The Turul is probably based on a largefalcon. TheHungarian language wordturul meant one kind of falcon and the origin of the word is currently thought to be most likelyTurkic (Clauson 1972: 472.[1]) (Róna-Tas et al. 2011:2: 954-56)[2]), which is the language of origin of over 10% of words in modern Hungarian lexicon and the exonym "Hungarian" and the word "Hun".[a]Toġrïl ortoğrul means a medium to largebird of prey of the familyAccipitridae,goshawk orred kite.[10] In Hungarian the wordsólyom means falcon, and there are three ancient words describing different kinds of falcons:kerecsen [Greek κερχνηίς] (saker falcon),zongor [Turkishsungur =gyrfalcon] (which survives in the male nameCsongor) andturul.
In the legend ofEmese, recorded in theGesta Hungarorum and theChronicon Pictum, theturul is mentioned as occurring in a dream of Emese, when she was already pregnant.[11]In older literature, this was interpreted as "impregnation", but the text is clear.[12] The Turul's role is one of a protector spirit, that protects the infantÁlmos, from harm. This is a very similar motif to the role of theSimurgh in the Iranian epicShahnameh. In a second dream by the leader of the Hungarian tribes, in which eagles (the emblem of thePechenegs, enemies of the Hungarians[citation needed]) attacked their horses and the Turul came and saved them. The image of the Turul and its role is similar to that of the NorseVedfolnir, which like it perched on the tree of life.[13][b] The Huns reportedly also used the image of the eagle, which for them symbolized the leader.[14] The image of a bird of prey was extremely popular inSaka-Scythian culture.[15] More broadly, this image was common among the nomads of Central Asia.[15] 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."[13] A prominent example among similar legends is that of the Mongols, contained inThe Secret History of the Mongols, 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.[13] In some parts ofKazakhstan andKyrgyzstan,Kazakhs andKyrgyz carry falcons inside the yurt during childbirth, because their eyes are said to stave off demons that attack pregnant women during childbirth.[13] Macdonald calls it a "practical use" of the falcons' association with fertility.[13]
A pair of silver disk with Turul motive was found inRakamaz,Hungary from a 10th century Hungarian cemetery. The most beautiful ornament of nobleHungarian women was a pair of decorative disks hanging from the end of the hair braid.
A pair of silver hair decoration disk with motive of mythic Turul bird from a 10th century Hungarian cemetery (Found inRakamaz,Hungary) Jósa András Museum inNyíregyháza,Hungary
The other part of the pair of the silver hair decoration disk with motive of mythic Turul bird from a 10th century Hungarian cemetery (Found inRakamaz,Hungary)
Gilt silver disk with Turul motif (Hungary, 10th century),National Museum in Prague (temporary exhibition)
DukeGéza from the Turul clan was the one who, as they say, was the first among the Hungarians who got a summon from heaven in order to receive the Christian faith and baptism.
In the legend ofEmese, recorded in theGesta Hungarorum and theChronicon Pictum, the Turul is mentioned as occurring in a dream of Emese, when she was already pregnant.[11]
In the 819th year of Our Lord's incarnation,Ügyek, who, as we said above, being of the family of King Magog became a long time later the most noble prince ofScythia, took to wife inDentumoger the daughter of Duke Eunedubelian, called Emese, from whom he sired a son, who was namedÁlmos. But he is called Álmos from a divine event, because when she was pregnant a divine vision appeared to his mother in a dream in the form of a falcon that, as if coming to her, impregnated her and made known to her that from her womb a torrent would come forth and from her loins glorious kings be generated, but that they would not increase in their land. Because, therefore, a dream is called "álom" in theHungarian language and his birth was predicted in a dream, so he was called Álmos. Or he is thus called Álmos, that is holy, because holy kings and dukes were born of his line.
Ügyek's son Előd, fathered a son by the daughter of Eunodubilia in Scythian land, whose name was Álmos, because a bird in the shape of a falcon appeared in his mother's dream when she was pregnant, a rushing stream sprang from her womb, it grew, but not in its own land, and from this it was prophesied that glorious kings would come from her loins. Because dream is "álom" in our language, and the birth of that boy was prophesied by a dream, that's why he was called Álmos.
According to theGesta Hunnorum et Hungarorum, KingAttila had the Turul bird on his shield and it was the military badge of the Hungarians until the time of PrinceGéza.
King Attila's coat of arms, which he used on his own shield, depicted a bird with a crown, which is called "Turul" in Hungarian. This coat of arms was carried by the Hungarians in the wars of the communities as long as the communities governed themselves, until the time of Prince Géza, the son of Taksony.
King Attila himself was feared by his own subjects because of his innate strictness and gloomy look, but he behaved with a noble spirit towards the peoples subject to him. As a military insignia, a crowned falcon was painted on both his shield and his flag. This military badge was worn by the Huns, namely the Hungarians, until the time of the son of Prince Taksony, Prince Géza. His title was like this: Attila son of Bendegúz, grandson of the great Nimrod who was raised in Engaddi, by the grace of God, King of the Huns, Medes, Goths and Danes, the Fear of the World, the Scourge of God.
TheHuns, considered by the chronicle to be the ancestors of theHungarians arrive inPannonia fromScythia at the first time, a Turul flag protruding from the frame of the picture (Chronicon Pictum, 1358)
Attila's battle with the Romans at Zeiselmauer, a golden flag decorated with a Turul stands out from the picture (Chronicon Pictum, 1358)
^Köpeczi, Béla; Makkai, László; Mócsy, András; Kiralý, Béla K.; Kovrig, Bennett; Szász, Zoltán; Barta, Gábor (2001).Transylvania in the medieval Hungarian kingdom (896-1526) (Volume 1 of History of Transylvania ed.). New York: Social Science Monographs, University of Michigan, Columbia University Press, East European Monographs. pp. 415–416.ISBN0-88033-479-7.
^A MAGYAROK TÜRK MEGNEVEZÉSE BÍBORBANSZÜLETETT KONSTANTINOS DE ADMINISTRANDOIMPERIO CÍMÛ MUNKÁJÁBAN - Takács Zoltán Bálint, SAVARIAA VAS MEGYEI MÚZEUMOK ÉRTESÍTÕJE28 SZOMBATHELY, 2004, pp. 317–333[1]
^Chronicon Pictum,Gesta Hungarorum.[clarification needed]Arnold Ipolyi, "Magyar mitológia" (Hungarian Mythology) 1854; Gáspár Heltai, Hungarian Mythology."[...] the hawk orturul, which in shamanistic lore rested upon the tree of life connecting the earth with the netherworld and the skies, persevered for longer [than other clan totems] as a device belonging to the ruling house. But even this was soon eclipsed by the symbol of the double cross and, around 1200, by the striped shield coloured in the red and white of Christ's Passion."Martyn C. Rady,Nobility, land and service in medieval Hungary, Palgrave Macmillan, 2000, p.12
^The Magyars had an extensive Turkic genetic and cultural influence, which accounts for the Turkic contribution to their lexicon, and Byzantines authors (Constantine) even mistakenly referred to them as Turks. Many Hungarian names, and also animal and plant names,[3] are of Turkic origin. The majority of Hungarian tribal names were of Turkic origin.[4] However, in spite of all this influence, and although they were long in contact with them, the Magyars are not a Turkic people.[5][6][7][8][9]
^The Veldfolnir actually perched on an unnamed eagle that itself perched on top of theworld treeYggdrasil
.png)
.svg)
_8.jpg)
_-_7.jpg)
_-_2.jpg)
_-_6.jpg)
Media related toTurul (category) at Wikimedia Commons