Huma (mythology)
Encyclopedia
The Huma also Homa, is a legendary bird especially of the Persian branch
of Iranian mythology
and Sufi fable
. It is said to never come to rest, living its entire life flying invisibly high above the earth, and never alighting on the ground (in some legends it is said to have no legs).
origin is reflected in Old Iranian
Humāya
. In Arabic we find the term Bulah corresponding to Huma. The Sufi teacher Inayat Khan supposed that "in the word Huma, hu represents spirit, and the word mah originates from the Arabic "Ma'a" ماء which means water." However, this is disputed, as Arabic influence on the Persian language came after the Islamization in Iran, and the Old Iranian
name Humāya existed long before any invasion. In Turkic mythology, it is referred as bird of Kumay or Umay
which was used as a symbol of Çepni, one of the 24 tribal organizations of Oghuz Turks
. Umay
is the goddess of fertility and virginity in Turkic mythology and Tengriism
.
-like, consuming itself in fire every few hundred years, only to rise anew from the ashes. The creature is often referred to as bird of paradise. The Huma bird is said to have both the male and female natures in one body, each nature having one wing and one leg. این نشان میدهد که هما در زمان ایران باستان نیز پرنده سعادت بودهاست.
The Huma or Homa bird is considered to be a compassionate bird. It is named as bird of fortune since its shadow (or touch) is said to be auspicious. The shadow (or the alighting) of the Huma bird on a person's head or shoulder were said to bestow (or foretell) kingship. Accordingly, the feathers decorating the turbans of kings were said to be plumage of the Huma bird. Sufi teacher Inayat Khan gives the bestowed-kingship legend a spiritual dimension: "Its true meaning is that when a person's thoughts so evolve that they break all limitation, then he becomes as a king. It is the limitation of language that it can only describe the Most High as something like a king."
In Sufi tradition, catching the Huma is even beyond the wildest imagination, but catching a glimpse of it or even a shadow of it is sure to make one happy for the rest of his/her life. It is also believed that Huma cannot be caught alive, and the person killing a Huma will die in forty days.
, and Urdu
poetry traditions.
The legend appears in Farid ud-Din Attar's allegorical masterpiece Conference of the Birds, an eminent example of Sufi works in Persian literature
, in which the Huma bird (in this tale portrayed as a pupil) refuses to undertake a journey because such an undertaking would compromise the privilege of bestowing kingship on those whom it flew over. In Iranian literature, this function of the Huma bird is identified with pre-Islamic monarchs, and stands vis-a-vis ravens, which is a metaphor for Arabs. The legend appears in non-Sufi art as well.
Huma is the most referred bird of all Legendary birds in Diwan poetry
of Turkish literature
. Also, it is used as a symbol of unreachable highness in Turkish folk literature
. In the Memalik ul Mirat, Ottoman
admiral Sisi Ali Reis describes having seen hurruz or huma birds on his return trip from India
to Istanbul
in 1557. The Huma bird, here, is said to avoid killing for food, preferring instead to feed on carrion
. From his description of the birds eating carrion, these would seem to have been vultures or other scavenger birds.
Some references to the creature also appear in Sindhi literature
, where – as in the Diwan
tradition – the creature is portrayed as bringing great fortune. In the Zafarnama
of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh
, a letter addressed to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
refers to the Huma bird as a "mighty and auspicious bird".
The Argentine writer J. L. Borges, in his short story The Aleph, briefly mentions a Persian mystic's talk of "a bird that somehow is all birds".
catalog captions a photograph of the griffin-like capitals at Persepolis
with "Column capital in the form of griffin
s (locally known as 'homa birds')" The Persian language acronym for "Iran National Airline
" is HOMA and the airline's emblem is the stylized rendering of a Persepolis capital.
Persian mythology
Persian mythology are traditional tales and stories of ancient origin, some involving extraordinary or supernatural beings. Drawn from the legendary past of the Iranian cultural continent which especially consists of the state of Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and Central Asia, they reflect the...
of Iranian mythology
and Sufi fable
Fable
A fable is a succinct fictional story, in prose or verse, that features animals, mythical creatures, plants, inanimate objects or forces of nature which are anthropomorphized , and that illustrates a moral lesson , which may at the end be expressed explicitly in a pithy maxim.A fable differs from...
. It is said to never come to rest, living its entire life flying invisibly high above the earth, and never alighting on the ground (in some legends it is said to have no legs).
Etymology
The word Huma which has a PersianPersian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
origin is reflected in Old Iranian
Avestan language
Avestan is an East Iranian language known only from its use as the language of Zoroastrian scripture, i.e. the Avesta, from which it derives its name...
Humāya
. In Arabic we find the term Bulah corresponding to Huma. The Sufi teacher Inayat Khan supposed that "in the word Huma, hu represents spirit, and the word mah originates from the Arabic "Ma'a" ماء which means water." However, this is disputed, as Arabic influence on the Persian language came after the Islamization in Iran, and the Old Iranian
Avestan language
Avestan is an East Iranian language known only from its use as the language of Zoroastrian scripture, i.e. the Avesta, from which it derives its name...
name Humāya existed long before any invasion. In Turkic mythology, it is referred as bird of Kumay or Umay
Umay
Umay is the goddess of fertility and virginity in Turkic mythology and Tengriism and as such related to women, mothers and children. Umay resembles earth-mother goddesses found in various other world religions. Literally in the Mongolian language, "eje" or "eej" means "mother." In Mongolian "Umai"...
which was used as a symbol of Çepni, one of the 24 tribal organizations of Oghuz Turks
Oghuz Turks
The Turkomen also known as Oghuz Turks were a historical Turkic tribal confederation in Central Asia during the early medieval Turkic expansion....
. Umay
Umay
Umay is the goddess of fertility and virginity in Turkic mythology and Tengriism and as such related to women, mothers and children. Umay resembles earth-mother goddesses found in various other world religions. Literally in the Mongolian language, "eje" or "eej" means "mother." In Mongolian "Umai"...
is the goddess of fertility and virginity in Turkic mythology and Tengriism
Tengriism
Tengriism is a Central Asian religion that incorporates elements of shamanism, animism, totemism and ancestor worship. Despite still being active in some minorities, it was, in old times, the major belief of Turkic peoples , Bulgars, Hungarians and Mongols...
.
Beliefs
In some variations, the Huma bird is said to be phoenixPhoenix (mythology)
The phoenix or phenix is a mythical sacred firebird that can be found in the mythologies of the Arabian, Persians, Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Chinese, Indian and Phoenicians....
-like, consuming itself in fire every few hundred years, only to rise anew from the ashes. The creature is often referred to as bird of paradise. The Huma bird is said to have both the male and female natures in one body, each nature having one wing and one leg. این نشان میدهد که هما در زمان ایران باستان نیز پرنده سعادت بودهاست.
The Huma or Homa bird is considered to be a compassionate bird. It is named as bird of fortune since its shadow (or touch) is said to be auspicious. The shadow (or the alighting) of the Huma bird on a person's head or shoulder were said to bestow (or foretell) kingship. Accordingly, the feathers decorating the turbans of kings were said to be plumage of the Huma bird. Sufi teacher Inayat Khan gives the bestowed-kingship legend a spiritual dimension: "Its true meaning is that when a person's thoughts so evolve that they break all limitation, then he becomes as a king. It is the limitation of language that it can only describe the Most High as something like a king."
In Sufi tradition, catching the Huma is even beyond the wildest imagination, but catching a glimpse of it or even a shadow of it is sure to make one happy for the rest of his/her life. It is also believed that Huma cannot be caught alive, and the person killing a Huma will die in forty days.
In literature
The creature is a common motif in Persian, Ottoman TurkishOttoman poetry
The poetry of the Ottoman Empire, or Ottoman Divan poetry, is fairly little known outside of modern Turkey, which forms the heartland of what was once the Ottoman Empire...
, and Urdu
Urdu literature
Urdu literature has a long and colorful history that is inextricably tied to the development of that very language, Urdu, in which it is written...
poetry traditions.
The legend appears in Farid ud-Din Attar's allegorical masterpiece Conference of the Birds, an eminent example of Sufi works in Persian literature
Persian literature
Persian literature spans two-and-a-half millennia, though much of the pre-Islamic material has been lost. Its sources have been within historical Persia including present-day Iran as well as regions of Central Asia where the Persian language has historically been the national language...
, in which the Huma bird (in this tale portrayed as a pupil) refuses to undertake a journey because such an undertaking would compromise the privilege of bestowing kingship on those whom it flew over. In Iranian literature, this function of the Huma bird is identified with pre-Islamic monarchs, and stands vis-a-vis ravens, which is a metaphor for Arabs. The legend appears in non-Sufi art as well.
Huma is the most referred bird of all Legendary birds in Diwan poetry
Diwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
of Turkish literature
Turkish literature
Turkish literature comprises both oral compositions and written texts in the Turkish language, either in its Ottoman form or in less exclusively literary forms, such as that spoken in the Republic of Turkey today...
. Also, it is used as a symbol of unreachable highness in Turkish folk literature
Turkish folk literature
Turkish folk literature is an oral tradition deeply rooted, in its form, in Central Asian nomadic traditions. However, in its themes, Turkish folk literature reflects the problems peculiar to a settling people who have abandoned the nomadic lifestyle...
. In the Memalik ul Mirat, Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
admiral Sisi Ali Reis describes having seen hurruz or huma birds on his return trip from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
to Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
in 1557. The Huma bird, here, is said to avoid killing for food, preferring instead to feed on carrion
Carrion
Carrion refers to the carcass of a dead animal. Carrion is an important food source for large carnivores and omnivores in most ecosystems. Examples of carrion-eaters include vultures, hawks, eagles, hyenas, Virginia Opossum, Tasmanian Devils, coyotes, Komodo dragons, and burying beetles...
. From his description of the birds eating carrion, these would seem to have been vultures or other scavenger birds.
Some references to the creature also appear in Sindhi literature
Sindhi literature
Sindhi literature is very rich and is generally considered to be among the world's oldest. Its writers have contributed extensively in various forms of literature both in poetry and prose.- Sufi literature and poetry :...
, where – as in the Diwan
Diwan (poetry)
-Etymology:The English usage of the phrase Diwan Poetry comes from the Arabic word diwan , which is loaned from Persian means designated a list or register. The Persian word derived from the Persian dibir meaning writer or scribe...
tradition – the creature is portrayed as bringing great fortune. In the Zafarnama
Zafarnamah
Zafarnāmah means the Epistle of Victory and is the name given to the letter sent by the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh Sahib in 1705 to the Mughal Emperor of India, Aurangzeb. The letter is written in Persian verse....
of the Sikh Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh
Guru Gobind Singh is the tenth and last Sikh guru in a sacred lineage of ten Sikh gurus. Born in Patna, Bihar in India, he was also a warrior, poet and philosopher. He succeeded his father Guru Tegh Bahadur as the leader of Sikhs at a young age of nine...
, a letter addressed to the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb
Aurangzeb
Abul Muzaffar Muhy-ud-Din Muhammad Aurangzeb Alamgir , more commonly known as Aurangzeb or by his chosen imperial title Alamgir , was the sixth Mughal Emperor of India, whose reign lasted from 1658 until his death in 1707.Badshah Aurangzeb, having ruled most of the Indian subcontinent for nearly...
refers to the Huma bird as a "mighty and auspicious bird".
The Argentine writer J. L. Borges, in his short story The Aleph, briefly mentions a Persian mystic's talk of "a bird that somehow is all birds".
Griffin Form
A British MuseumBritish Museum
The British Museum is a museum of human history and culture in London. Its collections, which number more than seven million objects, are amongst the largest and most comprehensive in the world and originate from all continents, illustrating and documenting the story of human culture from its...
catalog captions a photograph of the griffin-like capitals at Persepolis
Persepolis
Perspolis was the ceremonial capital of the Achaemenid Empire . Persepolis is situated northeast of the modern city of Shiraz in the Fars Province of modern Iran. In contemporary Persian, the site is known as Takht-e Jamshid...
with "Column capital in the form of griffin
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon is a legendary creature with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle...
s (locally known as 'homa birds')" The Persian language acronym for "Iran National Airline
Iran Air
Iran Air , formally Airline of the Islamic Republic of Iran is the flag carrier airline of Iran, operating services to 60 destinations, 35 international and 25 domestic. The cargo fleet operates services to 20 scheduled and 5 charter destinations...
" is HOMA and the airline's emblem is the stylized rendering of a Persepolis capital.