Turul

For the ruler in the Seljuk dynasty, see Toğrül.

For the leader of Kayı tribe see Ertuğrul.

A Turul monument at Tatabánya

File:Turul badge hu.jpg

Hungarian art: Turul bird (9th century)

The Turul is the most important mythological bird of the origin myth of the Magyars (Hungarian people). It is a messenger of god in Hungarian mythology, who sits on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds.

The Turul is probably a large falcon, and the origin of the word is most likely Turkic (togrıl or turgul means a medium-large bird of prey in the family Accipitridae, Goshawk or Red Kite). In Hungarian the word sólyom means falcon, and there are three ancient words describing different kinds of falcons: kerecsen (saker), zongor [Turkish Sungur = Gyr Falcon] (lives in the male name Zsombor) and turul.

Emese's dream

In the legends Turul is mentioned at least twice to shape the fate of the Hungarians: the first time Emese, mother of Álmos, wife of Ügyek (whose ancestor is Attila the Hun) had a dream where a Turul appeared, impregnated her symbolically and a crystal-clear water stream started to flow from her, and as it moved Westward, it grew into a great river, which meant that her child was going to be the father of a line of great rulers. The second time, the leader of the Hungarian tribes had a dream where eagles attacked their horses and a Turul came and saved them, to symbolise that they have to move, and when they did, the Turul helped them to show the way and led them finally to the land that became Hungary.

This legend is about Hun-Magyar kinship, and the base of the theory that Magyars reconquered Hungary as their rightful inheritance from Attila's great Hun Empire.

Based upon ancient Hungarian tradition , the royal house of Hun(garian)s (the kings of Huns and the later Hungarians) bears the name of Turul clan (original Latin: genere Turul, later called by the name Arpad house also), what descents from the wise and just king Nimrod, the first king on Earth

Representation

The Turul represents the god's power and will. The Turul was seen as the ancestor of Attila, and it was also the symbol of the Huns. The Hungarian Turul is often represented carrying the flaming Sword of God (sword of Attila).

The authentic repesentation of the Turul is always with a crown. It cannot be linked directly to the Holy Crown of Hungary, but more to the crown of Attila, as by ancient heritage, Attila is considered as first king of Hungary, as written in Chronicon Pictum and in other codexes.

Turul statues

There were 3 Turul statues, each with the wingspan of 15 meters, in Greater Hungary (before the country had its borders reconfigured by the Treaty of Trianon). On the mountain next to Tatabánya, Hungary (1907) stands the last one of 3, while the other 2 were destroyed. It is the largest bird statue in the world, and the largest bronze statue in Central Europe[1];. There are 195 statues stand in Hungary, and 32 in Transylvania, 16 in Partium, 8 in Slovakia, 5 in Ukraine, 7 in Voivodina, 1 in Austria.

External links

• Hungarian Mythology - The origin of the mythical bird, and its connection to the hun culture (in English)
• Picture of the Turul statue in Tatabánya
• Article about the Turul in Hungarian - Kiszely István: A magyar nép Őstörténete
• Oshawa Turul - Soccer Club Serving Oshawa, Ontario.