Samrau (mythological character)

Samrau — a mythological bird in Bashkir folklore. Similar the image of the Simurgh in Iranian mythology. In the Bashkir epic poetry "Ural Batyr" and "Akbuzat" Samrau is imaged as a bird-king.The cosmic, above-ground and underground worlds are subject to him, and he is the head God in the Bashkir pantheon. Sun and Moon are his wives. Humai and Aikhilu are his daughters.

A simurgh (Iranian mythology) flies over a princess on a throne. The San Diego Museum of Art

Samrau in the epic poetry "Ural Batyr"

Ural Batyr wins the king of snakes and release the daughter of a bird-king Samrau from captivity. Samrau gives to Ural Batyr a horse with wings Akbuzat and a diamond sword for saving the country and daughters. With the help of a horse and sword, Ural Batyr wins the daevas. According to the epos, the Ural Mountains are the bodies of the daevas.

Researchers of the epos Ural-Batyr about Samrau

The historian Z. G. Aminev believes that under the name of Samrau in Bashkir mythology, ancient Bashkirs meant the sky.

According to V. S. Mavletov, the country of Samrau is an ideal society to which every nation wants.

In the country of Samrau, everyone is equal, no one oppresses anyone, does not touch another, everyone works for the common good, no one wants to get rich, they live according to the laws of brothers. If someone breaks the rules, people having agreed among themselves, exile out of the country. Samrau rules his kingdom as if there no king in the country.

The highest measure of the punishment of the criminal in the mythical kingdom of Samrau was exile from the country.

U. Sh. Atangulov explains the influence of the epic on the Bashkir people.

Many historians argue about whether the Bashkirs had a state. The Bashkirs prefer personal freedom and fought to the death for it. They were armed forces, organized, in case of danger they could quickly unite and fight.

Samrau and modernity

The image and name of the Samrau are popular in modern Bashkortostan. Companies, cultural instituts, a football team, a union of artists are named after Samrau.

Other websites

• Folklore of Bashkortostan People: Encyclopedia / Scientific. Collegium: F. A. Nadrshina (chap. Ed.), S. I. Apsatarova, L. A. Afanasyeva, V. Ya. Babenko, F. G. Galieva, M. Kh. Idelbaev, I.E. Karpukhin, T. G. Minnihmetova, I. G. Petrov, R. R. Sadikov, U. G. Saitov (ed.), R. A. Sultangareeva, I.K. Fazlutdinov, G. R. Khusainova;. - Per. in English. Yaz.: LLC "Center for Intercultural Cooperation". -Ufa: "Bashkir Encyclopedia", 2020. ISBN 978-5-88185-474-4 .
• F. A. Nadrshina Bird cults in the legends and rites os the bashkirs