The national animal of Hungary is the turul. This is a mythological bird of prey which is most often depicted as a falcon. They are known in both Hungarian and Turkic traditions, and are naturally very important national symbols in Hungary, and have been since at least the 9th Century.
It is not common for a nation to choose a mythological animal as its national animal.
Usually, something is chosen from the country’s actual wildlife.
But it only goes to show what an important Hungarian symbol the turul is that it has been chosen as the national animal.
Let’s find out more.
What is the national animal of Hungary?
The national animal of Hungary is the turul.
This, rather than being a real animal, is a mythological bird of prey which is most often depicted as a falcon.
They are common in both Hungarian and Turkish mythology and symbolism, and so they have for a very long time been seen as the national animal of the people of Hungary and, in the modern day, the symbol of the nation state.
We will get into the origins of this mythological creature later, but let’s first look at the role that it has played in Turkish symbolic history. In Hungarian mythological history, one particularly important figure is that of Emese.
She was the daughter of Duke Eunedubelianus of Dentumoger, and also the consort of Ugyek, a Scythian prince.
She was the mother of High Prince Álmos, who is said to have been the first leader of Hungarian united tribes.
Thus, she founded the Hungarian dynasty.
The turul is mentioned to have appeared in a dream of hers when she was pregnant, and thus it has sometimes been seen as a symbol of impregnation and ultimately of the birth of the Hungarian people and nation.
The turul is seen as a protector spirit, protecting Álmos from harm.
The turul then became the symbol of the Hungarian dynasty in the 9th Century by the Árpád dynasty.
Silver hair decoration discs have been found in Rakamaz archaeological sites in Hungary from the 10th Century which depict this mythological bird, so plainly it has been an important national symbol for at least a millennia.
Though many countries have associated mythological creatures, few are as specifically important to the birth of the Hungarian people as the turul is seen to be even to this day.
Why is the turul the national animal of Hungary?
The turul is the national animal of Hungary for many reasons.
As we’ve seen, it is inextricable from the national mythology.
They have been the symbol of the royal household for at least a thousand years and possibly longer, and they are seen to have influenced the very birth of the nation’s first rulers in the mythological dreams of the people.
For the Hungarian people, on a mythological and symbolic level, without the turul there is perhaps no Hungary or Hungarians.
On the other hand, the turul is more specifically seen as a symbol of important national values in Hungary.
They are seen as mythical symbols of the power of the old Hungarian god Itsen, wielding the flaming sword of god, a weapon from legend forged by the god of fire. Allegedly, Attila the Hun himself wielded this weapon.
So, again, there is perhaps simply no symbol as important to the national identity of the Hungarian people as the turul.
A symbol of strength, power, and leadership for over a thousand years, the turul is one of the most important animals in the history of the nation, whether real or not. But the question of its reality is, of course, a common one.
Is the turul a real bird?
The turul is not a real bird, though at the same time it is not quite on the mythological level of something like a griffin.
It is not, that is to say, a chimera; an animal made of the parts of multiple animals.
The turul itself is depicted simply as a large bird of prey, very similar to something you might see in real life.
But they are not real birds, and have never meant to be seen as a real bird.
Like the dragon of Wales, they are symbols of the country and the people.
Where did the turul come from?
The turul was most likely based on some species of large falcon.
The word turul in the Hungarian language referred to one particular kind of large falcon, and the origin of this term is ultimately thought to be Turkic; as mentioned, the turul is also an important symbol in Turkic tradition.
When precisely the bird became a symbol, though, is very hard to say.
As mentioned, archaeological finds show that the bird was important at least as far back as the 9th Century, but beyond that it is quite difficult to be any more precise.
It may have been borrowed from Turkish myth or it may have been based on large falcons present in Hungary itself.
So, again, a mythological animal as the choice of national animal is a somewhat uncommon choice.
Most nations, even though they may have a very important mythological animal associated very closely with them, choose instead a member of their real wildlife.
But the turul is and has been such an important Hungarian symbol for well over a millennia, and so the choice seemed natural.
They have been important more broadly in this part of the world for just as long.