ROC (Middle East & Hebrew Mythology)
- The ROC is an enormous legendary bird of prey in the popular mythology of the Middle East.
- Said to be strong enough to carry an elephant.
Eastern Origins: According to art historian Rudolf Wittkower, the idea of the roc had its origins in the story of the fight between the Indian solar bird Garuda[3] and the Chthonic serpent Nāga (page xx in the anthology). The mytheme of Garuda carrying off an elephant that was battling a crocodile appears in two Sanskrit epics, the Mahabharata (I.1353) and the Ramayana (III.39).
The roc appears in Arab geographies and natural history, popularized in Arabian fairy tales and sailors’ folklore.
In The Arabian Nights, the roc appears on a tropical island during Sinbad‘s second voyage.
Source for this page: Roc (mythology). (2023, August 17).
Have you had any encounters with this hidden creature?
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