List of avian humanoids

Avian humanoids (people with the characteristics of birds) are a common motif in folklore and popular fiction, mainly found in Greek, Roman, Meitei, Hindu, Persian mythology, etc.

Folklore

Vishnu riding Garuda

A winged human-headed Apkallu holding a bucket and a pine cone. From Nimrud, Iraq. 883-859 BCE. Ancient Orient Museum, Istanbul

Alkonost from Russian mythology, a bird with a woman's head.
Almost all of the Anemoi (Boreas, Eurus, Zephyrus, Notus, etc.), most prominently in their depiction on the Tower of the Winds.
Angels in all Abrahamic religions, most prominently in artistic depictions.
Anzû from Mesopotamian mythology, either a lesser divinity or a monster.
Arke, Iris' sister who had wings^[1] 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.^[2]
Calais and Zetes, the sons of the North Wind Boreas.^[3]
Chareng, also called Uchek Langmeidong, a mythical creature from Meitei mythology that is part-human and part-hornbill, having an avian body and a human head.
The Ekek from Philippine mythology is depicted as a humanoid with bird wings and a beak.
Eos is often depicted as winged in art.^[4]
Eris (mythology) was depicted as winged in ancient Greek art.^[5]
Eros/Cupid is often depicted as winged.^[6]
The Faravahar of Zoroastrianism.
Gamayun from Russian mythology, a large bird with a woman's head
The Garuda, an eagle-man mount of Vishnu in Hindu mythology who is depicted as a class of bird-like beings in Buddhist mythology.^[7]^[8]^[9]

Horus with the head of a falcon

Geryon, a giant defeated by Hercules who, in one account, was described as having wings.^[10]^[11] In addition, some mid-sixth-century Chalcidian vases portray him as winged.
Harpies, bird-women in Greek mythology associated with storm winds and known for terrorizing mortals.^[12]^[13]
The gods Horus and Thoth from ancient Egyptian mythology were often depicted as humans with the heads of a falcon^[14] and an ibis,^[15] respectively.
Huitzilopochtli, "hummingbird's south" or "hummingbird's left"; Aztec god of the sun and war who was often depicted as either a hummingbird or an eagle.
Iris (mythology) was said to have golden wings,^[16]^[17] with "golden-winged" being one of her epithets, and was often depicted in art as having wings.^[18]
Isis and her sister Nephthys were ancient Egyptian goddesses commonly depicted with kite (bird) heads or wings attached to their arms.^[19]^[20]
Karura in Japanese folklore, divine creatures with a human torso and a birdlike head.
The Kinnara and Kinnari in southeast Asia are two of the most beloved mythological characters. They are benevolent half-human, half-bird creatures who watch over humanity.
Kurangaituku is a supernatural being in Māori mythology who is part-woman and part-bird.^[21]
Lamassu from Mesopotamian mythology, a winged tutelary deity with a human head, the body of a bull or a lion, and bird wings.
Lei Gong, a Chinese thunder god often depicted as a bird man.^[22]
The second people of the world in Southern Sierra Miwok mythology.^[23]
Morpheus, the son of Hypnos and a god of dreams.^[24]
Neith, an Egyptian goddess sometimes depicted with bird wings attached to her arms.^[25]^[26]
Nemesis was described as winged by Mesomedes,^[27] and is often portrayed as such in art.
Nightingale the Robber in Slavic folklore, who is killed by the hero Ilya Muromets.^[28]
Nike in Greek mythology is described as having birdlike wings.^[29]
Pamola, a bird-man from Abenaki mythology.^[30]
Peri, beautiful, winged women from Persian folklore.
Ra, an ancient Egyptian sun god often depicted with a falcon's head.^[31]
Sirens from Greek mythology began as women-bird hybrids,^[32] but later evolved to become closer to mermaids.
Sirin, mythological creatures of Rus' legend based on the original depiction of the Greek sirens.
The swan maidens in the folktales of cultures such as Sweden, Germany, Romania, Serbia, Japan, and Pakistan.^[33]
Suparnas from Hinduism, who can appear as part man and part bird.^{[citation needed]}
Tangata manu of Easter Island,^[34] often depicted as a frigate bird/human hybrid.
The Tengu of Japanese folklore, monstrous humanoids who dwell in the mountains and forests and possess the wings, claws, and sometimes beak of a bird.^[35]
Thanatos and his brother Hypnos were often portrayed as winged.^[36]
Thoth was portrayed as having the head and sometimes the body of an Ibis.^[37]
Wayland the Smith from Germanic mythology; scholars differ on whether he organically grew wings to escape imprisonment or fashioned artificial ones like Daedalus.
Winged genie, bearded men with birds' wings who are a recurring motif in Assyrian art.

Fiction

The Aarakocra and the Kenku, two playable avian humanoid races in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.
The Chozo civilization, a highly intelligent and technologically advanced bird-like species in the Metroid series.^[38]
Turians from the Mass Effect series, a warrior race with avian features.^[39]
The winged people of Normnbdsgrsutt in Robert Paltock's utopian fantasy Peter Wilkins (1750), including Youwarkee, whom Peter marries.^[40]
The Flock from James Patterson's Maximum Ride novel series, who are artificial human-avian hybrids and have wings.
The bird people of Brontitall, led by The Wise Old Bird, in The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. They are depicted by Douglas Adams as evolving from humans who were sick of buying shoes and became bird-like creatures, never setting foot on the ground again.
The Illyrians from A Court of Thorns And Roses series by Sarah J. Maas, a warrior race of faeries who live in the mountains and have bat-like wings.
A race of garuda appear in fantasy author China Miéville's world Bas-Lag, as featured in Perdido Street Station.^[41]
A race of magical creatures called Veela appear in J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, and are extraordinarily beautiful women who become frightening bird-like creatures when angered.
Vergere in The New Jedi Order book series, part of the Star Wars expanded universe, is of the Fosh species, whose tears can be used as poison or healing.
The Rito from The Legend of Zelda are a race of avian humanoids with the ability of flight. In The Wind Waker, they are primarily humanoid and depicted as an evolved form of the Zora. In Breath of the Wild, they are depicted as more bird-like and lack connection to the Zora.
The Tirkin from the Xenoblade Chronicles series, a type of enemy who are capable of speech and using tools.
The High Entia from the Xenoblade Chronicles series, a humanoid race with wings on the sides of their heads. Some can use these wings to fly; however, hybrid High Entia such as Melia, who is half-Homs, have smaller wings.
The Shi'ar from Marvel Comics, a species of cold-blooded humanoids of avian descent; they resemble humans with feathered crests atop their heads in lieu of hair.
Birdperson, a character from the television series Rick and Morty, is a tall humanoid with eagle wings who is later renamed "Phoenixperson."
Prince Vultan's hawkmen from the 1980 space opera film Flash Gordon.
Arakkoas from the World of Warcraft expansions (first appearing in WoW: Burning Crusade), a race of bird humanoids with avian features.
Papi, a harpy from the manga series Monster Musume.
The Garuda from 'NanoMorphosis' by Marla L. Anderson, an alien race who are bird-like but lack wings.
Skellig,^{[citation needed]} the titular character in David Almond's work

References

^ Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 6 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190) (trans. Pearse)
^ Allen, James W. (2000). Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-77483-3.
^ Apollonius, Rhodius (February 1, 1997). The Argonautica – via Project Gutenberg.
^ "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Ea'rinus, Fla'vius, E'ntochus, Eos". www.perseus.tufts.edu.
^ commons:File:Eris_Antikensammlung_Berlin_F1775.jpg^{[circular reference]}
^ commons:File:Cassel_Painter_-_Kalpis_with_Toilette_Scene_with_Two_Women_and_Eros_-_Walters_4878_-_Side_A_Detail.jpg^{[circular reference]}
^ Robert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 314–315. ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.
^ Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.
^ Helmuth von Glasenapp (1999). Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 532. ISBN 978-81-208-1376-2.
^ Scholiast on Hesiod's Theogony, referring to Stesichoros' Geryoneis
^ "GERYON (Geryones) - Three-Bodied Giant of Greek Mythology". www.theoi.com.
^ Homer. Odyssey, Book 20.66 & 77
^ Ovid. Metamorphoses vii.4
^ Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 202.
^ 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
^ Homer, Iliad 8. 397 ff
^ Homer, Iliad 11. 185 ff
^ "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Iacchus, Irenaeus, Iris". www.perseus.tufts.edu.
^ Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-05120-7.
^ Griffiths, J. Gwyn (1980). The Origins of Osiris and His Cult. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-06096-8.
^ Tapsell, Paora (1 March 2017). "Story: Te Arawa – Hatupatu and Kurangaituku". Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
^ "China: 'Master Thunder (Lei Gong)', a Ming Dynasty hanging silk scroll from 1542, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York". AKG Images. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
^ S. A. Barrett (1919-03-27). "Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok". University of California Publications in American Archeology and Ethnology. 16 (1): 1–28.
^ Henderson, Jeffrey. "Book XI". Loeb Classical Library.
^ Jean-François, 1790-1832, Champollion (July 1, 2014). "English: Panthéon égyptien, collection des personnages mythologiques de l'ancienne Égypte, d'apres les monuments; / avec un texte explicatif par M. J. F. Champollion le jeune, et les figures d'apres les dessins de M. L. J. J. Dubois" – via Wikimedia Commons.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
^ commons:File:Diosa_Neit_(M.A.N.)-01.jpg^{[circular reference]}
^ "Mesomedes: Hymn to Nemesis (From Greek)".
^ Bailey, James; Ivanova, Tatyana (1998). An Anthology of Russian Folk Epics. M.E. Sharpe. p. 27. ISBN 978-0873326414.
^ "NIKE - Greek Goddess of Victory (Roman Victoria)". www.theoi.com.
^ "Home". www.penobscotnation.org.
^ Hart, George (1986). A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul Inc. pp. 179–182. ISBN 978-0-415-05909-1.
^ "SOL Search". www.cs.uky.edu.
^ Ashliman, D. L. (2008). "Swan Maidens | Folktales of Type 400". Retrieved 5 October 2018. The myth of the Swan Maiden is one of the most widely distributed and at the same time one of the most beautiful stories ever evolved from the mind of man.--Edwin Sidney Hartland
^ Routledge, Scoresby, Mrs; Routledge, Katherine (1917). "The Bird Cult of Easter Island". Folklore. 28 (4): 337–355. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1917.9719006. JSTOR 1255484. An "iviatua," a divinely-gifted individual, dreamed that a certain man was favoured by the gods, so that if he entered for the race he would be a winner, or, in technical parlance, become a bird-man or " tangata manu"; it was also ordained that he should then take a new name, which formed part of the revelation, and this bird-name was given to the year in which victory was achieved, thus forming an easily remembered system of chronology.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
^ de Visser, M. W. (1908). "The Tengu". Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. 36 (2): 25–99.
^ "Euphronios Krater: The Continuing Saga (ca. 515 BC) - Ancient History Blog".
^ "Egyptian Museum Website".
^ "The Official Metroid Website". metroid.nintendo.com.
^ Hudson, Casey; Watts, Derek (February 2, 2012). The Art of the Mass Effect Universe. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 978-1-59582-768-5.
^ Paltock, R.; Bullen, A.H. (1884). The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins. The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins. Reeves & Turner. p. xvi and passim. Retrieved 5 October 2018.
^ "Perdido Street Station By China Miéville". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 5 October 2018.

External links

Cathy S. Mosley. ""The Princess of the Bird People" a retelling of "Manora, the Bird Woman," from Thailand". H-NILAS: Stories for the Seasons. Retrieved October 31, 2005. — This cites Toth, Marian Davis (1971). Tales From Thailand. Tokyo: Charles E. Tuttle..
Zerah'el Dancing Grouse. "The Story of the Bird People". Free Cherokee. Archived from the original on February 23, 2006. Retrieved October 31, 2005. — a story from a story teller of the Bird Clan of East Central Alabama that parallels the evolution of birds from dinosaurs

[1] Ptolemy Hephaestion, New History Book 6 (summary from Photius, Myriobiblon 190) (trans. Pearse)

[2] Allen, James W. (2000). Middle Egyptian: An Introduction to the Language and Culture of Hieroglyphs. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-77483-3.

[3] Apollonius, Rhodius (February 1, 1997). The Argonautica – via Project Gutenberg.

[4] "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Ea'rinus, Fla'vius, E'ntochus, Eos". www.perseus.tufts.edu.

[5] s:File:Eris_Antikensammlung_Berlin_F1775.jpg^{[circular reference]}

[6] s:File:Cassel_Painter_-_Kalpis_with_Toilette_Scene_with_Two_Women_and_Eros_-_Walters_4878_-_Side_A_Detail.jpg^{[circular reference]}

[Lopez314-7] Robert E. Buswell Jr.; Donald S. Lopez Jr. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. pp. 314–315. ISBN 978-1-4008-4805-8.

[Dalal2010p145-8] Roshen Dalal (2010). Hinduism: An Alphabetical Guide. Penguin Books. p. 145. ISBN 978-0-14-341421-6.

[Glasenapp1999p532-9] Helmuth von Glasenapp (1999). Jainism: An Indian Religion of Salvation. Motilal Banarsidass. p. 532. ISBN 978-81-208-1376-2.

[10] Scholiast on Hesiod's Theogony, referring to Stesichoros' Geryoneis

[11] "GERYON (Geryones) - Three-Bodied Giant of Greek Mythology". www.theoi.com.

[12] Homer. Odyssey, Book 20.66 & 77

[13] Ovid. Metamorphoses vii.4

[14] Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. p. 202.

[Budge_401-15] 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

[16] Homer, Iliad 8. 397 ff

[17] Homer, Iliad 11. 185 ff

[18] "A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology, Iacchus, Irenaeus, Iris". www.perseus.tufts.edu.

[19] Wilkinson, Richard H. (2003). The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt. Thames & Hudson. ISBN 978-0-500-05120-7.

[20] Griffiths, J. Gwyn (1980). The Origins of Osiris and His Cult. Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-06096-8.

[21] Tapsell, Paora (1 March 2017). "Story: Te Arawa – Hatupatu and Kurangaituku". Te Ara – The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 3 February 2023.

[22] "China: 'Master Thunder (Lei Gong)', a Ming Dynasty hanging silk scroll from 1542, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York". AKG Images. Retrieved 5 October 2018.

[23] S. A. Barrett (1919-03-27). "Myths of the Southern Sierra Miwok". University of California Publications in American Archeology and Ethnology. 16 (1): 1–28.

[24] Henderson, Jeffrey. "Book XI". Loeb Classical Library.

[25] Jean-François, 1790-1832, Champollion (July 1, 2014). "English: Panthéon égyptien, collection des personnages mythologiques de l'ancienne Égypte, d'apres les monuments; / avec un texte explicatif par M. J. F. Champollion le jeune, et les figures d'apres les dessins de M. L. J. J. Dubois" – via Wikimedia Commons.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

[26] s:File:Diosa_Neit_(M.A.N.)-01.jpg^{[circular reference]}

[27] "Mesomedes: Hymn to Nemesis (From Greek)".

[28] Bailey, James; Ivanova, Tatyana (1998). An Anthology of Russian Folk Epics. M.E. Sharpe. p. 27. ISBN 978-0873326414.

[29] "NIKE - Greek Goddess of Victory (Roman Victoria)". www.theoi.com.

[30] "Home". www.penobscotnation.org.

[31] Hart, George (1986). A Dictionary of Egyptian Gods and Goddesses. London, England: Routledge & Kegan Paul Inc. pp. 179–182. ISBN 978-0-415-05909-1.

[32] "SOL Search". www.cs.uky.edu.

[33] Ashliman, D. L. (2008). "Swan Maidens | Folktales of Type 400". Retrieved 5 October 2018. The myth of the Swan Maiden is one of the most widely distributed and at the same time one of the most beautiful stories ever evolved from the mind of man.--Edwin Sidney Hartland

[34] Routledge, Scoresby, Mrs; Routledge, Katherine (1917). "The Bird Cult of Easter Island". Folklore. 28 (4): 337–355. doi:10.1080/0015587X.1917.9719006. JSTOR 1255484. An "iviatua," a divinely-gifted individual, dreamed that a certain man was favoured by the gods, so that if he entered for the race he would be a winner, or, in technical parlance, become a bird-man or " tangata manu"; it was also ordained that he should then take a new name, which formed part of the revelation, and this bird-name was given to the year in which victory was achieved, thus forming an easily remembered system of chronology.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

[35] Visser, M. W. (1908). "The Tengu". Transactions of the Asiatic Society of Japan. 36 (2): 25–99.

[36] "Euphronios Krater: The Continuing Saga (ca. 515 BC) - Ancient History Blog".

[37] "Egyptian Museum Website".

[38] "The Official Metroid Website". metroid.nintendo.com.

[Art-39] Hudson, Casey; Watts, Derek (February 2, 2012). The Art of the Mass Effect Universe. Dark Horse Comics. ISBN 978-1-59582-768-5.

[Paltock_Bullen_1884-40] Paltock, R.; Bullen, A.H. (1884). The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins. The Life and Adventures of Peter Wilkins. Reeves & Turner. p. xvi and passim. Retrieved 5 October 2018.

[41] "Perdido Street Station By China Miéville". Penguin Random House. Retrieved 5 October 2018.

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List of avian humanoids

Contents

Folklore

Fiction

See also

References

External links