Harpy or Homay? Analysis of the emergence of the role of the harpy in Iranian and Turkish art based on Turkish mythology

Taher, Zohreh; Hoseini, Hashem

doi:10.30480/vaa.2022.3952.1680

Harpy or Homay? Analysis of the emergence of the role of the harpy in Iranian and Turkish art based on Turkish mythology

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

Zohreh Taher ¹
Hashem Hoseini ²

¹ Department of Art Research, Art Faculty. University of Neyshabur

² Department of Art Research, Art Faculty of Neyshabur University, Neyshabur, Iran.

10.30480/vaa.2022.3952.1680

Abstract

Harpy is a composite form whose roots are in the mythological vision of early civilizations. The first entered Iranian art as a human bird through the Urartian art, and later gained sacred meanings in Elam and Assyrian art, and with the arrival of Islam in Iran, it appears in a new form in the art of the Seljuk period. As Persian art took its form from its rich ancient sources and added Islamic concepts to it, the Harpy form also can have hidden roots in Turk mythology. In addition, in the Orkhon inscriptions, we encounter a legend that was the mother goddess and was worshiped by the Oghuz Turks and was referred to as "Umay Ana" which has similarities with the form of the Harpy in Seljuk art. By examining the features of this myth in ancient Turkish mythology, examining the evidence that the Oghuz Turks, who are the ancestors of the Seljuks, worshiped this goddess and the emergence of this new form of harpy in the art of this period, we can ask this question: what is the relationship between this new form and Turk ancient myths? The second question is what is the relationship between the formal features of the harpy in Iranian and Turkish art, considering the geographical borders expanding in the Seljuk period? The aim of this study is to investigate Turkish mythology and its relationship with the emergence of the new harpy form in Seljuk art, and to examine the similarities and differences between the form of the harpy in Persian and Turkish art. The method of this research is comparative-analytical. The findings of the study show that there are many similarities in the visual characteristics of the form of the harpy in Iranian and Turkish artworks, which largely overlap with the mythological features of the goddess "Umay Ana" in Turkish mythology. Thus, we can conclude that the new harpy form can be used in Iranian and Turkish art to evoke Homay, who in Turkish mythology has become the face of the goddess Umay and the way she uses her power. In fact, such a similarity in the use of the harpy form between the artists of the two countries with the Seljuk domination in Iran and the expansion of its geographical borders to the eastern half of Turkey is not beyond reason and can certainly be seen in the art of later periods. The point is, there is still a slight difference between artworks of both countries in the use of the harpy form with a dragon and fish in Turkish sculptures and tiles. This may be due to differences in the mythological features of the goddess Umay Ana or other Turkish myths that are uncertain situations that warrant further investigation. However, since the goddess Umay Ana has a special place among Turks of other countries, it is possible that it was associated with features and reflected in Turkish art. It is hoped that further research in this area will help resolve existing uncertainties.

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References

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