The Simurgh Story

I've read about the story of Simurgh as depicted in an Ottoman literature, and its quite similar to the phoenix; in fact, the Simurgh is also known as the phoenix. And I've always thought of myself as a phoenix for some reason that only a few people know about.

The Simurgh is said to have lived through infinite time and witnessed the world burn three times. Her long life has filled her with all knowledge. When the sun begins to rage against everything, the Simurgh waits for the tree on which she sits to catch fire. Then it lets itself be burned along with the tree. The Simurgh can be reborn from the ashes of the tree. This represents the invincibility of knowledge.

You see, I've had many ups and downs, many trials in life, and life has always scorched me down, but I've always and always risen from the ashes. That is, I have always started everything from scratch, which is not easy, and that is why I gave myself the name of this bird because it means a lot to me and sums up my life with her story alone.

The Simurgh is also a female creature with a peacock body, lion feet, and a human or dog face.

As Simurgh is full of knowledge from her experiences, she has seen everything in her life and more. It is said that all the other birds in the land had lost faith in the Simurgh. Then, one day, they discovered one of her bright copper feathers and decided to travel to her in order for her to assist them with their problems.

This journey is thought to be the journey to knowledge that we must all take, and it consists of several stages.

However, it is believed that in order to reach her, to her home in Kaf Mountain, you must pass through seven valleys: Request Valley, Valley of Love, Ignorance Valley, Faithlessness Valley, Loneliness Valley, Rumors Valley, and Valley of Me.

 

1.      Many of the birds in the Request Valley became infatuated with the magic of owning things and did not venture any further

 

2.      Most birds in the Valley of Love were blinded by the sight of beautiful swans and did not venture any further

 

3.      The Ignorance Valley then stops many birds due to their own carelessness and ignorance. It is said that when they did not care about their quest, they forgot about it, making their burden lighter.

 

4.      The Valley of Faithlessness took those birds who began to lose hope, convinced that the Simurgh did not exist and terrified that they would perish if they continued on their journey.

 

5.      Birds began to think only of themselves in the Valley of Loneliness. The larger birds went out to hunt, unconcerned about the smaller birds, who had also gone their separate ways, each away from the other. Those who took a solitary path to the Simurgh became lost, while the large birds hunting became prey themselves.

6.      The birds then fell victim to the Valley of Rumors, where whispers spread that the Simurgh had turned to soil and that it was pointless to continue. Many people heard these words and returned without questioning them.

 

7.      The final valley was the Valley of Me, where the few remaining birds began to expound on their own opinions, each one speaking over the other, lost in their own voice: "I don't like your wing", “We're going the wrong way.”

They started decimating each other until they could pass through this valley and lose their sense of egoistic self.

When the remaining birds arrived at the location of the Simurgh, they only saw a lake.

They realized the mystery's solution when they saw their own reflections: Si means thirty in Persian and Murgh means bird.

Thirty birds who prosper in their goal realize that they are the Simurgh they seek. There are no more paths, travelers, or guides. They all vanish within the Simurgh's body and become one with it, just like our shadows vanish as the sun sets.

These are not valleys, but the facts of human life, and these are all the feelings of every human being and once you go through all of this and survived, then and only then, will you know the taste of humankind.