My Search adventures (pigeon)

Who is the pigeon?

The pigeon is a medium—sized wild and domesticated bird, 
mostly with grayish-blue or white plumage and a large crop.


According to estimates by ornithologists, there are more than 400 million pigeons in the world.
Pigeons inhabit Eurasia, Africa and Australia. The most common type 
From this genus, the blue—eyed pigeon is introduced to all continents.


Man tamed the wild blue pigeon more than 5,000 years ago. Since then, pigeon breeders 
More than 800 breeds of domestic pigeons have been bred, varying in color, body shape and purpose.

Baby pigeon

Some symbols related to the pigeon:
1 In Christianity, the dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit, purity, 
an inspired thought, peace, Baptism, and Good News. Seven pigeons
 denote the seven gifts of the Spirit, a flock of pigeons — believers. 

2 In Greco-Roman culture, the dove symbolizes love and renewal 
It is an attribute of Zeus, who was suckled by pigeons. 

3 In ancient Egypt, pigeons were considered sacred to the goddess Hathor, 
which represented love, beauty and motherhood. 

4 In Chinese culture, the pigeon symbolizes longevity, loyalty, 
orderliness, filial and filial reverence, spring, voluptuousness 
and it is also associated with Mother Earth. 

5 In Japanese culture, the pigeon symbolizes longevity and reverence., 
It is dedicated to the god of war Hachiman, and a dove carrying a sword announces the end of the war. 

6 In Hinduism, pigeons are considered a symbol of love and purity, and Lord Krishna 
and his wife Radha are often depicted surrounded by pigeons. 

7 The symbol of the peaceful movement during the Cold War is Pablo Picasso's pigeon, 
The emblem of the World Congress of Peace Supporters in Paris, held in April 1949.

Huizong (1082-1135)

Roman/Byzantine mosaics

The Holy Spirit

Ancient Egypt

The Egyptian Tree of Life (although xs are pigeons)

When did the pigeon appear?

The earliest depictions of pigeons in Mesopotamia date back to 4500 BC. 
These are mosaic or embossed images of birds, terracotta figurines. Also on site 
The ancient temple of the Ubaid culture (circa 3000 BC) was found by archaeologists.
an image on a limestone slab with a carved bas-relief of several birds sitting side by side. 
In Sumero-Akkadian mythology, the dove symbolized Ishtar, the goddess of love and fertility. — 
This is evidenced by the archaeological terracotta figurines of the goddess, on her raised arm. 
which often depicted this bird. For example, on the mural of the Marie Palace 
(circa 1750 BC) the sanctuary of Ishtar is depicted, a large white dove sits on her palm and soars into the sky

Inanna, the predecessor of Ishtar, was often depicted accompanied not only by a snake, but also by a dove.
Since ancient times, the dove and the snake symbolized the endless cycle of birth, death and rebirth. 
The snake and the dove are attributes of the sacred Tree of Life: the dove represents the earthly world, and the snake represents the underworld. 
The white dove is a symbol of the life that the Goddess is able to give, as well as her kindness and mercy. 
Many ancient peoples believed that a talisman in the form of a pigeon could protect its owner. 
from untimely death, fire, and lightning strike. It is possible that the pigeon's ability 
The reason for protection is precisely that he is a symbol of Ishtar, who always came to the aid of those who believed in her.

The Ubaid period 

The Ubaid period is an archaeological phase in the development of Mesopotamian material culture. 
and a number of adjacent regions of Western Asia (Eastern Mediterranean, Iran, Arabia) and Transcaucasia, 
mostly corresponding to the Chalcolithic period. In general terms, it dates from the 6th to the beginning of the 4th millennium. 
BC, but the duration varied by region.

Ubaid is called the "foundation" of the Mesopotamian civilization: settlements arose at this time. 
on the site of the oldest cities of Sumer (Ur, Uruk, Lagash, etc.), the first temples and proto-cities

Conclusion: pigeons are eternal

Why are there so many of them in cities?

Humans have been domesticating pigeons for centuries, and feral pigeons mostly remain. 
in an urban environment, because we brought them there. They lend themselves well 
They will be trained, and if they are fed by humans, they will stay closer. 
to the urban environment. Pigeons also naturally prefer 
rocky ledges, similar to concrete, marble and stone, are found 
in urban environments, unlike forests, shrubs, or grass

Is it good that there are so many of them? - no. Pigeons are classified as an invasive species 
(from Latin invasio — "invasion, attack, raid; violence; forcible capture") 
— a biological species whose spread threatens biological diversity

Is he smart? - Yes

Do you want to read more about the pigeon? - Here you go

How were pigeons used before they were called "rats with wings"?

  In ancient Egypt, pigeons helped to notify the population about the flooding of the Nile

In ancient Greece, birds transmitted news about the Olympic Games
During the wars, pigeons delivered letters and dispatches to the headquarters, secret 
radio messages from the front line and even conducted reconnaissance from the air 
with special equipment

In the 19th century, pigeons were often used by journalists to 
promptly transmit reports from the scene to the press

In business, pigeons helped, for example, stockbrokers 
learn the news before the competition. So, the news of the exodus 
The Battle of Waterloo in 1815 was won by Nathan Rothschild 
through the pigeon two days earlier, which gave him the opportunity to successfully 
Run a campaign with French papers and get rich

Pigeons still save lives in Holland. 
— they deliver vials of donated blood to hospitals  

Pigeons at a wedding 

The tradition of using pigeons at weddings dates back to ancient times. 
In ancient Greece and Rome, pigeons were known as the birds of Aphrodite and Venus., 
goddesses of love, and were considered messengers of the love and blessings of the gods

It is believed that the custom of releasing pigeons into the sky on the wedding day came from Italy. 
Every young Italian woman gave freedom to a white-winged bird on her wedding day., 
what symbolized the beginning of an independent life, free from parents

That's the end of my pigeon-hunting adventures.
Thanks for your attention