of Finland and Estonia have stories of deities flying down to the primeval ocean to lay eggs that hatch into the world.

Birds appear in some myths as earth divers. An earth diver is an animal that plunged to the bottom of the primeval sea and brought up mud from which the earth was formed. Legends of the Buriat and Samoyed people of Siberia feature birds as earth divers. Water birds such as ducks or swans play this role in the creation myths of many Native American peoples, including the Mandan of North Dakota. A Navajo myth about a great flood tells that the people fled to an upper world, leaving everything behind. The bird Turkey then dived into the lower world to rescue seeds so that the people could grow food crops.

supernatural related to forces beyond the normal world; magical or miraculous

deity god or goddess

trickster mischievous figure appearing in various forms in the folktales and mythology of many different peoples

oracle priest or priestess or other creature through whom a god is believed to speak; also the location (such as a shrine) where such words are spoken

mediator go-between

primeval from the earliest times

chaos great disorder or confusion

cosmic large or universal in scale; having to do with the universe

Sometimes mythological birds create more than the physical world. Cultures in northern Europe and Asia credited birds with establishing their social orders, especially kingships. A golden-winged eagle was said to have put the first Mongol* emperor on his throne. The Japanese believed that sacred birds guided their second emperor in conquering his enemies before the

 

This Tlingit hat is adorned with a raven, an important mythological character for many Native Americans of Alaska. Considered both a hero and a trickster, the raven presented many gifts to humans including light, names for plants, and formations of the earth.

This Tlingit hat is adorned with a raven, an important mythological character for many Native Americans of Alaska. Considered both a hero and a trickster, the raven presented many gifts to humans including light, names for plants, and formations of the earth.

*See Names and Places at the end of this volume for further information.

founding of his dynasty. The Magyar people claimed that a giant eagle, falcon, or hawk had led their first king into Hungary, where he founded their nation. The Magyars looked upon this bird as their mythical ancestor.

Life, Death, and the Soul

Many myths have linked birds to the arrival of life or death. With their power of flight, these winged creatures were seen as carriers or symbols of the human soul, or as the soul itself, flying heavenward after a person died. A bird may represent both the soul of the dead and a deity at the same time.
Bringers of Life and Death. Some cultures have associated birds with birth, claiming that a person’s soul arrived on earth in bird form. A remnant of this ancient belief has survived into modern times: one traditional answer to a child’s question “Where do babies come from?” is “The stork brings them.”

Birds have also been linked with death. Carrion-eating birds such as vultures, crows, and ravens, for example, were connected with disaster and war. Celtic* and Irish war goddesses often appeared in the form of crows and ravens—perhaps because crows and ravens were known to gather over battlefields and to feast on the flesh of fallen warriors. It was said that if one of these goddesses appeared before an army going into battle, the army would be defeated.

The mythological bird called the phoenix combined images of birth and death to become a powerful symbol of eternal rebirth. According to Egyptian legend, the phoenix burned up every 500 years but was then miraculously reborn out of its own ashes, so it was truly immortal. In myths from China and Japan, the phoenix does not emerge from a fire but instead causes itself to be reborn during times of good fortune.
The Flight of the Soul Numerous myths have linked birds to the journeys undertaken by human souls after death. Sometimes a bird acts as a guide in the afterlife. In Syria, figures of eagles on tombs represent the guides that lead souls to heaven. The soul guide in Jewish tradition is a dove.

In some cultures, it was thought that the soul, once freed from the body, took the form of a bird. The ancient Egyptians believed that the soul, the ba, could leave the dead body in the form of a bird, often a hawk. They built their graves and tombs with narrow shafts leading to the open air so that these birds could fly in and out, keeping watch on the body. The feather cloaks that Central American and Mexican priests and kings wore may have been connected to the idea of a soul journey.

dynasty succession of rulers from the same family or group

immortal able to live forever

imperial relating to an emperor or empire

Because of their great size and strength, eagles have been associated with royal or imperial souls. Some ancient peoples, including the Romans, would release an eagle at a ruler’s funeral. As it rose into the sky the mighty bird was seen as the ruler’s spirit taking its place in the heavens.

The Greeks and Celts thought that the dead could reappear as birds. The Sumerians of the ancient Near East believed that the dead existed as birds in the underworld. According to Islamic tradition, all dead souls remain in the form of birds until Judgment Day, while in Christian tradition, the gentle dove became a symbol of the immortal soul ascending to heaven. Birds also appear in Hindu mythology as symbols of the soul or as forms taken by the soul between earthly lives. The connection between birds and souls is sometimes reflected in language. A Turkish saying describes somebody’s death as “His soul bird has flown away.”
Becoming a Bird. Under certain conditions, the living could be transformed into birds. In some cultures, it was believed that shamans, priests, and prophets could change themselves into birds during trances or other mystical states. Such ideas were found in Siberia and Indonesia. In Celtic mythology, both deities and the sly supernatural beings called fairies or fays were said to have the power to transform themselves into birds.

Some legends involve birds that change into or inhabit the bodies of humans. The Central American god Quetzalcoatl, a combination of a bird and a serpent, appears as a culture hero or a god in human form in Toltec, Maya, and Aztec myths. Among certain peoples in northern Europe and Asia, the spirits of birds such as eagles, owls, and crows are said to enter the bodies of shamans to inspire them.

In some myths, humans and other beings acquire the ability to fly like birds. Such supernatural flight, like many mythological powers, can be either good or evil. Norse* tales told that the goddess Freya’s feather cloak enabled the wearer to fly. European tradition portrayed angels with wings like those of birds, but devils often had bat wings. Japanese mythology includes a group of winged deities known as tengu. Part bird and part human, they live in forests and occasionally use their powers to play tricks on people.

Winged Wisdom

Birds in mythology sometimes have the ability to speak. These talking birds, often sources of wisdom, may be deities in bird form or simply messengers of the deities. Either way, their advice is generally sound, and humans ignore it at their peril. Birds warn of dangers ahead, reveal secrets, and guide heroes and travelers on their way.

Birds do not always speak in human languages; many stories tell of people who gain the power to understand the language of birds. In Greek mythology, a snake licked the ears of the prophet Cassandra, who could then understand what the birds were saying. After tasting the magical blood of a slain dragon, the German hero Siegfried knew what the forest birds were saying.

shaman person thought to possess spiritual and healing powers prophet one who claims to have received divine messages or insights

culture hero mythical figure who gives people the tools of civilization, such as language and fire

Some birds are believed to have special powers of telling the future or revealing the will of the gods. Magpies, ravens, and doves appear in myth as oracles. In Iranian mythology, birds communicate

*See Names and Places at the end of this volume for further information.

 

In Hindu mythology, Garuda was a creature with a human body and an eagle

In Hindu mythology, Garuda was a creature with a human body and an eagle’s head, wings, and talons. This Indian miniature painting portrays Garuda with the god Vishnu and his wife on his back.

divine wisdom to people. The Hottentot people of southern Africa believe that the hammerhead, a wading bird, can see reflections of the future in pools of water. When the bird learns that someone is about to die, it flies to the person’s home and gives three cries of warning.

Common Birds in Mythology

Certain birds appear over and over again in the world’s myths and legends, although not always in the same roles. The crow and its close relative the raven, for example, have a number of different meanings. In some cultures, they are oracles and symbols of death. In Norse mythology, Odin* was always accompanied by two wise ravens that told him everything that happened on earth. According to Greek mythology, the feathers of crows and ravens were originally white, but the god Apollo punished the birds—either for telling secrets or for failing in their duty as guardians—by turning them black.

Related Entries

Other entries related to birds in mythology are listed at the end of this article.

For some Native Americans, such as the Tsimshian people of the Pacific Northwest, Raven is both a trickster and a culture hero. Sometimes his antics shake up the gods and the established order of the universe, and sometimes they backfire and get him into trouble. Often, though, Raven’s deeds benefit humankind, as in the legend of how Raven brought light into the world. After finding the hiding place where the Creator kept the moon, the stars, and daylight, Raven released them so that they could shine on the world.

The majestic eagle, sometimes called the king of birds, usually has divine or royal associations in myth. Images from the ancient Near East and Iran show the sun with an eagle’s wings, a sign that the bird was linked to the sun god. The eagle was also a symbol of Jupiter, the supreme Roman deity, and a sign of strength and courage. By adopting the eagle as their symbol, kings from ancient to recent times have tried to suggest that they, too, had some divine or heroic qualities.

Stories of eagles fighting snakes or dragons represent the tension between light and darkness, heavenly and underworld forces. In the myths of various Native American peoples, the eagle is a culture hero, a hunter or a tornado transformed into a bird, and the spirit of war and hunting. The eagle was also the great culture hero of Siberian mythology

In the ancient Near East and in Greece, the dove was a symbol of love and fertility, often associated with goddesses of love such as the Greek Aphrodite. In China doves represent tranquility and faithfulness in marriage, while in India they symbolize the soul.

When owls appear in mythology, their meaning is often uncertain and complex, neither all good nor all bad. Owls are symbols of wisdom, patience, and learning, yet because they hunt at night, they are associated with secrecy and darkness. In China they are seen as signs of coming misfortune. According to the Hottentot people of Africa, the hooting of an owl at night is an omen of death.

Early cultures in Mexico regarded owls as sacred to the rain god, but later the Aztecs of the same region viewed them as evil night demons. Some Native American legends portray owls as destructive and malicious; others show them as helpful beings who warn people of dangers. The stories may include a person who is transformed into an owl. In the Navajo creation myth, an owl resolves a bitter quarrel between men and women, allowing the creation of the human race.

Bats also symbolize both good and evil in mythology. Chinese legends link the bat with good fortune. A group of five bats represents five causes of happiness: wealth, health, long life, virtue, and a natural death. In various other cultures, however, bats are often connected with witches or evil spirits, and demons are pictured with bat wings.

The Deathless Hoyl Bird

Jewish mythology includes the story of the hoyl—a bird that, like the phoenix, is devoured by divine fire only to rise from its own ashes. Legend says that after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden, Adam offered the fruit to all of the animals. The hoyl bird was the only one that refused to eat the fruit that God had said must never be eaten. As a reward, the hoyl received a kind of immortality. It never dies but only goes to sleep, after which fire destroys it. An egg remains, however, and from that egg a full-grown hoyl hatches anew.

Other birds have special meanings in myths. Swans, with their white feathers and graceful appearance, often serve as symbols of purity and feminine beauty. Both Celtic and Norse mythology included tales of women who turned into swans. Male peacocks, endowed with splendid tail feathers, can suggest either foolish vanity or divine glory. In legends from India, they often appear being ridden by one of the gods.

See also Afterlife ; Animals in Mythology ; Creation Stories ; Firebird ; Phoenix ; Quetzalcoatl ; Thunderbird .

Read more: Birds in Mythology – Myth Encyclopedia – Greek, god, story, legend, names, ancient, animal, snake, war, norse http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Be-Ca/Birds-in-Mythology.html#ixzz1d8iM9TnP

Source of the above:

Myths Encyclopedia » Be-Ca » Birds in Mythology – Myth Encyclopedia

 http://www.mythencyclopedia.com/Be-Ca/Birds-in-Mythology.html

 I have been unable to ascertain the copyright holder of this information. Please contact me if you are the copyright holder at bluegarudas@gmail.com

Similar Winged Deities

02 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by Mantrik in Garuda Images, Garuda in Other Religions

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I have selected a few religious figures which are particularly significant. For the moment, information is from Wikipedia, reproduced here for convenience.

FARAVAHAR

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Stone carved Faravahar in Persepolis.
Faravahar-Gold.svg
The faravahar.
Part of a series on
Zoroastrianism
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Avesta
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Vendidad · Visperad
Yashts · Khordeh Avesta
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Dēnkard · Bundahišn
Book of Arda Viraf
Book of Jamasp
Story of Sanjan
History and culture
Zurvanism
Calendar · Festivals
Marriage
Eschatology
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Zoroastrians in Iran
Parsis · Iranis
• • •
Persecution of Zoroastrians
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Index of Related Articles

Faravahar (OP *fravarti > MP: prʾwhr)[1] is one of the best-known symbols of Zoroastrianism, the state religion of ancient Iran. This religious-cultural symbol was adapted by the Pahlavi dynasty to represent the Iranian nation.

The etymology of Faravahar is the Middle Persian root /frwr/ (the Pahlavi script of Middle Persian did not represent short vowels), and the word is thus variously pronounced/written farohar, frohar, frawahr, fravahr and so forth, as there is no agreed upon method of transliterating the Middle Persian word into English. In Dekhoda’s dictionary and the 17th century Persian dictionary Burhan Qati’, it appears as فروهر “furuhar”. The Encyclopedia Iranica renders it as frawahr (this reflects the Pazend dibacheh form, corresponding to Book Pahlavi prʾwhr).

The winged disc has a long history in the art and culture of the ancient Near and Middle East. Historically, the symbol is influenced by the “winged sun” hieroglyph appearing on Bronze Age royal seals (Luwian SOL SUUS, symbolizing royal power in particular)[citation needed]. In Neo-Assyrian times, a human bust is added to the disk, the “feather-robed archer” interpreted as symbolizing Ashur.

While the symbol is currently thought to represent a Fravashi (c. a guardian angel) and from which it derives its name (see below), what it represented in the minds of those who adapted it from earlier Mesopotamian and Egyptian reliefs is unclear. Because the symbol first appears on royal inscriptions, it is also thought to represent the ‘Divine Royal Glory’ (khvarenah), or the Fravashi of the king, or represented the divine mandate that was the foundation of a king’s authority.

This relationship between the name of the symbol and the class of divine entities it represents, reflects the current belief that the symbol represents a Fravashi. However, there is no physical description of the Fravashis in the Avesta, the sacred texts of Zoroastrianism, and in Avestan the entities are grammatically feminine.

In present-day Zoroastrianism, the faravahar is said to be a reminder of one’s purpose in life, which is to live in such a way that the soul progresses towards frasho-kereti, or union with Ahura Mazda, the supreme divinity in Zoroastrianism. Although there are a number of interpretations of the individual elements of the symbol, none of them are older than the 20th century.

  • Persepolis, Iran.

  • A Neo-Assyrian “feather robed archer” figure, symbolizing Ashur. The right hand is extended similar to the Faravahar figure, while the left hand holds a bow instead of a ring (9th or 8th c. BC relief).

  • The Faravahar portrayed in the Behistun Inscription

  • National bank of Iran (1946) containing the Farvahar icon.

  • Recent image of National Bank of Iran.

  • Tomb of Ferdowsi in Mashhad/Tous, Iran, containing Farvahar icon.

  • A Zoroastrian fire temple in Yazd, Iran.

In Iranian Culture

Even after the Islamic conquest of Persia Zoroastrianism continued to be part of Iranian culture in which throughout the year festivities are celebrated such as the Persian New Year or Nowrouz, Mehregan and ChaharShanbe Souri which are remnants of Zoroastrian traditions. From the start of the 20th century the Farvahar icon found itself in public places and became a known icon amongst all Iranians. The Shahname by Ferdowsi is Iran’s national epic and contains stories (partly historical and partly mythical) from pre-islamic Zoroastrian times. The tomb of Ferdowsi which is visited by numerous Iranians every year, contains the Farvahar icon as well.

After the Islamic Revolution of 1979 the Lion and Sun which was part of Iran’s original national flag had been banned by the government from public places in order to prevent people from being reminded of life prior to the revolution, nevertheless Farvahar icons were not removed. As a result, the Farvahar icon became a national symbol amongst the people which became somewhat tolerated by the government compared to the Lion and Sun. The Farvahar is the most worn pendant amongst Iranians and has become a national symbol rather than a religious icon, although it’s Zoroastrian roots are certainly not ignored.

  • Photo taken of a Zoroastrian Iranian in Tehran, Iran during the festivities of Mehregan.

  • A Zoroastrian Iranian in New York, wearing a Farvahar pendant.

  • An artwork from Iran depicting the Farvahar icon.

  • A young man wearing a Farvahar tattoo on his back.

  • Imperial coat of arms prior to the Revolution, containing Farvahar icon.

References

  1. ^ The Encyclopedia Iranica gives several Middle Iranian renderings: fraward, frawahr, frōhar, frawaš, frawaxš. The form frawahr reflects the Pazend dibacheh form, corresponding to Book Pahlavi prʾwhr).
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Faravahar&oldid=453698306“
Categories:

  • Zoroastrian symbols
  • National symbols of Iran
  • Persian loanwords
  • Persian words and phrases
  • This page was last modified on 3 October 2011 at 13:47.
  • Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details.
    Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

 

HORUS

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Horus

Horus was often the ancient Egyptians’ national patron god. He was usually depicted as a falcon-headed man wearing the pschent, or a red and white crown, as a symbol of kingship over the entire kingdom of Egypt.
God of the king, the sky and vengeance
Major cult center Nekhen, Behdet Edfu
Symbol The wedjat eye
Parents Osiris and Isis in some myths, and Nut and Geb in others.
Siblings Anubis (in some accounts) or Osiris, Isis, and Nephthys
Consort Hathor (in one version)

Horus is one of the oldest and most significant deities in the Ancient Egyptian religion, who was worshipped from at least the late Predynastic period through to Greco-Roman times. Different forms of Horus are recorded in history and these are treated as distinct gods by Egyptologists.[1] These various forms may possibly be different perceptions of the same multi-layered deity in which certain attributes or syncretic relationships are emphasized, not necessarily in opposition but complementary to one another, consistent with how the Ancient Egyptians viewed the multiple facets of reality.[2]

The earliest recorded form is Horus the Falcon who was the patron deity of Nekhen in Upper Egypt and who is the first known national god, specifically related to the king who in time came to be regarded as a manifestation of Horus in life and Osiris in death.[1] The most commonly encountered family relationship describes Horus as the son of Isis and Osiris but in another tradition Hathor is regarded as his mother and sometimes as his wife.[1] Horus served many functions in the Egyptian pantheon, most notably being the god of the Sky, god of War and god of Protection.

Contents

  • 1 Etymology
  • 2 Horus and the Pharaoh
  • 3 Origin mythology
  • 4 Mythological roles
    • 4.1 Sky god
    • 4.2 God of war and hunting
    • 4.3 Conqueror of Set
    • 4.4 Heru-pa-khered (Horus the Younger)
    • 4.5 Heru-ur (Horus the Elder)
  • 5 See also
  • 6 References
  • 7 External links

Etymology

G5
ḥr “Horus”
in hieroglyphs

Horus is recorded in Egyptian hieroglyphs as ḥr.w and is reconstructed to have been pronounced *Ḥāru, meaning “Falcon”. As a description it has also typically been thought of as having the meaning “the distant one” or “one who is above, over”.[3] By Coptic times, the name became Hōr. It was adopted into Greek as Ὥρος Hōros. The original name also survives in later Egyptian names such as Har-Si-Ese literally “Horus, son of Isis”.

Horus was also sometimes known as Nekheny, meaning “falcon”. Some have proposed that Nekheny may have been another falcon-god, worshipped at Nekhen (city of the hawk), but then Horus was identified with him early on. As falcon, Horus may be shown on the Narmer Palette dating from the time of unification of upper and lower Egypt.

Horus and the Pharaoh

Pyramid texts ca. the 25th Century BC describe the nature of the Pharaoh in different characters as both Horus and Osiris. The Pharaoh as Horus in life became the Pharaoh as Osiris in death, where he was united with the rest of the gods. New incarnations of Horus succeeded the deceased pharaoh on earth in the form of new Pharaohs.

The lineage of Horus, the eventual product of unions between the children of Atum, may have been a means to explain and justify Pharaonic power; The gods produced by Atum were all representative of cosmic and terrestrial forces in Egyptian life; by identifying Horus as the offspring of these forces, then identifying him with Atum himself, and finally identifying the Pharaoh with Horus, the Pharaoh theologically had dominion over all the world.

The notion of Horus as the Pharaoh seems to have been superseded by the concept of the Pharaoh as the son of Ra during the Fifth Dynasty of Egypt.[4]

Origin mythology

Horus was born to the goddess Isis after she retrieved all the dismembered body parts of her murdered husband Osiris, except his penis which was thrown into the Nile and eaten by a catfish,[5][6] and used her magic powers to resurrect Osiris and fashion a gold phallus[7] to conceive her son. Once Isis knew she was pregnant with Horus, she fled to the Nile Delta marshlands to hide from her brother Set who jealously killed Osiris and who she knew would want to kill their son.[8] There Isis bore a divine son, Horus.

Mythological roles

G9 N27
N27
rˁ-ḥr-3ḫty “Re-Harachte”
in hieroglyphs

Horus represented in relief with Wadjet and wearing the double crown – temple of Hatshepsut

Horus Falcon Statue from Hatshepsut’s temple

Horus relief in the temple of Edfu

Sky god

Horus depicted as a falcon

Since Horus was said to be the sky, he was considered to also contain the sun and moon. It became said that the sun was his right eye and the moon his left, and that they traversed the sky when he, a falcon, flew across it. Thus he became known as Harmerty – Horus of two eyes. Later, the reason that the moon was not as bright as the sun was explained by a tale, known as the contestings of Horus and Set, originating as a metaphor for the conquest of Upper Egypt by Lower Egypt in about 3000 BC. In this tale, it was said that Set, the patron of Upper Egypt, and Horus, the patron of Lower Egypt, had battled for Egypt brutally, with neither side victorious, until eventually the gods sided with Horus (see below).

As Horus was the ultimate victor he became known as Harsiesis, Heru-ur or Har-Wer (ḥr.w wr ‘Horus the Great’), but more usually translated as Horus the Elder. In the struggle Set had lost a testicle, explaining why the desert, which Set represented, is infertile. Horus’ left eye had also been gouged out, which explained why the moon, which it represented, was so weak compared to the sun.

It was also said that during a new-moon, Horus had become blinded and was titled Mekhenty-er-irty (mḫnty r ỉr.ty ‘He who has no eyes’). When the moon became visible again, he was re-titled Khenty-irty (ḫnty r ỉr.ty ‘He who has eyes’).

Horus was occasionally shown in art as a naked boy with a finger in his mouth sitting on a lotus with his mother. In the form of a youth, Horus was referred to as Neferhor. This is also spelled Nefer Hor, Nephoros or Nopheros (nfr ḥr.w) meaning ‘The Good Horus’.

Wedjat, eye of Horus

The Eye of Horus is an ancient Egyptian symbol of protection and royal power from deities, in this case from Horus or Ra. The symbol is seen on images of Horus’ mother, Isis, and on other deities associated with her.

In the Egyptian language, the word for this symbol was “Wedjat”.[9][10] It was the eye of one of the earliest of Egyptian deities, Wadjet, who later became associated with Bast, Mut, and Hathor as well. Wedjat was a solar deity and this symbol began as her eye, an all seeing eye. In early artwork, Hathor is also depicted with this eye.[11] Funerary amulets were often made in the shape of the Eye of Horus. The Wedjat or Eye of Horus is “the central element” of seven “gold, faience, carnelian and lapis lazuli” bracelets found on the mummy of Shoshenq II.[12] The Wedjat “was intended to protect the king [here] in the afterlife”[12] and to ward off evil. Ancient Egyptian and Near Eastern sailors would frequently paint the symbol on the bow of their vessel to ensure safe sea travel.[13]

God of war and hunting

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Horus was also said to be a god of war and hunting. The Horus falcon is shown upon a standard on the predynastic Hunters Palette in the “lion hunt”.

Thus he became a symbol of majesty and power as well as the model of the pharaohs.[14] The Pharaohs were said to be Horus in human form.

Furthermore Nemty, another war god, was later identified as Horus.[15]

Conqueror of Set

Horus was told by his mother, Isis, to protect the people of Egypt from Set, the god of the desert, who had killed his father Osiris.[16][17][18]

Horus had many battles with Set, not only to avenge his father, but to choose the rightful ruler of Egypt. In these battles, Horus came to be associated with Lower Egypt (where Horus was worshipped), and became its patron.

One scene stated how Horus was on the verge of killing Set; but his mother (and Set’s sister), Isis, stopped him. Isis injured Horus, but eventually healed him.[19]

According to Papyrus Chester-Beatty I, Set is depicted as trying to prove his dominance by seducing Horus and then having intercourse with him. However, Horus places his hand between his thighs and catches Set’s semen, then subsequently throws it in the river, so that he may not be said to have been inseminated by Set. Horus then deliberately spreads his own semen on some lettuce, which was Set’s favorite food. After Set had eaten the lettuce, they went to the gods to try to settle the argument over the rule of Egypt. The gods first listened to Set’s claim of dominance over Horus, and call his semen forth, but it answered from the river, invalidating his claim. Then, the gods listened to Horus’ claim of having dominated Set, and call his semen forth, and it answered from inside Set.[20][21]

However, Set still refused to relent, and the other gods were getting tired from over eighty years of fighting and challenges. Horus and Set challenged each other to a boat race, where they each raced in a boat made of stone. Horus and Set agreed, and the race started. But Horus had an edge: his boat was made of wood painted to resemble stone, rather than true stone. Set’s boat, being made of heavy stone, sank, but Horus’s did not. Horus then won the race, and Set stepped down and officially gave Horus the throne of Egypt.[19] But after the New Kingdom, Set still was considered Lord of the desert and its oases.[22]

This myth, along with others, could be seen as an explanation of how the two kingdoms of Egypt (Upper and Lower) came to be united. Horus was seen as the God of Lower Egypt, and Set as the God of Upper Egypt. In this myth, the respective Upper and Lower deities have a fight, through which Horus is the victor. However, some of Horus (representing Lower Egypt) enters into Set (Upper Egypt) thus explaining why Lower Egypt is dominant over Upper Egypt. Set’s regions were then considered to be of the desert.

Heru-pa-khered (Horus the Younger)

Horus the Younger, Harpocrates to the Ptolemaic Greeks, is represented in the form of a youth wearing a lock of hair (a sign of youth) on the right of his head. In addition, he usually wears the united crowns of Egypt, the crown of upper Egypt and the crown of lower Egypt. He is a form of the rising sun, representing its earliest light.

Heru-ur (Horus the Elder)

Horus, (Louvre Museum), ‘Shen rings‘ in his grasp

In this form he represented the god of light and the husband of Hathor. He was one of the oldest gods of ancient Egypt. He became the patron of Nekhen (Heirakonpolis) and the first national god (God of the Kingdom). Later, he also became the patron of the pharaohs, and was called the son of truth.[23] – signifying his role as an important upholder of Maat. He was seen as a great falcon with outstretched wings whose right eye was the sun and the left one was the moon. In this form, he was sometimes given the title Kemwer, meaning (the) great black (one).

The Greek form of Heru-ur (or Har wer) is Haroeris. Other variants include Hor Merti ‘Horus of the two eyes’ and Horkhenti Irti.[24]

See also

  • Egyptian pantheon
  • Heru-ra-ha
  • Jesus Christ in comparative mythology – contains a study of similarities between Horus and Jesus.
  • Myth of Osiris and Isis

References

  1. ^ a b c “The Oxford Guide: Essential Guide to Egyptian Mythology”, Edited by Donald B. Redford, Horus: by Edmund S. Meltzer, p164–168, Berkley, 2003, ISBN 0-425-19096-x
  2. ^ “The Oxford Guide: Essential Guide to Egyptian Mythology”, Edited by Donald B. Redford, p106 & p165, Berkley, 2003, ISBN 0-425-19096-x
  3. ^ Meltzer, Edmund S. (2002). Horus. In D. B. Redford (Ed.), The ancient gods speak: A guide to Egyptian religion (pp. 164). New York: Oxford University Press, USA.
  4. ^ Samuel Noah Kramer. Mythologies of the Ancient World. Quadrangle Books: Chicago, 1961. pp. 35–43
  5. ^ New York Folklore Society (1973). “New York folklore quarterly”. 29. Cornell University Press. p. 294.
  6. ^ Ian Shaw (2003). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-815034-2.
  7. ^ Piotr O. Scholz (2001). Eunuchs and castrati: a cultural history. Markus Wiener Publishers. p. 32. ISBN 1-55876-201-9.
  8. ^ Roy G. Willis (1993). World mythology. Macmillan. p. 43. ISBN 0-8050-2701-7.
  9. ^ Pommerening, Tanja, Die altägyptischen Hohlmaße (Studien zur Altägyptischen Kultur, Beiheft 10), Hamburg, Helmut Buske Verlag, 2005
  10. ^ M. Stokstad, “Art History”
  11. ^ Lady of the West at hethert.org
  12. ^ a b Silverman, op. cit., p.228
  13. ^ Charles Freeman, The Legacy of Ancient Egypt, Facts on File, Inc. 1997. p.91
  14. ^ Egypt: Gods of Ancient Egypt Main Menu
  15. ^ The Contendings of Horus and Seth
  16. ^ Ancient Egyptian Culture
  17. ^ The Gods of Ancient Egypt – Horus
  18. ^ Ancient Egypt: the Mythology – Horus
  19. ^ a b Mythology, published by DBP, Chapter: Egypt’s divine kingship
  20. ^ Theology WebSite: The 80 Years of Contention Between Horus and Set
  21. ^ Fleming, Fergus, and Alan Lothian. The Way to Eternity: Egyptian Myth. Duncan Baird Publishers, 1997. pp. 80–81
  22. ^ Set, God of Confusion, by TeVelde
  23. ^ Heru-ur; Horus the Elder
  24. ^ Patricia Turner, Charles Russell Coulter, Dictionary of ancient deities, 2001

External links

  • UCAR educational article about Horus
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Horus&oldid=458486627“
Categories:

  • Egyptian gods
  • Solar gods
  • Sky and weather gods
  • Savior gods
  • War gods
  • Hellenistic Egyptian deities
  • Mythological birds of prey
  • This page was last modified on 1 November 2011 at 16:59.
  • Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details.
    Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

PAZUZU

Deities, demons and spirits are sometimes depicted in combination form, i.e. the head of one animal, the body of another.  Garuda is no exception.  In this case, the being Pazuzu is a demon, but can also be called upon for protection:

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

Assyrian demon Pazuzu, first millennium BC, Louvre Museum.

In Assyrian and Babylonian mythology, Pazuzu (sometimes Fazuzu or Pazuza) was the king of the demons of the wind, and son of the god Hanbi. He also represented the southwestern wind, the bearer of storms and drought.

Contents

  • 1 Iconography
  • 2 Mythology
  • 3 In modern culture
  • 4 References
  • 5 External links

Iconography

Pazuzu is often depicted as a combination of diverse animal and human parts. He has the body of a man, the head of a lion or dog, eagle-like taloned feet, two pairs of wings, a scorpion‘s tail, and a serpentine penis. He is often depicted with his right hand pointing upward, and left hand pointing down.

Mythology

Pazuzu is the demon of the southwest wind known for bringing famine during dry seasons, and locusts during rainy seasons. Pazuzu was said to be invoked in amulets which combat the powers of his wife,[1] the malicious goddess Lamashtu, who was believed to cause harm to mother and child during childbirth. Although Pazuzu is, himself, an evil spirit, he drives away other evil spirits, therefore protecting humans against plagues and misfortunes.

Wilfred Lambert (1968) identified a fibula with a Pazuzu head at Megiddo [2] and also a Sumerian-Akkadian invocation.[3]

In modern culture

Main article: Pazuzu (The Exorcist)

In the 1971 novel The Exorcist and the movie based on the novel, Pazuzu is supposedly one of the evil spirits that possesses the young girl Regan MacNeil. He reappears in the 1977 sequel Exorcist II: The Heretic. In this movie, Pazuzu is both named as the demon antagonist of Regan MacNeil and the unwitting helper of Father Philip Lamont (played by Richard Burton), as he seeks to finally free Regan from his hold. In the end, Father Lamont finally defeats the demons.

Pazuzu appears on the album cover of the Gorillaz compilation album D-Sides and as a statue in front of the band’s former recording studio, as well as in the promo video for the band’s song Dare, the promo video for the song Rockit, and the unmade promo video for Rhinestone eyes.

In his author’s bio in the first issue of Warrior magazine in 1982, comic book author Alan Moore claims to be “possessed by the demon Pazuzu.”

Pazuzu is the demon that haunts Adèle Blanc-Sec in Tardi‘s graphic novel “The Demon of the Eiffel Tower” (“Le Démon de la tour Eiffel,” 1976). Pazuzu also appears in “Mummies on Parade” (“Momies en folie,” 1978).

In the TV series Futurama, Pazuzu is the name of Professor Farnsworth‘s gargoyle in the 2003 episode Teenage Mutant Leela’s Hurdles.

References

  1. ^ “Statuette of the demon Pazuzu with an inscription”. Louvre website. Retrieved 2010-05-18.
  2. ^ Lambert, W. L. 1968. Inscribed Pazuzu Heads from Babylon. Forschungen und Berichte 10: 417 1970)
  3. ^ “1970 hat WG Lambert, FuB 12 (1970), S. 41-47 eine sumerisch- akkadische Pazuzu-Beschwörung rekonstruiert”

External links

  • Oriental Institute of Chicagofigure of Pazuzu
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Pazuzu&oldid=502014632“
Categories:

  • Mesopotamian demons
  • Mesopotamian mythology
  • Sky and weather gods
  • This page was last modified on 13 July 2012 at 06:41.
  • Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License; additional terms may apply. See Terms of use for details.
    Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Garuda as Griffin (Gryphon)

02 Wednesday Nov 2011

Posted by Mantrik in Garuda Images, Garuda in Other Religions

≈ Leave a comment

Introduction

Appearing in mythology across the world the Gryphon is a winged being with a lion’s body and an eagle’s beaked head.  Sometimes the front legs are also those of an eagle.

The similarity with the Tibetan Buddhist being with a Garuda’s head and wings, and the body of a Snow Lion, is surely far too similar to be coincidental.

Some sources agree that the origin of the Griffin is India. It may seem surprising, as we mainly hear of tigers in India, but a small population of lions still exists to this day.

However, a scan of the Wiki article reveals many such eagle/lion beings of great antiquity across many cultures.

The Griffin, like the Garuda, is often a representation of Wisdom, and of fierce bravery   – not surprising bearing in mind the attributes of the lion and the eagle.

In legend the Griffin seeks out gold and guards it, even making nests out of it.  It may also be a guardian of people, temples and burial sites.

It is also said that they posed riddles, with a golden prize for the winner.

Some sources think that a dinosaur, Pentaceratops, may account ofr the legend.  However, fossils show the being to be very much an earthbound and heavy beast and whilst it does have 4 legs, any resemblance to a lion is too much of a stretch for me.  Some images of the Griffin have talons rather than front paws.

A fearsome creature, the Griffin is not renowned as a guardian of people, but a guardian of treasures, and has a reputation for eating both humans and horses.

A site offering a good spread of information about the Gryphon is:
http://www.gryphonpages.com/

These 3 images show the similarity of the Gryphon and the Garuda/Snow Lion:

 

MORE, FROM WIKIPEDIA:   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Griffin):

Griffin

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Griffin fresco in the “Throne Room”, Palace of Knossos, Crete, Bronze Age

Achaemenid griffin at Persepolis.

The Islamic Pisa Griffin, in the Pisa Cathedral Museum

The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Greek: γρύφων, grýphōn, or γρύπων, grýpōn, early form γρύψ, grýps; Latin: gryphus) is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature. The griffin was also thought of as king of the creatures. Griffins are known for guarding treasure and priceless possessions.[1] Adrienne Mayor, a classical folklorist, proposes that the griffin was an ancient misconception derived from the fossilized remains of the Protoceratops found in gold mines in the Altai mountains of Scythia, in present day southeastern Kazakhstan.[2] In antiquity it was a symbol of divine power and a guardian of the divine.[3] Some have suggested that the word griffin is cognate with Cherub.[4]

Contents

  • 1 Form
  • 2 Medieval lores
  • 3 Heraldic significance
  • 4 In architecture
  • 5 In literature
  • 6 Modern uses
    • 6.1 School emblems and mascots
    • 6.2 In professional sports
    • 6.3 Amusement Parks
  • 7 In natural history
  • 8 See also
  • 9 Notes and references
  • 10 Further reading
  • 11 External links

Form

While Griffins are most common in Ancient Greece, there is evidence of Griffins in Ancient Egyptian art as far back as 3,300 BC.[5] [6] Most statues have bird-like talons, although in some older illustrations griffins have a lion’s forelimbs; they generally have a lion’s hindquarters. Its eagle’s head is conventionally given prominent ears; these are sometimes described as the lion’s ears, but are often elongated (more like a horse‘s), and are sometimes feathered. The earliest depiction of griffins are the 15th century BC frescoes in the Throne Room of the Bronze Age Palace of Knossos, as restored by Sir Arthur Evans. It continued being a favored decorative theme in Archaic and Classical Greek art. In Central Asia the griffin appears about a thousand years after Bronze Age Crete, in the 5th-4th centuries BC, probably originating from the Achaemenid Persian Empire. The Achaemenids considered the griffin “a protector from evil, witchcraft and secret slander”.[7] The modern generalist calls it the lion-griffin, as for example, Robin Lane Fox, in Alexander the Great, 1973:31 and notes p. 506, who remarks a lion-griffin attacking a stag in a pebble mosaic Dartmouth College expedition at Pella, perhaps as an emblem of the kingdom of Macedon or a personal one of Alexander’s successor Antipater.

The Pisa Griffin is a large bronze sculpture which has been in Pisa in Italy since the Middle Ages, though it is of Islamic origin. It is the largest bronze medieval Islamic sculpture known, at over three feet tall (42.5 inches, or 1.08 m.), and was probably created in the 11th century in Al-Andaluz (Islamic Spain).[8] From about 1100 it was placed on a column on the roof of Pisa Cathedral until replaced by a replica in 1832; the original is now in the Museo dell’ Opera del Duomo (Cathedral Museum), Pisa.

Infrequently, a griffin is portrayed without wings, or a wingless eagle-headed lion is identified as a griffin; in 15th-century and later heraldry such a beast may be called an alce or a keythong. In heraldry, a griffin always has forelegs like an eagle’s; the beast with forelimbs like a lion’s forelegs was distinguished by perhaps only one English herald of later heraldry as the opinicus.

Medieval lores

Statue of a griffin at St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Griffin rampant wearing the mural crown of Perugia

Griffins not only mated for life, but also, if either partner died, then the other would continue throughout the rest of its life alone, never to search for a new mate. The griffin was thus made an emblem of the Church’s views on remarriage. A Hippogriff is a legendary creature, supposedly the offspring of a griffin and a mare. Being a union of a terrestrial beast and an aerial bird, it was seen in Christendom to be a symbol of Jesus, who was both human and divine. As such it can be found sculpted on some churches.[1]

According to Stephen Friar’s New Dictionary of Heraldry, a griffin’s claw was believed to have medicinal properties and one of its feathers could restore sight to the blind.[1] Goblets fashioned from griffin claws (actually antelope horns) and griffin eggs (actually ostrich eggs) were highly prized in medieval European courts.[9]

When it emerged as a major seafaring power in the Middle Ages and Renaissance, griffins commenced to be depicted as part of the Republic of Genoa‘s coat of arms, rearing at the sides of the shield bearing the Cross of St. George.

By the 12th century the appearance of the griffin was substantially fixed: “All its bodily members are like a lion’s, but its wings and mask are like an eagle’s.”[10] It is not yet clear if its forelimbs are those of an eagle or of a lion. Although the description implies the latter, the accompanying illustration is ambiguous. It was left to the heralds to clarify that.

Heraldic significance

A heraldic griffin passant.

Heraldic guardian griffin at Kasteel de Haar, Netherlands

In heraldry, the griffin’s amalgamation of lion and eagle gains in courage and boldness, and it is always drawn to powerful fierce monsters. It is used to denote strength and military courage and leadership. Griffins are portrayed with rear body of a lion, an eagle’s head, with erect ears, and feathered breast, with forelegs of an eagle, including claws. The combination indicates a combination of intelligence and strength.[11]

In British heraldry, a male griffin is shown without wings, its body covered in tufts of formidable spikes, with a short tusk emerging from the forehead, as for a unicorn.[12] The female griffin with wings is more commonly used.

In architecture

In architectural decoration the griffin is usually represented as a four-footed beast with wings and the head of an eagle with horns, or with the head and beak of an eagle.[citation needed]

The statues that mark the entrance to the City of London are sometimes mistaken for griffins, but are in fact (Tudor) dragons, the supporters of the city’s arms.[13] They are most easily distinguished from griffins by their membranous, rather than feathered, wings.

In literature

For fictional characters named Griffin, see Griffin (surname)

Flavius Philostratus mentioned them in The Life of Apollonius of Tyana:

“ As to the gold which the griffins dig up, there are rocks which are spotted with drops of gold as with sparks, which this creature can quarry because of the strength of its beak. “For these animals do exist in India” he said, “and are held in veneration as being sacred to the Sun ; and the Indian artists, when they represent the Sun, yoke four of them abreast to draw the images ; and in size and strength they resemble lions, but having this advantage over them that they have wings, they will attack them, and they get the better of elephants and of dragons. But they have no great power of flying, not more than have birds of short flight; for they are not winged as is proper with birds, but the palms of their feet are webbed with red membranes, such that they are able to revolve them, and make a flight and fight in the air; and the tiger alone is beyond their powers of attack, because in swiftness it rivals the winds.[14] ”
“ And the griffins of the Indians and the ants of the Ethiopians, though they are dissimilar in form, yet, from what we hear, play similar parts; for in each country they are, according to the tales of poets, the guardians of gold, and devoted to the gold reefs of the two countries.[15] ”

🙂
Griffins are used widely in Persian poetry; Rumi is one such poet who writes in reference to griffins.[16]

In Dante Alighieri‘s Divine Comedy, Beatrice meets Dante in Earthly Paradise after his journey through Hell and Purgatory with Virgil have concluded. Beatrice takes off into the Heavens to begin Dante’s journey through paradise on a flying Griffin that moves as fast as lightning. Sir John Mandeville wrote about them in his 14th century book of travels:

“ In that country be many griffins, more plenty than in any other country. Some men say that they have the body upward as an eagle and beneath as a lion; and truly they say sooth, that they be of that shape. But one griffin hath the body more great and is more strong than eight lions, of such lions as be on this half, and more great and stronger than an hundred eagles such as we have amongst us. For one griffin there will bear, flying to his nest, a great horse, if he may find him at the point, or two oxen yoked together as they go at the plough. For he hath his talons so long and so large and great upon his feet, as though they were horns of great oxen or of bugles or of kine, so that men make cups of them to drink of. And of their ribs and of the pens of their wings, men make bows, full strong, to shoot with arrows and quarrels.[17] ”

Griffin misericord, Ripon Cathedral, alleged inspiration for The Gryphon in Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

John Milton, in Paradise Lost II, refers to the legend of the griffin in describing Satan:

“ As when a Gryfon through the Wilderness
With winged course ore Hill or moarie Dale,
Pursues the ARIMASPIAN, who by stelth
Had from his wakeful custody purloind
The guarded Gold […]
”

Modern uses

The red Griffin rampant was the coat of arms of the Pomeranian ducal House of Griffin and survives today as the armorial of West Pomeranian Voivodeship in Poland

Kashubian Griffin in Canada

A modernist, Egyptianized guardian griffin by Edmond Amateis (1936), Washington, D.C.

Flag of the Utti Jaeger Regiment of the Finnish Army

The griffin is the symbol of the Philadelphia Museum of Art; bronze castings of them perch on each corner of the museum‘s roof, protecting its collection.[18][19] Similarly, prior to the mid-1990s a griffin formed part of the logo of Midland Bank (now HSBC).

The griffin is the logo of United Paper Mills, Vauxhall Motors, and of Scania and its former group partners SAAB-Aircraft and Saab Automobile. The latest fighter produced by the SAAB-Aircraft company bears the name of “Gripen” (Griffin), but as a result of public competition. General Atomics has used the term “Griffin Eye” for its intelligence surveillance platform based on a Hawker Beechcraft King Air 35ER civilian aircraft [20]

School emblems and mascots

See: List of griffins as mascots and in heraldry

Three gryphons form the crest of Trinity College, Oxford (founded 1555), originating from the family crest of founder Sir Thomas Pope. The college’s debating society is known as The Gryphon, and the notes of its master emeritus show it to be one of the oldest debating institutions in the country, significantly older than the more famous Oxford Union Society.[21]

In 1933, Canisius College in Buffalo, New York selected the griffin as the mascot for its athletic teams and newspaper, in part in reference to the Jesuit-educated La Salle’s ship which had sailed nearby 244 years earlier.

The official seal of Purdue University was adopted during the University’s centennial in 1969. The seal, approved by the Board of Trustees, was designed by Prof. Al Gowan, formerly at Purdue. It replaced an unofficial one that had been in use for 73 years.[22]

The College of William and Mary in Virginia changed its mascot to the griffin in April 2010.[23][24] The griffin was chosen because it is the combination of the British lion and the American eagle.

In professional sports

The Grand Rapids Griffins professional hockey team of the American Hockey League.

Amusement Parks

Busch Gardens Europe‘s highlight attraction is a dive coaster called “Griffon”, which opened in 2007.

In natural history

Some large species of Old World vultures are called griffins, including the Griffon Vulture (Gyps fulvus). The scientific name for the Andean Condor is Vultur gryphus, Latin for “griffin-vulture”.

See also

  • Ethereal creature
  • Chimera
  • Hybrid (mythology)
  • Pixiu
  • Sharabha
  • Simurgh
  • Snow Lion
  • Sphinx
  • Yali (Hindu Mythology)
  • Ziz
  • Zu (mythology)

Notes and references

  1. ^ a b c Friar, Stephen (1987). A New Dictionary of Heraldry. London: Alphabooks/A & C Black. p. 173. ISBN 0906670446.
  2. ^ Adrienne Mayor, Archeology Magazine, November–December 1994, pp 53-59; Mayor, The First Fossil Hunters, 2000.
  3. ^ von Volborth, Carl-Alexander (1981). Heraldry: Customs, Rules and Styles. Poole: New Orchard Editions. pp. 44–45. ISBN 185079037X.
  4. ^ William H. C. Propp,Exodus 19-40, volume 2A of The Anchor Bible, New York: Doubleday, 2006, ISBN 0-385-24693-5, Notes to Exodus 15:18, page 386, referencing: Julius Wellhausen, Prolegomena to the History of Israel, Edinburgh: Black, 1885, page 304. Also see: Robert S. P. Beekes, Etymological Dictionary of Greek, volume 1, Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2010 ISBN 978-90-04-17420-7, page 289, entry for γρυπος, “From the archaeological perspective, origin in Asia Minor (and the Near East: Elam) is very probable.”
  5. ^ http://buffaloah.com/a/archsty/egypt/illus/illus.html#Griffin
  6. ^ http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/beasts.htm
  7. ^ Neva, Elena. “Central Asian Jewelry and their Symbols in Ancient Time” Kunstpedia; citing Pugachenkova, G. (1959) “Grifon v drevnem iskusstve central’noi Azii.” Sovetskya Arheologia, 2 pp.70, 83
  8. ^ Quantara; Hoffman, 318
  9. ^ Bedingfeld, Henry; Gwynn-Jones, Peter (1993). Heraldry. Wigston: Magna Books. pp. 80–81. ISBN 1854224336.
  10. ^ White, T. H. (1992 (1954)). The Book of Beasts: Being a Translation From a Latin Bestiary of the Twelfth Century. Stroud: Alan Sutton. pp. 22–24. ISBN 075090206X.
  11. ^ Stefan Oliver, Introduction to Heraldry. David & Charles, 2002. P. 44.
  12. ^ Male griffin depicted in Debrett’s Peerage, 1968, p.222, sinister supporter of Earl of Carrick (Ireland)
  13. ^ The City Arms, City of London Corporation, hosted by webarchive
  14. ^ Flavius Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, translated by F. C. Conybeare, volume I, book III.XLVIII., 1921, p. 333.
  15. ^ Flavius Philostratus, The Life of Apollonius of Tyana, translated by F. C. Conybeare, volume II, book VI.I., 1921, p. 5.
  16. ^ The Essential Rumi, translated from Persian by Coleman Barks, p 257
  17. ^ The Travels of Sir John Mandeville, Chapter XXIX, Macmillan and Co. edition, 1900.
  18. ^ Philadelphia Museum of Art – Giving : Giving to the Museum : Specialty License Plates
  19. ^ Glassteelandstone.com, Philadelphia Museum of Art: Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Glass Steel and Stone
  20. ^ GA-ASI.com
  21. ^ Trinity.ox.ac.uk
  22. ^ Purdue.edu
  23. ^ Deadspin.com
  24. ^ W&M welcomes newest member of the Tribe April 8, 2010

Further reading

  • Bisi, Anna Maria, Il grifone: Storia di un motivo iconografico nell’antico Oriente mediterraneo (Rome: Università) 1965.
  • This article incorporates text from the public domain 1907 edition of The Nuttall Encyclopædia.

External links

  • The Gryphon Pages, a repository of griffin lore and information
  • The Medieval Bestiary: Griffin
Retrieved from “http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Griffin&oldid=458304837“
Categories:

  • Egyptian legendary creatures
  • European legendary creatures
  • Greek legendary creatures
  • Griffins
  • Heraldic beasts
  • Mythological birds of prey
  • Mythological felines
  • Mythological hybrids
  • Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization.

Karura (Garuda)

01 Tuesday Nov 2011

Posted by Mantrik in Garuda in Buddhism, Garuda in Hinduism, Garuda in Other Religions, Garuda Removing Obstructions, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Karura - Japanese spelling
Karura 迦楼羅, Karura-Ō 迦楼羅王 (Skt. = Garuda)
Bird of Life, Celestial Eagle, Half Bird Half ManORIGIN = HINDU MYTHOLOGY
Member of the TENBU. One of EIGHT LEGIONS Guarding Buddhism.
One of 28 LEGIONS Guarding the 1000-ARMED KANNON BODHISATTVA.
One of KANNON’S 33 BASIC MANIFESTATIONS.

Karura - at Sanjusangendo in Kyoto, Kamakura Period Karura - NOH Mask -- courtesty http://nohmask21.com/eu/karura.html Karura - NOH Mask -- courtesty http://nohmask21.com/karurasp.html
(L) Karura at Sanjūsangendō 三十三間堂 in Kyoto (see full image below)
(M) Modern NOH Mask. Found on J-web. (R) Modern NOH Mask. Found on J-web.
See Learn More section below for links to these J-web estores.

Karura 迦楼羅

Karura - at Sanjusangendo in Kyoto, Kamakura Period, Wood; photo courtesy of Handbook by Ishii Ayako
Karura, Sanjūsangendō 三十三間堂 (Kyoto)
Kamakura Era, Wood, Photo this J-book

spacerSanskrit = Garuḍa (the Devourer), Chinese = Jiālóuluó
Japanese = Karura, Korean = 가루라, Tibet = Khyung
A mythical bird-man creature of Hindu lore who was later adopted into the Buddhist pantheon as a protector deity. The gold-colored Garuda (Skt.) has a human body but the wings, face, and beak of an eagle-like bird. In early Hindu literature, Garuda is granted immortality by Lord Vishnu and serves as Vishnu’s mount (avatar). In Tibetan tradition, Garuda is a mythical bird, similar to an eagle, but of gigantic proportions, able to block the sunlight with its size. In Japan, Garuda is an enormous fire-breathing eagle-man with golden feathers and magic gems crowning its head. Garuda’s various attributes are:

  • Personifies the blazing rays of sun, the wind, and the esoteric teachings of the Vedas (Indian texts of sacred knowledge).
  • Fierce bird of prey, variously described as an eagle, hawk, or kite. Can spew fire from mouth; flapping of wings sounds like clap of thunder.
  • Mortal Enemy of the naga, a Hindu group including serpents & dragons. Karura feeds on the naga.
  • Only naga who possess a Buddhist talisman, or naga who have converted to Buddhism, can escape from the naga-eating Karura. <Source: Flammarion>
  • Karura’s hatred of the naga stems from an ancient feud between Karura’s mother (Skt. Vinata) and her sister (the mother of the naga).
  • First to teach mankind how to cure snake poison.
  • In Vedic and Hindu mythology, Karura steals the nectar of immortality from Indra in order to gain the release of his enslaved mother. The pot of nectar is eventually returned to Indra, on condition that Indra grant Karura permission to feed on naga.
  • In the Purana (religious texts of ancient Hindu myths), Karura accidentally drops the bile of a slain Ashura; the bile falls to earth where it solidifies into veins of emerald. This story sparked the belief that touching emeralds neutralizes any poison.
  • In Southeast Asia the walls of temples are often decorated with Karura, as at Angkor and Java
  • Carries the sacred Nyoi Hōju 如意宝珠 (Chn. = Rúyì 如意) jewel on its neck. This pearl is said to grant every wish and remove every suffering. According to legend, this jewel emerged from the head of the dragon king 竜王. <Sources: JAANUS and Digital Dictionary of Chinese Buddhism>
  • Garuda is sometimes translated into English as griffin. <Source: Digital Dictionary of Chinese Buddhism; sign in with user name “guest”>
  • In Japanese art, Karura is depicted as an ornate bird with human head; sometimes shown treading on serpents or holding serpents. Karura does not appear often in Japanese Buddhist sculpture, and is rarely the object of central devotion.
  • In Japanese art, Karura is one of the 33 Manifestations of Kannon Bodhisattva. See photo below.
  • Like the Phoenix, Garuḍa is associated with fire and serves as a symbol of flame (said to represent the purification of the mind by the burning away of all material desires). In Japan, the term Karura-en 迦楼羅焔 refers to the flames spewed from Karura’s mouth, while the term Karura Enkō 迦楼羅焔光 refers to the feiry halo (kaen kōhai 火焔光背) often attached to statues of Fudō Myō-ō. Some say Fudō’s customary flame halo originated from the vomit of Karura, while others say the halo resembles Karura’s outstretched wings. Karura’s head is sometimes depicted on Fudō’s halo as well. <Source: JAANUS>
  • There is a great deal of confusion about Karura and the mythical Phoenix. Many web sites refer to the Karura as Phoenix, and vice versa, but this is wrong. The two are different mythical creatures.
  • Garuda is the national symbol of both Thailand and Indonesia. The national airline of Indonesian, moreover, is named Garuda Indonesia.

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Karura, Wood, Hase Dera, Kamakura, 15th Century
Karura. Painted Wood. One of Kannon’s 33 Forms
Hase Dera (Hase Kannon Temple) in Kamakura
From a set of 33 presented to Hase Dera
by Shogun Yoshimasa (1449-1471 AD)

The 25th chapter of the Lotus Sutra (Hokke-kyō 法華経) is popularly known as the Kannon Sutra (Jp. Kannonkyō 觀音経). It lists thirty-three forms that Kannon assumes when aiding sentient beings, including that of a Karura, dragon, monk, nun, official, child, general, king, & Buddha.
Karura, Hollow Dry Lacquer, Kofukuji Temple, Nara
Karura, Kōfukuji Temple, Nara
Hollow dry lacquer (dakkatsu kanshitsu 脱活乾漆)
H = 149 cm, Nara Period, National Treasure


Head of Garuda with body of Lion
The Eight-Legged Lion – Son of Union between Garuda and Lion.
One of the Three Symbols of Victory in the Fight against Disharmony.
From Buddhist Symbols in Tibetan Culture, by Loden Sherap Dagyab Rinpoche
Wisdom Publications, ISBN 0-86171-047-9. Click here to buy book at Amazon

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Karura image by Ida Made Tlaga of Sanur (Bali); dated around 1880.
Image made by Ida Made Tlaga in Sanur (Bali) around 1880.
The original is kept at the library of Leiden University. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia

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BELOW FROM THIS J-SITE
Karura is the name of a legendary bird
Karura flys in the four heavens over Mt. Shumisen
Eating dragons
Its wings shine with a golden color
Magical gems are at its head
Blazes from its mouth
Over 1,200 km. in size
迦楼羅(かるら)は伝説上の鳥の名前。
須弥山(しゅみせん)の四天を翔り(かけり)
龍を獲って食とする
翼は金色(こんじき)
頭に如意珠(にょいじゅ)
常に口から火炎を吐く
その大きさ三百余里

Karura - Phoenix God, Protector of the South Quandrant
Photo courtesy of www.mediawars.ne.jp

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Engraving of Karyoubinga on Octogonal Pedestal, Chusonji Temple
Karura is sometimes associated / confused with Karyōbinga.
Karyōbinga Engraving on Octogonal Pedestal, Chūsonji Temple 中尊寺, 12th Century
(Length) 193.9 cm  (Height) 52.5cm., Photo courtesy 日本の美をめぐる, No. 35

Karyōbinga (Skt. = Kalavinka) 迦陵頻伽
Celestial beings who play music, dance, and fly through the air. They appear in many forms,
often with bird’s body and angelic head, and are sometimes associated with Amida Nyorai.
They appear often in Buddhist paintings, ritual robes, murals, and temple decorations.

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LEARN MORE

  • Handbook on Viewing Buddhist Statues 仏像の見方, ハンドブック. Japanese language only; 192 pages; 80 or so color photos. Author Ishii Ayako 石井 亜矢子.
  • JAANUS. Japanese Architecture & Art Net Users System. Compiled by the late Dr. Mary Neighbour Parent; covers both Buddhist and Shinto deities in great detail and contains over 8,000 entries.
  • A Dictionary of Chinese Buddhist Terms. With Sanskrit & English Equivalents. Plus Sanskrit-Pali Index. By William Edward Soothill & Lewis Hodous. Hardcover, 530 pages. Published by Munshirm Manoharlal. Reprinted March 31, 2005. ISBN 8121511453.
  • Digital Dictionary of Chinese Buddhism (C. Muller; login “guest”)
  • Buddhism: Flammarion Iconographic Guides, by Louis Frederic, Printed in France, ISBN 2-08013-558-9, First published 1995.
  • Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend. By Anna L. Dallapiccola, Publisher Thames & Hudson, 2002. According to the dicitionary: “Garuda’s other names include: Amritaharana (stealer of the nectar), Gaganeshvara (lord of the sky), Nagantaka (destroyer of serpents), Shalmalin (taloned), Suparna (having beautiful wings), and Vainateya (sone of Vinata).” See page 83.
  • Numerous temple brochures and exhibition catalogs (Japanese and English). See list of resources on our Bibliography page. 
  • Karura NOH Masks – Online Stores
    • Karura – Modern Japanese NOH Mask #1
    • Karura – Modern Japanese NOH Mask #2
    • Modern NOH Masks of Various Japanese Deities
    • Modern GIGAKU Masks from Japan
Karura, Modern Gigaku Masks
Japanese GIGAKU Masks of Karura
At the Tokyo National Museum
Gigaku 伎楽 = Masked theatrical performances.In Japan, Karura 迦楼羅 also refers to a gigakumen 伎楽面 (gigaku mask) representing the mythical bird and used in a gigaku bird dance that was performed during the 8th to 12th century.
Karura, Gyodo mask, Heian Era 12th Century, Houryuu-ji Temple
Karura, Gyōdōmen 行道面 Mask, Heian Era
12th Century, Hōryūji Temple 法隆寺, Nara
Gyōdōmen = Parade masks to teach the
commoner about gaining good karma

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