The great mythical Turul bird of prey is one of the most important symbols of the Hungarians. The origins of the Turul legendry go way back to prehistoric Hungarian past. It is the relic of the ancient Hungarian faith, the embodier of the powers above and the monarchic sovereignty, the national symbol of the providence and guidelines. It is the ancient symbol of national identity.
It represents God's power and will. The Turul was seen as the ancestor of Atilla, and it was also the symbol of the Huns. The Hungarian Turul is often represented carrying the flaming Sword of God.
A Hungarian legend tells the story of Emese, wife of Ügyek the descendant of Atilla, who once had a dream in which a Turul appeared to her. In this dream, a crystal-clear stream started to flow from her, and as it moved Westward, it grew into a mighty river. This dream represented her symbolic impregnation by the Turul, and meant that she would give birth to a line of great rulers. Emese later gave birth to Álmos, who was the father of Árpád, the great leader of the Magyars and founder of Hungary. This story reaffirms the Hun-Magyar kinship, and the knowledge that the Magyars reconquered Hungary as their rightful inheritance from Atilla's great Hun Empire.
Turul eagle near Buda Royal Palace entrance gate in Budapest, Hungary — Photo by panama7
There were 3 large Turul statues, each with a wingspan of 15 meters, in Greater Hungary (before the country had its borders reconfigured by the Treaty of Trianon). The last of the three stands on a mountain near Tatabánya, Hungary, but the other two were destroyed. It is the largest bird statue in Europe and the largest bronze statue in Central Europe. There remain at least 195 Turul statues in Hungary, as well as 48 in Romania (32 in Transylvania and 16 in Partium), 8 in Slovakia, 7 in Serbia, 5 in Ukraine, 1 in Austria. One of the most recently erected, as of 29 September 2012, on St. Michael the Archangel's Day, is in Hungary's Ópusztaszer National Heritage Park.
Some of the Kingdom of Hungary postage stamps issued after 1900 feature the Turul.
I lit the sacred candles infused with herbs and then placed them in a silver candle holder on a small round table. The ancient wooden male and female figurines holding hands stood between the candles, with our delicately carved Turul bird with a crown on its head and a sword in its talons. The Falcon held widely stretched wings over the figurines as if protecting them.
The statues had been in my family for centuries, they were small, and had a deep, warm brown color. The rich, shiny brown hue came from the hot herbal tea Elza poured over the statues every morning, as my ancestors had done for generations. Beside the statues was an ancient, dark leather-bound book. Its permanent place was on the Prayer table, and every Hun family had one. I had leafed through our book many times. The first few pages remained empty to me, but the rest of the book contained my ancestor’s names and achievements, written in ancient handwriting. Mom had said when I asked her about the empty pages, “The Book will reveal all its secrets to you, but only when you when you reach the age of maturity.” I wondered if I were ready; I was entering into Hun adulthood after all, so I made a mental note to check the book the next day, after prayer time.
Elza wrapped the ceremonial shawl over my shoulders as I took a deep breath and held my hands above the table. I began the prayer by reading the Hun writing, carved into the leather cover of the book of my ancestors. Following the ancient traditions, we prayed as a family in the morning to the First Mother and Father, and we prayed to the Creator at night, in solitude.
Mother and Father leading in unity,
Protected by the Turul for eternity,
Guide my soul and keep my body healthy.
Test my courage and try my patience,
Let me prove I have endurance.
Let compassion always guide me,
Make me wise to help the needy.
Challenge me on my daily journey,
And give me the strength to prove I’m worthy.
Closing my eyes, I held my hands in silence over the table for a minute and embraced the serene feeling I always had while saying the prayer. Warm energy flooded my insides, and I experienced a deep connection to something powerful, majestic and welcoming.
Ilona resigns to live the simple life of a small-town
doctor, but her
life goes into a tailspin on her birthday. She finds out she was
born into a secretive, ancient clan still hidden among us. She starts to
develop unusual powers which she finds exciting as well as frightening.
She can slow time and heal with her touch, but how and why?
She struggles to
find answers, but those who try to reveal the clan secrets are severely
punished.
A menacing man is following her and wants to kill
her. Who is he?
More life struggles continue to plague her. After being
thrust into a world of clan mysteries, obscure traditions, and beliefs, her
life is drastically changing.
She must seek out and stop Mora’s evil plan. Punished by the
ancestors long ago, Mora has waited centuries for the chance to reunite with
her beloved Joland and to gain power over the Hunor clan. Revenge has kept her alive for over
1600 years.
Ilona must search for the mysterious Destiny Box that holds
a message from her Ancestors while she attempts to sort out her feelings
for the men in her life.
The spirits of the clan come to Ilona’s aid with
answers to the clan’s secrets and the key to helping her maintain her sanity
amidst the fear of danger lurking everywhere as she tries to succeed.
She must activate her Chameleon ability and obtain unimaginable
powers. The clan Leaders and Elders are worried knowing that she can use
her growing powers for absolute good or absolute evil. But they have no choice,
they’re powerless against Mora and must place their trust in Ilona.
With the help of the clan’s Time Bender, her journey will take her back in time to when her
people lived as nomads, to the castles of the 14th century as they
struggle to overcome the obstacles in their path due to the evils of
Mora.
Ilona finds her Destiny Box where the ancestors reveal what
she must do—but it does not come without cost.
She must ensure the birth of the Chosen Child in the 4th century in order to save the
future of the Hunor Clan.
Will Ilona succeed in saving the child? Will she accept her
destiny?
“This is so different from the usual fare churned out by ordinary writers.” -Valerie Byron
“The characters felt real, and the secrets are alluring. You will get hooked in right away.” -Brenda Barry
“Szabo introduces readers to a fascinating world of ancient rights conducted by a secret order.” -J.E. Rogers
Mythology and Folklore: Part One By Erika M Szabo The Turul Bird by Erika M Szabo Picture credit: https://www.deviantart.com/tag/turul The great mythical Turul bird of prey is one of the most important symbols of the Hungarians. The origins of the Turul legendry go way back to prehistoric Hungarian past. I...
Although the series is not a history book, I used bits of historical facts in the story, and the Turul bird and the Sacred Sword are important part of Hun mythology.
Brilliant post, Erika! I loved learning about the Turul Bird! Your heritage is a rich one, that is for sure. Thank you for sharing traditions and beliefs with us.
I'm fascinated by the rich legacy of legendary creatures and peoples of the world. Thank you for sharing the Turul bird and a snippet of your epic fantasy!
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