Abstract:

Mixed creatures, which are among the important characters of mythology, are documented in the earliest Mesopotamian, Egyptian and Anatolian art. The functions of the mixed creatures, formed by combining human and animal limbs, in the belief system are not clear. In descriptions, the relations of mixed creatures with the gods can be directly or indirectly depicted. It can be thought that these creatures are the servants of the gods or the helpers who provide the connection between man and god. These creatures, which are the product of the imagination of ancient people, are basically embodied depictions of situations and fears that human beings cannot make sense of. Mixed creatures associated with the horse presented in this study are created by combining the limbs of animals such as bulls, lions, goats, rams, dragons, fish and birds with human limbs. All of the descriptions are related to the winged horse, except for a single example. These include mixed creatures that do not have an original birth legend in Greek mythology and are also unknown in eastern art such as Mesopotamia and Egypt. In addition, studies on the origin of horse-related mixed creatures in classical mythology mostly focused on Mesopotamian and Egyptian art, and the existence of the said thought, art and culture in Anatolia was not sufficiently examined. In this article, it is aimed to present new information on the mixed creatures associated with the horse, rooted in the Anatolian belief system, developing and diversifying within the Urartian mythology and art.

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