In Persian mythology, Chamrosh is a strange bird-like creature that lives at the top of the Alborz mountain range in (northern) Iran and spends its days underneath the Harvisptokhm (“the tree of all seeds”). Little is known about this intriguing creature, but Persian legend illustrates the bird as a relative of the legendary Simurgh. But what else do we find familiar and exciting about the Chamrosh? Read on below to find out more characteristics about this creature.
What is Chamrosh?
Chamrosh is illustrated as having the body of a dog or wolf with the wings and head of an eagle. He inhabits the ground beneath the soma tree that was the nest of the Senmurv. When the Senmurv derived or descended from its nest, all the ripened seeds fell to the Earth. These seeds were gathered by the Chamrosh and then distributed to different parts of the Earth. There is a portrayal of the Chamrosh in the Persian Rivayats: “The Creator Ohrmazd has made (by the sea Vourukasha) a tree with two immortal birds. Each year a thousand new branches grow from that tree, and all kinds of different seeds hang on those branches, and all those seeds mature.
A bird called Amrosh flies and sits on one of the branches, shakes it, and scatters all down to the ground, all the seeds. Another bird called Chamrosh comes, strikes all the seeds with its wings, and pushes them into the sea. All those seeds go into a cloud full of rain. That cloud rains on the ground, and that’s how all the seeds appear on the Earth.”
The myth is that the Chamrosh would work with the Simurgh to help life flourish on Earth. The Simurgh would gather seeds and bring them back to the summit of Mount Alburz. The Chamrosh will distribute the seeds across the ground with its wings and usher them into the Vourukasha. This heavenly sea plays an essential role in Zoroastrian and Persian myths and legends. The rain contrived from the Vourakasha was rich with seeds. This kind of rain helped to bring new vegetation and life to land on Earth. The Chamrosh is also “to blame” for protecting this life and was seen as the guardian angel of the Persian land.
Chamrosh is the prototype of all birds, said to rule and protect all avifauna on Earth. According to the Avesta, Persia is pillaged every three years by outsiders. When this happens, the angel Burj sends Chamrosh out to fly onto the highest mountaintop and then snatch the pillagers in its talons as a bird does corn.
It is believed that, due to the resemblance between the Simurgh and the Chamrosh, it is possible that the two beings were once the same in Persian mythology, and the differences between them have been created and blurred over time. The Chamrosh story is open to interpretation, as with all great mythical creatures. Many like to pursue the legend that this extraordinary bird helped the Simurgh bring and sustain life to Earth.
According to Avesta, it is also charged with the protection of Persia. Every three years, the chamrosh is sent by an angel to snatch invaders and drop them from mountaintops to protect the land.
However, it is more common to see Simurgh given this role. As the Chamrosh is less well-known and resembles early depictions of the giant creature, the attributes of the two creatures may be mixed up. In more recent stories of the Simurgh, the chamrosh is completely removed, and the function of distributing seeds is achieved through flapping her wings. She may have inherited the other abilities and responsibilities of the Chamrosh as the mythology changed and the Chamrosh faded into obscurity. The Chamrosh is rarely seen in modern works. Although looking more like a pink parrot with a long tail, a creature by the same name appears as a monster in the video game Final Fantasy XI.
Simurgh – The Cousin Of Chamrosh
The Simurgh is the more known cousin of the Chamrosh. This colossal mythical bird also lives at the top of Mount Alburz. According to the legendary poem Shahnameh, the legendary Iranian king Zal. raised the Simurgh.
Zal was deserted at the gathering of Alborz by his father, King Saam, who confused Zal’s albinism as an uncanny disorder.
Because of this, the Simurgh is a crucial character in Persian mythology, and the care and love that the mythical bird displayed to Zal are often referred to as an example of kind-heartedness.
Image-wise, the Simurgh is often compared with Huma and the Phoenix. It is described as looking like a massive peacock with the claws of a lion and the head of a dog. It is considered one of the oldest creatures in the world, with some Persian myths suggesting it is 1,700 years old.
Chamrosh Tattoo
I can’t say that this is a typical design in the tattoo world. But if anybody can find any resemblance to the story of Chamrosh, then tattoo artists can create interesting tattoo designs. This design will hold particular historical weight and strong symbolism, and like that, people can interpret a solid tattoo from the hands of a skilled tattoo artist. There are many exciting meanings and ideas behind this tattoo design. It is a tattoo design that can stand by itself or easily blend into a more significant project as a primary or contributing part.
