What is the mythical creature known as the “diều sư,” which is considered a symbol of many ancient civilizations and continues to exist in popular culture today?
In legends, the diều sư once carried the Sun God across the sky, guarded treasures, and protected the mighty god Zeus. The mythology surrounding the diều sư has thrived through many eras and persists to this day.
A diều sư statue guarding the Changu Narayan Temple, Nepal. (Photo: Anders Blomqvist/Getty Images).
The widespread popularity of this mythical creature across various cultures has led some researchers to believe that it is rooted in reality, possibly linked to dinosaur fossils discovered in Asia.
There are also expert opinions suggesting that the proposal to explore the role of dinosaurs in the diều sư legend may not only create unnecessary complexity and contradictions about the origins of this symbol but also rely on interpretations lacking solid foundations.
Consider the story of this creature with the head and front limbs resembling a hawk and a body like a lion.
Ancient Greek and Roman authors believed that the diều sư originated in Central Asia.
Mythical tales spread along international trade routes led folklorist Adrienne Mayo to propose around 30 years ago that they were imagined by gold miners in Scythia who happened upon dinosaur-like creatures with primitive beaks.
This idea has since become a popular theory regarding the origins of the diều sư.
Upon reevaluating fossil records, researchers at the University of Portsmouth in England found several contradictions in that assessment.
An illustration of a diều sư sitting on the fossil of the horned dinosaur protoceraptor. (Photo: Mark Witton/University of Portsmouth).
The diều sư was considered a guardian deity in ancient Greece and often watched over gold hoards, leading to associations with gold miners. However, the problem is that no protoceraptor dinosaur fossils have ever been found in gold-rich areas.
It is assumed that these dinosaur skeletons were discovered in a semi-exposed state, surrounded by a pile resembling the remains of recently deceased animals.
Yet generally, with the naked eye, one would only see a part of the decaying dinosaur skeleton, and without expertise in fossil hunting, there would be nothing significant to note.
Furthermore, the myth of the diều sư in the Mediterranean region, as depicted on a 12th-century BCE Mycenaean vase, existed hundreds of years before news of dinosaurs could have spread to this area.
Researchers also point out that dinosaur species like protoceraptors only resemble the diều sư in having four limbs and a beak.
A comparison between the skeleton of protoceraptor and the description of the ancient diều sư: the diều sư’s long, flexible tail and curled mane suggest that its body was illustrated based on a large cat rather than a dinosaur. (Photo: Witton&Hing).
Researchers argue that there is nothing wrong with suggesting that ancient people found dinosaur bones and incorporated them into mythology. However, we need to trace the origins of such ideas within historical, geographical, and paleontological contexts; otherwise, they remain mere speculation.
There have been many instances of geological studies based on myths that rely solely on fragmented facts, such as stories about a miraculous stone bird capable of healing and flying in storms being linked to fossils of hard-shelled animals from the Devonian period in China just because they have the wings of a bird.
Everything regarding the origins of the diều sư is consistent with the long-held interpretation that they are imaginary creatures, with their appearance explained as a mosaic merger of large cats and birds of prey.
Sometimes a myth may have such a simple origin, even if it has been passed down through generations and across cultures.
