Avian humanoids (people with the characteristics of

bird Birds are a group of warm-blooded vertebrates constituting the class Aves (), characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a strong yet lightweigh ...

s) are a common

motif Motif may refer to: General concepts * Motif (chess composition), an element of a move in the consideration of its purpose * Motif (folkloristics), a recurring element that creates recognizable patterns in folklore and folk-art traditions * Moti ...

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

and popular

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

, mainly found in Greek,

Roman Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

, Meitei,

Hindu Hindus (; ) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism.Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pages 35–37 Historically, the term has also been used as a geographical, cultural, and later religious identifier for ...

, Persian mythology, etc. COLLECTIE TROPENMUSEUM Beschilderd houten godenbeeld voorstellende Vishnu en Garuda TMnr 2455-44

Folklore

* Alkonost from

Russian mythology Slavic mythology or Slavic religion is the religious beliefs, myths, and ritual practices of the Slavs before Christianisation, which occurred at various stages between the 8th and the 13th century. The South Slavs, who likely settled in the B ...

* Almost all of the

Anemoi In ancient Greek religion and myth, the Anemoi (Greek: , 'Winds') were wind gods who were each ascribed a cardinal direction from which their respective winds came (see Classical compass winds), and were each associated with various seasons an ...

, best depicted on the Tower of the Winds *

Angel In various theistic religious traditions an angel is a supernatural spiritual being who serves God. Abrahamic religions often depict angels as benevolent celestial intermediaries between God (or Heaven) and humanity. Other roles include ...

s in all

Abrahamic religions The Abrahamic religions are a group of religions centered around worship of the God of Abraham. Abraham, a Hebrew patriarch, is extensively mentioned throughout Abrahamic religious scriptures such as the Bible and the Quran. Jewish tradition ...

, though mainly in artistic depictions *

Anzû Anzû, also known as dZû and Imdugud ( Sumerian: ''AN.IM.DUGUD MUŠEN''), is a lesser divinity or monster in several Mesopotamian religions. He was conceived by the pure waters of the Apsu and the wide Earth, or as son of Siris. Anzû was depi ...

from Mesopotamian mythology, either a lesser divinity or a monster *

Arke In Greek mythology, Arke or Arce ( grc-gre, Ἄρκη, ''Árkē'', meaning "swift") is one of the daughters of Thaumas and sister to Iris. During the Titanomachy, Arke fled from the Olympians' camp and joined the Titans, unlike Iris who remained l ...

, Iris' sister who also had wings, said to be iridescent * Ba, the part of a human's soul that roughly represents its personality, depicted as a bird with a human head *

Calais and Zetes The Boreads ( grc, Βορεάδαι, Boreádai) are the "wind brothers" in Greek mythology. They consist of Zetes (also Zethes) ( grc, Ζήτης) and Calaïs ( grc, Κάλαϊς). Their place of origin was Thrace, home of their father Boreas (No ...

, sons of the North Wind Boreas * Chareng-Aka Uchek Langmeidong, it is a mythical creature, from

Meitei mythology Meitei mythology or Manipuri mythology ( mni, Meitei Mi Lai Tingi Wari) is a collection of myths, belonging to the religious and cultural traditions of the Meitei people, the predominant ethnic group of Manipur. It is associated with tradi ...

in the form a semi human and semi

hornbill Hornbills (Bucerotidae) are a family (biology), family of bird found in tropical and subtropical Africa, Asia and Melanesia. They are characterized by a long, down-curved bill which is frequently brightly coloured and sometimes has a Casque (an ...

, with an avian body and a human head. * The

Ekek In Philippine mythology, Ekek (or Ek Ek) are bird-like human creatures. They are winged-humans who search for victims at night. They hunger for flesh and blood. They are usually described as flying creatures that look like the ''Manananggal'', but ...

Philippine mythology Philippine mythology is the body of stories and epics originating from, and part of, the indigenous Philippine folk religions, which include various ethnic faiths distinct from one another. Philippine mythology is incorporated from various ...

is depicted as a humanoid with bird wings and a beak *

Eos In ancient Greek mythology and religion, Eos (; Ionic and Homeric Greek ''Ēṓs'', Attic ''Héōs'', "dawn", or ; Aeolic ''Aúōs'', Doric ''Āṓs'') is the goddess and personification of the dawn, who rose each morning from her home ...

is often depicted as winged in art * Eris (mythology) was depicted as winged in ancient Greek art * Eros/

Cupid In classical mythology, Cupid (Latin Cupīdō , meaning "passionate desire") is the god of desire, lust, erotic love, attraction and affection. He is often portrayed as the son of the love goddess Venus (mythology), Venus and the god of war Mar ...

is often depicted as winged * The Faravahar of

Zoroastrianism Zoroastrianism is an Iranian religions, Iranian religion and one of the world's History of religion, oldest organized faiths, based on the teachings of the Iranian peoples, Iranian-speaking prophet Zoroaster. It has a Dualism in cosmology, du ...

Gamayun Gamayun is a prophetic bird of Russian folklore. It is a symbol of wisdom and knowledge and lives on an island in the mythical east, close to paradise. She is said to spread divine messages and prophecies, as she knows everything of all creation ...

from

* The

Garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...

, eagle-man mount of

Vishnu Vishnu ( ; , ), also known as Narayana and Hari, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the supreme being within Vaishnavism, one of the major traditions within contemporary Hinduism. Vishnu is known as "The Preserver" within t ...

Hindu mythology Hindu mythology is the body of myths and literature attributed to, and espoused by, the adherents of the Hindu religion, found in Hindu texts such as the Vedic literature, epics like ''Mahabharata'' and ''Ramayana'', the Puranas, and reg ...

, was pluralized into a class of bird-like beings in

Buddhist mythology The Buddhist traditions have created and maintained a vast body of mythological literature. The central myth of Buddhism is the life of the Buddha. This is told in relatively realistic terms in the earliest texts, and was soon elaborated into ...

Geryon In Greek mythology, Geryon ( or ;"Geryon"
''

Chalcidian vases portray him as winged *

Harpies In Greek mythology and Roman mythology, a harpy (plural harpies, , ; lat, harpȳia) is a half-human and half-bird personification of storm winds. They feature in Homeric poems. Descriptions They were generally depicted as birds with the head ...

, bird-women associated with storm winds known for terrorizing mortals * The gods

Horus Horus or Heru, Hor, Har in Ancient Egyptian, is one of the most significant ancient Egyptian deities who served many functions, most notably as god of kingship and the sky. He was worshipped from at least the late prehistoric Egypt until the P ...

and

Thoth Thoth (; from grc-koi, Θώθ ''Thṓth'', borrowed from cop, Ⲑⲱⲟⲩⲧ ''Thōout'', Egyptian: ', the reflex of " eis like the Ibis") is an ancient Egyptian deity. In art, he was often depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or a ...

from ancient

Egyptian mythology Egyptian mythology is the collection of myths from ancient Egypt, which describe the actions of the Egyptian gods as a means of understanding the world around them. The beliefs that these myths express are an important part of ancient Egyptia ...

were often depicted as humans with the heads of a

falcon Falcons () are birds of prey in the genus ''Falco'', which includes about 40 species. Falcons are widely distributed on all continents of the world except Antarctica, though closely related raptors did occur there in the Eocene. Adult falcons ...

and an

ibis The ibises () (collective plural ibis; classical plurals ibides and ibes) are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae, that inhabit wetlands, forests and plains. "Ibis" derives from the Latin and Ancient Greek word f ...

,Budge, E. A. Wallis. ''The Gods of the Egyptians'' Volume 1 of 2. New York: Dover Publications, 1969 (original in 1904). Vol. 1 p. 401 respectively. * Huitzilopochtli, "

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

's south" or "

's left";

Aztec The Aztecs () were a Mesoamerican culture that flourished in central Mexico in the post-classic period from 1300 to 1521. The Aztec people included different Indigenous peoples of Mexico, ethnic groups of central Mexico, particularly those g ...

god of the sun and war who was often depicted as either a hummingbird or an eagle *

Iris (mythology) In ancient Greek religion and mythology, Iris (; ; grc-gre, Ἶρις, Îris, rainbow, ) is a daughter of the gods Thaumas and Electra, the personification of the rainbow and messenger of the gods, a servant to the Olympians and especially Qu ...

was said to have golden wings with "golden-winged" as one of her epithets and was often depicted in art as having wings *

Isis Isis (; ''Ēse''; ; Meroitic: ''Wos'' 'a''or ''Wusa''; Phoenician: 𐤀𐤎, romanized: ʾs) was a major goddess in ancient Egyptian religion whose worship spread throughout the Greco-Roman world. Isis was first mentioned in the Old Kingd ...

and her sister

Nephthys Nephthys or Nebet-Het in ancient Egyptian ( grc-gre, Νέφθυς) was a goddess in ancient Egyptian religion. A member of the Great Ennead of Heliopolis in Egyptian mythology, she was a daughter of Nut and Geb. Nephthys was typically paired wi ...

were ancient Egyptian goddesses commonly depicted with

kite (bird) Kite () is the common name for certain birds of prey in the family Accipitridae, particularly in subfamilies Milvinae, [], and Perninae."kite". Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2014. Web. ...

heads or wings attached to their arms * The Kinnara and Kinnari in southeast Asia are two of the most beloved mythological characters, who are benevolent half-human, half-bird creatures * Karura in Japanese folklore * Lamassu from Mesopotamian mythology, a winged protective deity *

Lei Gong Leigong () or Leishen (), is the god of thunder in Chinese folk religion, Chinese mythology and Taoism. In Taoism, when so ordered by heaven, Leigong punishes both earthly mortals guilty of secret crimes and evil spirits who have used their know ...

, a

Chinese Chinese can refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation ** List of ethnic groups in China, people of va ...

thunder god, often depicted as a bird man * Langmeidong-It is a mythology creature from

, in the form of a semi human, semi

, with an avian body and a human head. * The second people of the world in Southern Sierra Miwok mythology * Morpheus, son of Hypnos and a god of dreams * Neith, Egyptian goddess sometimes portrayed as having bird wings attached to her arms *

Nemesis In ancient Greek religion, Nemesis, also called Rhamnousia or Rhamnusia ( grc, Ῥαμνουσία, Rhamnousía, the goddess of Rhamnous), was the goddess who personifies retribution, a central concept in the Greek world view. Etymology The n ...

was described as winged by

Mesomedes Mesomedes of Crete ( grc, Μεσομήδης ὁ Κρής) was a Greek citharode and lyric poet and composer of the early 2nd century AD in Roman Greece. Prior to the discovery of the Seikilos epitaph in the late 19th century, the hymns of Mesome ...

and is often portrayed as such in art *

Nightingale the Robber Nightingale the Robber or Solovei the Brigand ( ru , Солове́й-Разбойник , Solovey-Razboynik), an epic robber, appears in traditional Russian byliny (folk poems). History Pavel Ivanovich Melnikov discovered a version of the ...

in Slavic folklore, who is killed by the hero Ilya Muromets * Nike is very famous for her birdlike wings *

Pamola Pamola (also known as Pamolai, P-mol-a, Pomola, and Bmola) is a legendary bird spirit that appears in Abenaki mythology. This spirit causes cold weather. Specifically, according to the Penobscot tribal nation, Pamola inhabited Katahdin, the talle ...

, a bird-man from Abenaki mythology *

Peri In Persian mythology, peris (singular: peri; from fa, پَری, translit=parī, , plural , ; borrowed in European languages through ota, پَری, translit=peri) are exquisite, winged spirits renowned for their beauty. Peris were later ado ...

, beautiful, winged women from Persian folklore * Ra, an ancient Egyptian sun god often depicted with a falcon's head *

Siren Siren or sirens may refer to: Common meanings * Siren (alarm), a loud acoustic alarm used to alert people to emergencies * Siren (mythology), an enchanting but dangerous monster in Greek mythology Places * Siren (town), Wisconsin * Siren, Wisco ...

s from

Greek mythology A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the Ancient Greece, ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the Cosmogony, origin and Cosmology#Metaphysical co ...

started out as women-bird hybrids, but later evolved to become closer to

mermaid In folklore, a mermaid is an aquatic creature with the head and upper body of a female human and the tail of a fish. Mermaids appear in the folklore of many cultures worldwide, including Europe, Asia, and Africa. Mermaids are sometimes asso ...

s * Sirin, Russian take on the siren that's closer to their original depiction as birds * The

swan maiden The swan maiden is a mythical creature who shapeshifts from human form to swan form. The key to the transformation is usually a swan skin, or a garment with swan feathers attached. In folktales of this type, the male character spies the maiden, ...

s in the

folktale A folktale or folk tale is a folklore genre that typically consists of a story passed down from generation to generation orally. Folktale may also refer to: Categories of stories * Folkloric tale from oral tradition * Fable (written form of the a ...

s of cultures such as Sweden, Germany, Romania, Serbia, Japan, and Pakistan *

Suparna Suparna may refer to: * Suparna Anand, Indian actor * Garuda, divine bird in Hindu and Buddhist mythology * Suparna Airlines Suparna Airlines, known in Chinese as Jinpeng (), is an airline based in China. It was formerly known as ''Yangtze River ...

s from

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...

who can appear as part man and part bird * Tangata manu of

Easter Island Easter Island ( rap, Rapa Nui; es, Isla de Pascua) is an island and special territory of Chile in the southeastern Pacific Ocean, at the southeasternmost point of the Polynesian Triangle in Oceania. The island is most famous for its nearl ...

, often depicted as a

frigate bird Frigatebirds are a family of seabirds called Fregatidae which are found across all tropical and subtropical oceans. The five extant species are classified in a single genus, ''Fregata''. All have predominantly black plumage, long, deeply forked ...

/human hybrid * The Tengu of Japanese folklore, monstrous forest and mountain dwelling humanoids often possessing the wings, claws, and sometimes the beak of a bird. * Thanatos and his brother Hypnos were often portrayed as winged * " Uchek Langmeidong"-In

and

, it is a mythical creature, semi human, semi

, with an avian body and a human head. The bird is a form of a

bird. * Wayland the Smith from

Germanic mythology Germanic mythology consists of the body of myths native to the Germanic peoples, including Norse mythology, Anglo-Saxon mythology, and Continental Germanic mythology. It was a key element of Germanic paganism. Origins As the Germanic language ...

; scholars differ on whether they think he organically grew wings to escape imprisonment or fashioned artificial ones like

Daedalus In Greek mythology, Daedalus (, ; Greek: Δαίδαλος; Latin: ''Daedalus''; Etruscan: ''Taitale'') was a skillful architect and craftsman, seen as a symbol of wisdom, knowledge and power. He is the father of Icarus, the uncle of Perdix, an ...

Winged genie Winged genie is the conventional term for a recurring motif in the iconography of Assyrian sculpture. Winged genies are usually bearded male figures sporting birds' wings. The Genii are a reappearing trait in ancient Assyrian art, and are display ...

, recurring motif in Assyrian art; they're bearded men with birds' wings

Fiction

* The Aarakocra and the

Kenku Kenku (pronounced ''keng-KOO'' or ''KENK-oo'') are a fictional race of bird-like humanoid creatures in the ''Dungeons & Dragons'' fantasy roleplaying game. They have appeared in multiple editions in the game's history and became an official pl ...

are two playable avian humanoid races in the '' Dungeons & Dragons''

fantasy Fantasy is a genre of speculative fiction involving Magic (supernatural), magical elements, typically set in a fictional universe and sometimes inspired by mythology and folklore. Its roots are in oral traditions, which then became fantasy ...

roleplaying game. * The Chozo civilization, a highly intelligent and technologically advanced bird-like species in the

Metroid is an action-adventure game franchise created by Nintendo. The player controls the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who protects the galaxy from Space Pirate (Metroid), Space Pirates and other malevolent forces and their attempts to harness the powe ...

series. * The winged people of Normnbdsgrsutt in

Robert Paltock Robert Paltock (1697– March 20, 1767) was an English novelist and attorney. His most famous work is ''The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins, a Cornish Man'' (1751). Biography The only son of Thomas Paltock of St James's, Westminster, Palt ...

's utopian fantasy ''Peter Wilkins'' (1750), including Youwarkee, whom Peter marries. * The Flock from James Patterson's '' Maximum Ride'' novel series. * The bird people of Brontitall, led by The Wise Old Bird, in '' The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy'' are depicted by Douglas Adams as evolving from humans who are so sick of buying shoes that they become bird-like creatures and never set foot on the ground again (see

Shoe Event Horizon A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to ...

). * The race of

garuda Garuda (Sanskrit: ; Pāli: ; Vedic Sanskrit: गरुळ Garuḷa) is a Hindu demigod and divine creature mentioned in the Hindu, Buddhist and Jain faiths. He is primarily depicted as the mount (''vahana'') of the Hindu god Vishnu. Garuda is a ...

author China Miéville's world

Bas-Lag Bas-Lag is the fictional world in which several of English author China Miéville's novels are set. Bas-Lag is a world where both magic (referred to as "thaumaturgy") and steampunk technology exist, and is home to many intelligent races. It is inf ...

as featured in ''

Perdido Street Station ''Perdido Street Station'' is a novel by British writer China Miéville, published in 2000 by Macmillan. Often described as weird fiction, it is set in a world where both magic and steampunk technology exist. It won the Arthur C. Clarke Award an ...

''. * In J.K. Rowling's ''

Harry Potter ''Harry Potter'' is a series of seven fantasy literature, fantasy novels written by British author J. K. Rowling. The novels chronicle the lives of a young Magician (fantasy), wizard, Harry Potter (character), Harry Potter, and his friends ...

'' series, a race of magical creatures called

Veela Magical creatures are an aspect of the fictional Wizarding World contained in the '' Harry Potter'' series and connected media, all created by British author J. K. Rowling. Throughout the seven main books of the series, Harry and his friends en ...

appear as extraordinarily beautiful women, but turn into frightening bird-like creatures when angered. * Vergere in '' The New Jedi Order'' book series in the ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop-culture Cultural impact of S ...

'' expanded universe is of the Fosh species, capable of producing tears that can be used as poison or healing. * The Rito in ''

The Legend of Zelda ''The Legend of Zelda'' is an action-adventure game franchise created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo, although some portable installments and re-rele ...

'' game series. * The Shi'ar from

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

, a species of cold-blooded humanoids of avian descent; they resemble humans with feathered crests atop their heads in lieu of hair. * The Tirkin from the

Xenoblade Chronicles is a series of action role-playing games developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo. It is a part of the '' Xeno'' metaseries created by Tetsuya Takahashi, but was formed after Nintendo's acquisition of Monolith Soft in 2007. The se ...

series, a type of enemy which are shown to be able to use tools and are capable of speech. * * * The Illyrians from ''A Court of Thorns And Roses'' series by

Sarah J. Maas Sarah Janet Maas (born March 5, 1986) is an American fantasy author known for her fantasy series '' Throne of Glass'' and '' A Court of Thorns and Roses''. As of 2022, she has sold over twelve million copies of her books and her work has been ...

. They are a warrior race of faeries living in the mountains. Illyrians have wings similar to bat wings. * Birdperson, a character from the television series ''

Rick and Morty {{Infobox television , image = Rick and Morty title card (cropped).png , alt = , caption = , genre = {{Plainlist, * Animated sitcom * Adult animation * Science fiction * Black comedy * ...

'', is a tall humanoid with two giant eagle wings. He is later renamed "Phoenixperson." * Prince Vultan's hawkmen from the 1980 space opera film ''Flash Gordon''. * Turians from the '' Mass Effect'' series, a warrior race with avian features. * Arakkoas from the ''

World of Warcraft ''World of Warcraft'' (''WoW'') is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) released in 2004 by Blizzard Entertainment. Set in the ''Warcraft'' fantasy universe, ''World of Warcraft'' takes place within the world of Azeroth ...

'' expansions (first appearing in ''WoW: Burning Crusade''), a bird humannoid race with avian features. * Papi, a harpy from the manga series '' Monster Musume''. * The Garuda fro
'NanoMorphosis'
b
Marla L. Anderson
are a wingless bird-like alien race.

References

External links

* — This cites . * — a story from a story teller of the Bird Clan of East Central Alabama that parallels the evolution of

s from

dinosaur Dinosaurs are a diverse group of reptiles of the clade Dinosauria. They first appeared during the Triassic period, between 243 and 233.23 million years ago (mya), although the exact origin and timing of the evolution of dinosaurs is t ...

s {{DEFAULTSORT:Avian humanoids Anthropomorphic animals - Legendary birds Lists of fictional humanoid species

Folklore

Fiction

See also

References

External links