Tulpar
Winged celestial horse of Turkic mythology.
In Turkic mythology, Tulpar is a winged or celestial horse, similar to the Greek Pegasus. This creature emerged from the blending of two Central Asian hunting traditions: the horse and the falconry bird.
Quick Facts
- Cultural groups
- Turks
- Uzbeks
- Bashkirs
- Kazakhs
- Kyrgyz
- Emblem of kazakhstan
- Two golden tulpars
- a yurt's top
- and sun rays on a blue background
Facts from the source article.
Heraldry and depictions
The tulpar, a mythical winged horse, appears in the folklore of Turkic peoples like the Turks, Uzbeks, Bashkirs, Kazakhs, and Kyrgyz. Kazakhstan’s national emblem displays two golden tulpars alongside a yurt top and sun rays on a blue field, representing the sky where these horses run. Ancient nomadic art features winged horses on Altai Saka metal jewelry, the Kargaly diadem, the Golden Man’s headdress from the Issyk Mound, and Scythian dishes. A ceremonial gilt bronze finial of a standing horse is a key example of Saka craftsmanship.
Mythological and cosmological interpretations
In many Eurasian cultures, a celestial horse acts as a bridge between the mortal world and the heavens, guiding the worthy toward immortality. During China’s Han period, the “heavenly horse” (tianma) was said to have originated in the West and risen from springs, a detail that links it to the world ocean that, in Vedic cosmology, encircles the cosmic center. This same ocean appears in Indo-Iranian traditions, where it surrounds the world’s axis—a mountain or tree at the universe’s heart. In Chinese myth, that center is Mount Kunlun, the counterpart of the Vedic Mount Meru, and the heavenly horse carries a chosen hero or emperor there. Reaching the summit grants immortality: in the Daoist-Han version, the peaches of the goddess Xiwangmu grow on Kunlun, while in Vedic belief, the gods’ drink soma (amrita) comes from the cosmic waters. The journey follows a shared pattern: the hero travels from the chaotic waters at the edge of the cosmos to its central mountain to gain the elixir of eternal life, with the heavenly horse serving as both transport and guide. Only this wondrous steed can cover the distance between earth and sky to reach the divine realm. Han poetry celebrates the horse as a divine being that “opens distant gates” and “raises the body to Kunlun,” carrying its rider to the land of immortals. Described as a “bold and extraordinary spirit” and a “powerful and rare essence,” it is no ordinary animal but a celestial messenger and mediator between worlds.
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