![Turul buda castle1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6e/Turul_buda_castle1.jpg)
The Turul is a mythological
bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators h ...
, mostly depicted as 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 ...
, in
Hungarian tradition and
Turkic tradition, and a
national symbol
A national symbol is a symbol of any entity considering and manifesting itself to the world as a national community: the sovereign states but also nations and countries in a state of colonial or other dependence, federal integration, or even an ...
of
Hungarians
Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...
.
Origin
The Turul is probably based on a large
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 ...
. The
Hungarian language
Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...
word ''turul'' meant one kind of falcon and the origin of the word is currently thought to be most likely
Turkic (''Clauson 1972: 472''.) (''
Róna-Tas et al. 2011:2: 954-56)''), which is the language of origin of over 10% of words in modern Hungarian lexicon and the exonym "Hungarian" and the word "Hun". ''Toġrïl'' or ''toğrul'' means a medium to large
bird of prey
Birds of prey or predatory birds, also known as raptors, are hypercarnivorous bird species that actively hunt and feed on other vertebrates (mainly mammals, reptiles and other smaller birds). In addition to speed and strength, these predators h ...
of the family
Accipitridae
The Accipitridae is one of the three families within the order Accipitriformes, and is a family of small to large birds with strongly hooked bills and variable morphology based on diet. They feed on a range of prey items from insects to medium-s ...
,
goshawk
Goshawk may refer to several species of birds of prey, mainly in the genus ''Accipiter'':
* Northern goshawk, ''Accipiter gentilis'', often referred to simply as the goshawk, since it is the only goshawk found in much of its range (in Europe and N ...
or
red kite
The red kite (''Milvus milvus'') is a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, which also includes many other diurnal raptors such as eagles, buzzards, and harriers. The species currently breeds in the Western Palearctic region o ...
. In Hungarian the word ''sólyom'' means falcon, and there are three ancient words describing different kinds of falcons: ''kerecsen''
reek κερχνηίς(
saker falcon
The saker falcon (''Falco cherrug'') is a large species of falcon. This species breeds from central Europe eastwards across the Palearctic to Manchuria. It is mainly migratory except in the southernmost parts of its range, wintering in Ethiopia ...
), ''zongor''
urkish_''sungur''_=_urkish_''sungur''_=_gyrfalcon">gyrfalcon.html"_;"title="urkish_''sungur''_=_gyrfalcon">urkish_''sungur''_=_gyrfalcon(which_survives_in_the_male_name_''Csongor'')_and_''turul''.
In_Hungarian_tradition,_it_presumably_originated_as_the_clan_symbol_used_in_the_9th_and_10th_centuries_by_the_ruling_Arpad_dynasty.html" "title="gyrfalcon.html" ;"title="gyrfalcon.html" ;"title="urkish ''sungur'' = gyrfalcon">urkish ''sungur'' = gyrfalcon">gyrfalcon.html" ;"title="urkish ''sungur'' = gyrfalcon">urkish ''sungur'' = gyrfalcon(which survives in the male name ''Csongor'') and ''turul''.
In Hungarian tradition, it presumably originated as the clan symbol used in the 9th and 10th centuries by the ruling Arpad dynasty">House of Árpád
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condit ...
.
In the legend of Emese, recorded in the ''Gesta Hungarorum'' and the ''Chronicon Pictum'', the ''turul'' is mentioned as occurring in a dream of Emese, when she was already pregnant.
In older literature, this was interpreted as "impregnation", but the text is clear. The Turul's role is one of a protector spirit, that protects the little baby Álmos
Álmos (), also Almos or Almus (c. 820 – c. 895), was—according to the uniform account of Hungarian chronicles—the first head of the "loose federation" of the Hungarian tribes from around 850. Whether he was the sacred ruler (''kende'') of ...
, from harm. This is a very similar motif to the role of the Simurgh
Simurgh (; fa, سیمرغ, also spelled ''simorgh, simorg'', ''simurg'', ''simoorg, simorq'' or ''simourv'') is a benevolent, mythical bird in Persian mythology and literature. It is sometimes equated with other mythological birds such as the ...
in the Iranian epic Shahnameh
The ''Shahnameh'' or ''Shahnama'' ( fa, شاهنامه, Šāhnāme, lit=The Book of Kings, ) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50,00 ...
. In a second dream by the leader of the Hungarian tribes, in which eagles (the emblem of the Pechenegs
The Pechenegs () or Patzinaks tr, Peçenek(ler), Middle Turkic: , ro, Pecenegi, russian: Печенег(и), uk, Печеніг(и), hu, Besenyő(k), gr, Πατζινάκοι, Πετσενέγοι, Πατζινακίται, ka, პა ...
, enemies of the Hungarians) attacked their horses and a Turul came and saved them.The image of the Turul and its role is similar to that of the Norse Vedfolnir, which like it perched on the tree of life.
The Huns reportedly also used the image of the eagle, which for them symbolized the leader.
The image of a bird of prey was extremely popular in
Saka
The Saka ( Old Persian: ; Kharoṣṭhī: ; Ancient Egyptian: , ; , old , mod. , ), Shaka (Sanskrit ( Brāhmī): , , ; Sanskrit (Devanāgarī): , ), or Sacae (Ancient Greek: ; Latin: ) were a group of nomadic Iranian peoples who hist ...
-
Scythian
The Scythians or Scyths, and sometimes also referred to as the Classical Scythians and the Pontic Scythians, were an ancient Eastern
* : "In modern scholarship the name 'Sakas' is reserved for the ancient tribes of northern and eastern Centra ...
culture.
More broadly, this image was common among the nomads of Central Asia.
Rather than belonging to a specific ethnic group, it was widespread across the steppe, and the union of a falcon and a woman is "firmly located in a shamanic religio-mythical universe."
A prominent example among similar legends is that of the Mongols, contained in ''
The Secret History of the Mongols
''The Secret History of the Mongols'' (Middle Mongol: ''Mongɣol‑un niɣuca tobciyan''; Traditional Mongolian: , Khalkha Mongolian: , ; ) is the oldest surviving literary work in the Mongolian language. It was written for the Mongol royal fam ...
'', where Genghis Khan's mother-in-law dreams that an eagle holding the sun and the moon in its claws lands on her hand, in anticipation of the birth of the Mongolian royal dynasty.
In some parts of
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia to the north and west, China to the east, Kyrgyzstan to the southeast, Uzbeki ...
and
Kyrgyzstan
Kyrgyzstan,, pronounced or the Kyrgyz Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Asia. Kyrgyzstan is bordered by Kazakhstan to the north, Uzbekistan to the west, Tajikistan to the south, and the People's Republic of China to the east. ...
,
Kazakhs
The Kazakhs (also spelled Qazaqs; Kazakh: , , , , , ; the English name is transliterated from Russian; russian: казахи) are a Turkic-speaking ethnic group native to northern parts of Central Asia, chiefly Kazakhstan, but also parts o ...
and
Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to:
* Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan
*Kyrgyz people
*Kyrgyz national games
*Kyrgyz language
*Kyrgyz culture
*Kyrgyz cuisine
*Yenisei Kirghiz
*The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China
...
carry falcons inside the yurt during childbirth, because their eyes are said to stave off demons that attack pregnant women during childbirth.
Macdonald calls it a "practical use" of the falcons' association with fertility.
It is also said that the mythic bird, the Turul, is the original bird of the original Hungarians, the Magyars, who migrated out of the plains of Central Asia.
[Archived a]
Ghostarchive
and th
Wayback Machine
The legend says that in 896 AD, the bird dropped its sword in what is now modern day Budapest, indicating to the Magyars that the area was to be their homeland.
Thus, what they say was the beginning of the 1000 years the Magyars have lived in their now capital city area of Budapest.
Modern use
![1904 Sasd 60filler](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/c2/1904_Sasd_60filler.jpg)
The Turul is used as in the design of coats of arms of the
Hungarian Defence Forces
The Hungarian Defence Forces ( hu, Magyar Honvédség) is the national defence force of Hungary. Since 2007, the Hungarian Armed Forces is under a unified command structure. The Ministry of Defence maintains the political and civil control over ...
, the
Counter Terrorism Centre
Counter Terrorism Centre (CTC) ( hu, Terrorelhárítási Központ, TEK) is a Hungarian government agency responsible for national and international counter terrorism including detection, prevention and interruption. The agency has a police tac ...
and the
Office of National Security
The Office of National Security () assists the President of South Korea. It is led by a ministerial-level Director who is appointed by the President without nomination hearing at the legislature unlike other ministerial-level posts. Director ofte ...
.
There were 3 large Turul statues, each with a wingspan of 15 metres, in
Greater Hungary (before the country had its borders reconfigured by the
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon (french: Traité de Trianon, hu, Trianoni békeszerződés, it, Trattato del Trianon) was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace Conference and was signed in the Grand Trianon château in ...
). The last of the three stands on a mountain near
Tatabánya
Tatabánya (; german: Totiserkolonie; sk, Banská Stará) is a City with county rights, city with county rights of 64,305 inhabitants in northwestern Hungary, in the Central Transdanubian region. It is the capital of Komárom-Esztergom County.
L ...
,
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
, but the other two were destroyed. It is the largest bird statue in Europe, and the largest bronze statue in
Central Europe
Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...
.
There remain at least 195 Turul statues in Hungary, as well as 48 in
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
(32 in
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...
and 16 in
Partium
Partium (from Latin ''partium'', the genitive of '' pars'' "part, portion") or ''Részek'' (in Hungarian) was a historical and geographical region in the Kingdom of Hungary during the early modern and modern periods. It consisted of the eastern a ...
), 8 in
Slovakia
Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...
, 7 in
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
, 5 in
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian inv ...
, 1 in
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
and 1 in Croatia. One of the most recently erected, , on
St Michael the Archangel
ST, St, or St. may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Stanza, in poetry
* Suicidal Tendencies, an American heavy metal/hardcore punk band
* Star Trek, a science-fiction media franchise
* Summa Theologica, a compendium of Catholic philosophy an ...
's Day, is in Hungary's
Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park
The Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park is an open-air museum of Hungarian history in Ópusztaszer, Hungary. It was established in 1982 and is most famous for being the location of the Arrival of the Hungarians, Feszty Panorama, a cyclorama by ...
.
Some of the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...
postage stamps issued after 1900 feature the Turul.
In nationalist politics
Throughout the 20th and 21st century, the Turul has been associated with a number of
fascist
Fascism is a far-right, Authoritarianism, authoritarian, ultranationalism, ultra-nationalist political Political ideology, ideology and Political movement, movement,: "extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt for electoral democracy and pol ...
and
far-right
Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...
ideologies. A particularly notable example of this is that of the Turul Association (''Turul Szövetség''). The association supported
antisemitic
Antisemitism (also spelled anti-semitism or anti-Semitism) is hostility to, prejudice towards, or discrimination against Jews. A person who holds such positions is called an antisemite. Antisemitism is considered to be a form of racism.
Antis ...
policies such as the introduction of ''
numerus nullus'', a law which have banned Jewish students from studying at universities, and had close ties to the
Arrow Cross Party
The Arrow Cross Party ( hu, Nyilaskeresztes Párt – Hungarista Mozgalom, , abbreviated NYKP) was a far-right Hungarian ultranationalist party led by Ferenc Szálasi, which formed a government in Hungary they named the Government of National ...
.
The turul also remains a popular symbol in modern-day far-right politics.
As such, its use remains controversial, with many arguing that it is a symbol of hate and genocide, while others argue that its more recent past uses ought to be ignored in favour of its historical significance.
See also
*
Coat of arms and flag of Transylvania
The flag and coat of arms of Transylvania were granted by Maria Theresa in 1765, when she established a Grand Principality within the Habsburg monarchy. While neither symbol has official status in present-day Romania, the coat of arms is marshalle ...
*
National symbols of Hungary
The national symbols of Hungary are flags, icons or cultural expressions that are emblematic, representative or otherwise characteristic of Hungary or Hungarian culture. The highly valued special Hungarian products and symbols are called ''Hu ...
*
Konrul
In Turkic mythology, Konrul, also Kongrul and Konqrul (Azeri: , , ) is a long-lived bird that is cyclically regenerated or reborn, similar to a phoenix.
Description
Konrul is depicted as a winged creature in the shape of a bird, gigantic enough t ...
*
Triple-headed eagle
The three-headed eagle (or triple-headed eagle) is a mythological or heraldic bird, as it were an augmented version of the double-headed eagle.
A three-headed eagle is mentioned in the apocryphal Latin Ezra, featuring in a dream by the high p ...
*
Tughril
Abu Talib Muhammad Tughril ibn Mika'il ( fa, ابوطالب محمد تغریل بن میکائیل), better known as Tughril (; also spelled Toghril), was a Turkmen"The defeat in August 1071 of the Byzantine emperor Romanos Diogenes
by the Turk ...
*
Simurgh
Simurgh (; fa, سیمرغ, also spelled ''simorgh, simorg'', ''simurg'', ''simoorg, simorq'' or ''simourv'') is a benevolent, mythical bird in Persian mythology and literature. It is sometimes equated with other mythological birds such as the ...
References
Notes
External links
*
{{National symbols of Hungary
Mythological birds of prey
Heraldic birds
Monuments and memorials in Hungary
National symbols of Hungary
Hungarian legendary creatures
Turkic legendary creatures
Tengriism