Persian Heritage, #111, Spring 2024 —
Footage circulates on social media purportedly showing the sighting of a bird similar to “Homa,” or Bird of Saadat in the Alborz Highlands. This bird, which has a mythical status in Iranian culture, is a symbol of happiness and prosperity, and it is said that its shadow falls on the head of whoever falls to happiness.
Hafez says in one of his sonnets:
If you are in the midst of the Gospel of Revelation, we will be in the midst of you, and we will be in the midst of the Gospel of Revelation and the Gospel of Psalms and the Gospel of Revelation
Saeb Tabrizi also says in Ghazli:
The fruit of Paradise is not pure in the shade of the sun, the grace of grace has gone behind the wall in the shade of Homay, and happiness is not left.
In fact, Homa is the bearded vulture that is also considered native to Iran. The recent images on social media have caused a variety of reactions from Iranian users and attracted a lot of attention. The Israeli page in Persian with the release of a video of this bird wrote: “Homay Saadat, a sign of happiness and happiness that awaits the freedom-loving people of Iran on the eve of the New Year. Homa’s presence in Iranian literature, history and symbols has a long history. From the reliefs of Persepolis to the national airline of Iran and Persepolis Football Club, the bird’s footprint can be seen as a symbol of happiness.
A page entitled “Plateau of Iran” in X, reads: “About Homai Saadat, we have to say that it is not a rare and mythical event at all. This is the only vulture that eats the bones of the carcass and saves the earth from contamination.”
Another user, Akbar Nemati, has detailed a tweet about it. He said, “Holy, and Huma or happy chicken is a bearded vulture.Perhaps you were wondering why a vulture or vulture became the bird of bliss in our Iranian beliefs?” he said.
He added: “Homaye Saadat or Chicken Saadat has a special place in the literature and culture of Iran and is known for its shadows on whoever falls to happiness, happiness and prosperity. For this reason, Homa’s role exists in many columns of Persepolis and many poems have been written in Persian literature, in which Homa plays a fundamental role. The ancient Iranians honored and sanctified the four elements of water, wind, soil and fire, and considered them to be the creator and controller of the world; insofar as the ritual of most ancient Iranian peoples was the same elements of nature. They didn’t believe in the dead and they believed that the earth should not be contaminated, and our ancestors would place their bodies in the catacombs, believing that if Homa went to a corpse, that person would be happy in the eternal world and in the next world would be paradise.”
Mr. Nemati has written that contrary to the beliefs of Homa is not a rare bird in Iran, it lives in both the Alborz and Zagros ranges, but since it chooses its nest on top of the cliffs, it is a bit difficult to see, although it is threatened in terms of protection.