Anqa
Sign in to savethumb|Qazwini's depiction of the anqa in The Wonders of Creation Anqa (), also spelled ''''Anqa', or Anka, or Anqa Mughrib or Anqa al-Mughrib''' (), is a golden mysterious or fabulous female bird in pre-Islamic Arab mythology. She is said to fly far away and only appear once in ages. However, it is also said that she can be found at the place of the setting of the sun.
Article
7 sectionsContents
- Etymology and notes
- Characteristics
- Identification
- See also
- Bibliography
- Notes
- References
thumb|Qazwini's depiction of the anqa in The Wonders of Creation Anqa (), also spelled ''''Anqa', or Anka, or Anqa Mughrib or Anqa al-Mughrib' (), is a golden mysterious or fabulous female bird in pre-Islamic Arab mythology. She is said to fly far away and only appear once in ages. However, it is also said that she can be found at the place of the setting of the sun.
==Etymology and notes== The word ʿanqāʾ is the feminine form of ʾaʿnaq () meaning "long-necked" and also "long and thick in the neck". This probably implies that the bird resembles a heron or crane (or other long-necked birds) or simply has a large strong neck like an eagle or falcon (or other raptors) with which she was identified by some. The word muḡrib has a number of meanings signifying "strange, foreign", "distant, remote", "west, sunset", "desolated, unknown" and "white, dawn" and expresses the enigma as well as unreality associated with the creature.