The roc is a mythical giant bird of prey that appears in Persian and Middle Eastern literature. Marco Polo introduced it to the Western world, describing it with a 48-foot wingspan and 24-foot feathers. The roc has parallels in other cultures and may have been inspired by fossils or misinterpretations of real animals.
In Persian mythology, a roc is a giant bird of prey, capable of abducting live elephants. The roc is found in Middle Eastern literature as early as the 8th century AD. The explorer Marco Polo first brought the roc to the attention of the Western world in his highly embellished travelogue from the 13th century, and the gigantic bird also appears multiple times in Arabian Nights.
There has never been evidence of an actual raptor approaching the purported size of the roc, which Marco Polo describes as having a wingspan of 48 feet (15 meters). Its feathers are said to be 24 feet (7 meters) long and its egg more than 150 feet (46 meters) in circumference. Tales of the roc appears to have been a perfect opportunity for the authors to practice hyperbole. Despite the fact that there are no giant birds of prey known to science, there have been giant birds, such as the extinct Madagascar elephant bird, that Marco Polo may have encountered on his travels. The elephant bird was 10 feet (3 meters) tall and flightless, similar to today’s ostrich.
The roc has parallels in many cultures around the world, including Native American, European Jewish, and Chinese folklore. Some believe that the roc’s stories have some basis in fact. As with dragons, ideas of the roc may have been informed by the fossil record in ancient times, before people had the tools to interpret them correctly. It has also been speculated that the roc was inspired by the appearance of the sun during an eclipse, which somewhat resembles a bird – the same theory has been used to explain the phoenix from Egyptian mythology.
Another theory is that the roc is a misinterpretation of real animals that looked strange to observers, a common problem with natural history before the days of the camera. Such an animal could grow larger and acquire characteristics and abilities with each retelling. Some large birds of prey can carry off little lambs, and this sight may have inspired tales of the roc’s behavior with elephants. Large flightless birds such as the elephant bird may also be the basis for the legendary roc.
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