Mythical Birds

We have till date read about real birds like peacocks, roosters, owls, etc. and their mythical symbolism. Today we will talk about mythical birds – birds that existed only in myths. Creative, unbelievable and magical, to say the least!

Phoenix is the most famous of all the mythical birds. Phoenix was a bird which resembled an eagle, found in the Greek and Egyptian myths. According to the myths, a Phoenix could live up to 500 years and then it would build a nest of fragrant herbs and spices and set itself on fire. However, a new bird would emerge from the ashes. The act was more of a symbolism for immortality or the concept of rebirth. It is from this myth that we derive the English phrase – to rise like the Phoenix.

Harpies were Greek mythical birds, which had the body of birds with the faces of ugly females. They were agents of punishment and were cruel and violent. Harpies, who were three sisters in all, were actually the personification of the destructive nature of the winds.

Griffin

Griffins again were Greek mythical birds, with the body of a lion and the head and wings of an eagle. Their main role was to guard treasures.

Hoyl was a mythical bird, in the Garden of Eden. According to the myth, hoyl was a bird which did not eat the forbidden fruit that both Adam and Eve had eaten. As a reward, the bird was granted immortality of sorts. The bird never dies, it just goes off to sleep, till it is destroyed by a divine fire, in which an egg remains, and from that comes out a full grown hoyl.

Quetzalcoatl

Quetzalcoatl was one of the most important figures of the Mesoamerican mythology. Quetzalcoatl was a feathered serpent; the green-plumed part symbolised the heavens and the wind and the snake symbolised the earth and fertility. Quetzalcoatl was one of the most important gods in the Aztec culture and images of the god were found in the temple ruins in Mexico. The images of Quetzalcoatl have been found with images of rain and water, suggesting the gods association with the rain and vegetation.

Thunderbird was one of the most important figures in the Native American mythology, representing thunder, lightning and storm. The Thunderbird was also the protector of human beings from evil spirits. According to the myths, the bird caused thunder by flapping its large wings and it caused lightening by opening and closing its beak and eyes. The natives also believed that the Thunderbird was also involved in the creation of the universe.

Garuda

Garuda was a mythical bird from the Hindu mythology. This bird was eagle faced and was also the vahana of Lord Vishnu, but was also a minor deity in its own right. Garuda has many myths associated with itself and is very well known for its hate towards the serpents or nagas, and also has a role to play in many of the major Hindu myths.

Firebird was a mythical bird with golden feathers and crystal eyes that appears in the Russian folklore. It was the bird which would help Ivan the son of the Tsar and a number of tales have been woven around the benevolence of the bird.

Yatagarasu

Yatagarasu was a three legged Japanese mythical bird. Except for the description of three legs, there isn’t any mention of the nature of the bird. However, scholars have surmised that it looked like a raven or a crow. In Japanese myths, the appearance of Yatagarasu was considered to be an evidence of divine intervention. In some myths, Amaterasu, the chief deity is said to have changed into this bird and at times the vice versa. Nothing much however, is mentioned about this bird. The Chinese too have a similar three legged crow, known as Yangwu, which though has a description of a crow, is not black, but red.

Roc

Roc – or Rukh was a legendary bird from the Arabian mythology. The Roc has been described as an enormous eagle looking bird, often white, with huge wing-span (eight yards each), but with unbelievable strength, whereby it could lift an elephant in its talons. It used to lay massive sized eggs. A mention of this is found in the famous stories of Sinbad the Sailor. Many feel that this could have been a bird from the times of the dinosaurs, but there is no analysis on this.

The mythical birds, as mentioned earlier, were a creative delight. The earlier thinkers gave it a form and meaning as they saw or understood nature or the causes of nature. These birds were definitely not major parts of the myths, with a possible exception of Quetzalcoatl, who was amongst the prime deities, but were significant with their acts of benevolence, or impediments, or inherent symbolism. They added that extra aspect of fantasy to the myths, which makes the myths so endearing in its totality.

Owl

An Owl is a very intriguing bird probably because it is a nocturnal bird. Besides, its nocturnal habits, it is also supposed to be amongst the oldest of the vertebrate animals in existence as fossils dated back to more than sixty million years back have been found, and surprisingly it hasn’t changed much. Just as Wisdom over the ages doesn’t change much!

Owls have a special place in mythology across the world. Some mythologies see them as a very important bird whereas some see them as a sign of bad omen. Let us see how some of the cultures treat the owl as a bird.

In Hindu mythology, owl is the vahana of the goddess of wealth, Lakshmi. There are mixed interpretations of the bird. Some feel that sighting an owl brings luck whereas some feel that it’s a sign of bad omen. However, one common observation has been that a white owl brings luck, whereas any other owl is a sign of bad omen. Owls also have their association with things dark and sinister and death. Popular representations have associated an owl with the cemetery and the hoot of an owl is always associated with spooky feelings, and sometimes as harbingers of death.

Like the Hindus, the ancient Greeks too believed that owls were a symbol of good fortune and it had its association with the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena. But the Romans, like some Hindus, felt that the owls were bad omens and their cries always indicated death. It is said that the deaths of famous people was always predicted by owls, including that of Julius Ceaser and few other notables. The Romans also felt that sighting an owl before a battle was a prediction of defeat and dreaming of an owl by sailors was an indication of shipwreck.

The Welsh have a very interesting myth associated with Owls. According to the Celtic mythology, Blodeuwedd was a beautiful goddess created out of flowers by Gwydion to wed his son, Lleu. Blodeuwedd did not want to marry Lleu who was madly in love with her; instead she wanted to marry someone else. Together, Blodeuwedd and her lover conspired to kill Lleu, but Lleu was protected from death by the gods who had made him invincible, and could be killed under some very strange circumstances. Blodeuwedd seduced Lleu to reveal the secret, and later she and her lover manage to kill Lleu. However, Lleu still did not die since he was restored back to his original form. For this treachery, Gwydion cursed Blodeuwedd to turn into an owl and since then the owl haunts the night in loneliness and sorrow and is rejected by all the other birds.

According to the Sumerian mythology, their goddess of death was attended by owls. Besides the Sumerians, ancient Egyptians, the Chinese, Japanese and the Indians of Central and North America, also associate the owls with death. However, in the Navajo creation myth, an owl resolves a dispute between men and women, leading to the creation of the human beings.

Though the early cultures in Mexico considered the owls as sacred to their rain gods, the Aztecs later saw them as evil.

William Shakespeare in some of his plays has referred to the owl as harbingers of death. In spite of all its sinister leanings, the owl is also associated with wisdom and learning. The Greek goddess, Athena had an owl perched on her shoulder, which had the ability to see things that Athena couldn’t focus on, thus adding to Athena’s natural wisdom.

I think it is the nocturnal aspect of the bird which makes it so evil and deadly. The hooting of the owl too is not a very pleasing sound and this too seems to have added to the common thinking of the owls being the harbingers of bad news.

But a recent sighting of an owl from very close quarters convinced me, that it needs some attention and study. I hope I have been able to do justice to the poor owl who had got lost in the concrete jungle that I live in!

The Romance of Echo and Narcissus

A Painting of Echo and Narcissus

According to Greek Mythology, Echo was a nymph, who was well known for talking a lot. Once when Zeus, the King of Gods, was busy romancing some other nymphs, Hera, his jealous wife came down to earth looking for him. Zeus used Echo to distract Hera. Every time Hera asked something, Echo would start talking endlessly, giving enough time to Zeus and the nymphs to move away. It took some time for Hera to realise this and it upset her to no end.

Hera cursed Echo, that from then onwards, she would not be able to speak on her own; she would only repeat the last words of the person who speaks to her!

Narcissus was the son of a river god and a nymph. On his birth, the sages had predicted, that Narcissus, would live very long, provided he didn’t see his face. His mother immediately ensured that all mirrors be removed from the vicinity, and soon Narcissus grew up to be a handsome young man, who spurned, the love of many a nymph, man and woman, as he believed that none were worthy of his love.

After Echo had lost her ability to speak on her own, once she saw Narcissus, and fell in love with him instantly. During the chase in the jungle, Narcissus said – “Who’s there?”, and all poor Echo managed to repeat was “there”, and this went on, till Echo flung herself on him, to be violently rejected by Narcissus. This left Echo heartbroken.

Narcissus Flowers

The chase had left Narcissus, very tired and thirsty. He came across a clear still brook and decided to quench his thirst. Narcissus had always seen his shadow, but never his reflection. On seeing his reflection, he instantly fell in love with himself. He tried to kiss the beautiful boy he saw, only to realize that his love would never be reciprocated. But he was too much in love with himself and could not come to terms with the reality. He remained there near the brook, till his life drained out of him. When Echo reached there, all she found was a flower in the place where Narcissus, lay. This flower Narcissus is said to grow on the sides of rivers and brooks, as if Narcissus is still gazing at himself.

Echo in the meanwhile was saddened by the death of Narcissus, and it is said that she still wanders around in the mountains of the world, seeking her love. She is found in deep valleys and caves, and if you call out to her, and if she is home, she will answer back, the last words of the caller! That’s how we get the meaning of ‘echo’. Now you also know why a person who is so full of himself is known to have a ‘Narcissistic’ personality!

Parijat Flower

Parijat is a beautiful small flower, with snow-white petals and a red stalk. This flower blooms only at night and sheds flowers before sunrise. They flowers have its medicinal values, but we will focus on some of the interesting myths associated with the flower.

The first myth is a sad romantic myth. According to this myth, Princess Parijataka was in love with Sun, but her love was never reciprocated. Having lost in love, she committed suicide and from her ashes rose the Parijat tree. Since she is unable to bear the sight of her love during the day, she blooms only at night, and sheds the flowers as tears, before the sun rises. Some myths go on to say, that the tree sheds its tears on the touch of the first rays of the sun! The fragrant flowers spread their fragrance in the entire area, during the day, as a sign of undying love for her lover, the Sun.

Another myth too has a romantic link, but more as a bone of contention. According to this myth, the Parijat tree was planted in Indralok (the abode of Lord Indra) which was one of the gifts received from the samudra manthana, and thus was a celestial plant, not available on earth. To sow seeds of discord, Narada, brought some flowers from Indralok and gave them to Lord Krishna, and waited to see as to which wife he gave the flowers to. Krishna gave the flowers to Rukmini. On seeing this, Narada went to Satyabhama; Krishna’s other wife and told her about it. When Satyabhama’s jealousy was aroused well enough, Narada went on to give a solution to her. He suggested that she should insist on Krishna getting the plant itself from Indralok and plant it at her home, instead of a few flowers! Satyabhama decided to do that and when Krishna came to her quarters, she showed her anger and disappointment on the whole incident and insisted that he get the plant from Indralok.

True to his nature, Narada, in the meanwhile went and warned Indra that some earthlings were out to steal the celestial plant from his Indralok! When Krishna and Satyabhama were about to leave after taking a branch of the celestial Parijata tree, they were accosted by Indra and a battle took place, leading to Indra losing the battle. But Indra would not let it go so easily, and cursed that the plant would never bear fruits, though it might bear flowers, and thus since then the Parijat tree does not bear any fruit.

Having brought the tree to Dwarka, Rukmini too took fancy to the tree, because of its flowers. So Krishna planted the tree in such a manner, that though the tree was planted at Satyabhama’s house, when it bore flowers, they would fall in Rukmini’s home! Satyabhama had asked for the tree and she got it, and Rukmini wanted the flowers, and she had it too!

Another example of Krishna’s diplomacy.

Reality Shows, Gladiator Style

 

In ancient Rome, events that took place in the Colosseum and other such amphitheaters were of general interest to the people. Among the most common were gladiator fights and leaving prisoners of war and slaves in front of hungry wild animals. People in the Colosseum cheered at the sight of men fighting men and animals tearing men to shreds.

Today, TV reality shows have become a great source of entertainment. Bigg Boss is a very successful show. In this show, a set of losers, ex-convicts, out-of-work-models and stars and other such also-rans live in a house together, under the full glare of multiple cameras, with no interaction with the outside world.  They shout, shriek, fight, romance, backbite and scheme, all of which provides much entertainment to viewers. People watch these programmes for the crass display of vulgarity and foul-mouthed behaviour, which is despised in family situations but accepted when it is on television.

In ancient Rome, gladiators volunteered to fight. If they did not live up to expectations, they face disgrace and shame. If successful, fame and fortune were theirs. The gladiator would be accepted in society as a free man.

On shows such as Bigg Boss, Sach ka Saamna and Temptation Island (the Indian version of this one has not been launched yet. Thank God!), volunteers have agreed to live under banks of cameras for hefty sums — and the ultimate prize of fame and fortune. In the process, many face disgrace and are sometimes rejected for their unacceptable behaviour. Sometimes, though, the disgraced gets them more attention and success than the winner of the show has reaped. Fame, whichever way it is achieved, can lead to new career opportunities for the star whom the world would have otherwise forgotten.

With the Roman gladiators, the loser’s life was in the hands of the spectators. When a gladiator was overpowered by his opponent, the loser would raise his hand accepting defeat. The winner would let go of him and appeal to the audience for a decision. If the spectators showed thumbs-up signs, it meant the losing gladiator should be killed. Thumbs-downs indicated that he should be pardoned.

In reality shows, the contestant’s fate is in the hands of the viewers, who vote an inmate out of the house every week, thus eventually selecting the winner. Meanwhile, a minuscule percentage of the audience has realised that such shows are an insult to one’s taste and mental faculties, besides being offensive. So they prefer to be old-fashioned and tune in to the news or a quiz show.

What is the reason for the continued success of reality shows, then? It is Man’s inherent appetite for voyeurism.

Every individual has a secret desire to know what’s happening in people’s homes, behind closed doors. We all want to know — Rukmini Rukmini, shaadi ke baad kya-kya hua… khidki mein se dekho zara? This peeping-tom habit was always clandestine but television has brought it out in the open. Such open acceptance of voyeurism, and that too being satiated for children even without their asking or realisation, is making children lose their childhood before time and making all of us seem like hungry, salivating hounds.  

When such shows are promoting a culture of exhibitionism, glorifying humiliation, then why not ban them?

Times have changed. We do not live in the times of the gladiators and we do not have Roman emperors who could act on a whim. We supposedly live in an age of free speech, emancipation, self-control and, of course, democracy. Can we exercise some control and use the finger for the right button — to change the channel?

Do not degrade yourself just because a set of also-rans have decided to sell themselves to an audience hungry for scandal.

You decide!

The above has been published in the Mumbai edition of Hindustan Times dt. 12/12/10.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/12/12/ArticleHtmls/Speak-Easy-Reality-shows-gladiator-style-12122010004007.shtml?Mode=1