Angha

Angha also known as the Simorgh is depicted in Iranian art as a winged creature in the shape of a bird, gigantic enough to carry off an elephant or a whale. It appears as a kind of peacock with the head of a dog and the claws of a lion; sometimes, however, also with a human face. The simorgh is inherently benevolent and unambiguously female. Being part mammal, she suckles her young. The Angha has teeth. It has an enmity towards snakes, and its natural habitat is a place with plenty of water. Its feathers are said to be the colour of copper, and though it was originally described as being a Dog-Bird, later it was shown with either the head of a man or a dog.

Iranian legends consider the bird to be so old that it has survived the destruction of the world three times over. The Angha has learned so much by living so long that it is thought to possess the knowledge of all the Ages. In one legend, the Angha was said to live 1700 years before plunging itself into flames (cf. the phoenix).

ee also

*Bar Juchne, a giant bird from Jewish legends.
*Roc, a giant bird from Persian mythology.
*Blue Crow, a giant crow from Brasilian legends.
*Phoenix
*Ziz, a giant bird from Jewish legends.