Egyptian Vulture - in Culture

In Culture

In Ancient Egypt, the vulture hieroglyph was the uniliteral sign used for the glottal sound (/ɑː/). The Bible makes a reference to the Egyptian Vulture under the Hebrew name of rachamah/racham which has been translated into English as "gier-eagle". The bird was held sacred to Isis in the ancient Egyptian religion. The use of the vulture as a symbol of royalty in Egyptian culture and their protection by Pharaonic law made the species common on the streets of Egypt and gave rise to the name "Pharaoh's Chicken".

A southern Indian temple at Thirukalukundram near Chengalpattu was famed for a pair of birds that reputedly visited the temple for "centuries". These birds were ceremonially fed by the temple priests and arrived before noon to feed on offerings made from rice, wheat, ghee, and sugar. Although normally punctual, the failure of the birds to turn up was attributed to the presence of "sinners" among the onlookers. Legend has it the vultures (or "eagles") represented eight sages who were punished by Shiva, with two of them leaving in each of a series of epochs.

The habit of coprophagy in Egyptian Vultures gives them the Spanish names of "churretero" and "moñiguero", which mean "dung-eater". British naturalists in colonial India considered them to be among the ugliest birds, and their habit of feeding on faeces was particularly despised.