"People-moose-birds" is the most mysterious and widespread plot among the bronze artifacts of the Permian animal style (VII century BC - XII century AD).
It is curious that the authorship of items related to the art of metal plastic, called the Perm animal style, is attributed to the foundry workers of the mysterious Chud tribe.
The official explanation for the origin of moose people and bird people
The winged hero in the form of a human-bird-bird occupies an intermediate position between heaven and earth, it is the patron saint of people, an intermediary between people and the heavenly gods. As a rule, human-voices are located on lizards guarding the entrance to the underground-underwater world, they are located in the terrestrial middle world.
Most of the human-haired figures of the Permian animal style were obviously personal amulets, this explains the considerable number of amulets found in comparison with generic amulets: goddesses or birds-ancestors.
We especially note the legs with forked hooves in many human-haired people. World culture knows many such creatures: fauns, satyrs, wood goblin and other pagan deities originating from local cults. Subsequent eras, for example, Christianity interprets these half-animals as evil spirits and turns them into devils.
The image of a man-elk is a "visiting card" of the Permian animal style. Nowhere, except for the Perm Territory and the Komi Republic, on the territory of Eurasia, such an image does not exist. However, the cult of the lizard, with which the moose man is often depicted, is found in many places.
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Artifacts
Rider on a lizard A deity on a lizard, meaning the Underworld, the abode of the dead. The lizard swallows the heads - life, then they are in the form of embryos - the heads of moose are reborn to a new life. Winged dogs carry souls to the Goddess, who will direct them to the womb of women for a new birth. Deity - the winged man-voice - regulates the process of death and rebirth. VI-VIII centuries. The place of the find is the village of Nyrgynda, Sarapulsky district of Udmurtia. Bronze, casting. 100x182 mm. State Hermitage (official scientific description)
The composition consists of a two-headed lizard and human voices sitting on it. (Upper Kama region, Perm region). Bronze, casting. PSU - collection of M. N. Zelikman Dimensions: 67 mm x 97 mm VII - VIII centuries.
Bronze Dating: VII - IX centuries. Location: Cabinet of archeology of PSU (Zelikman collection) Man-elk on a lizard. PSU collection of M. N. Zelikman. (Upper Kama region, Perm region). 75x31 mm
Seven moose people walking on the back of the lizard. VI-VIII centuries. Bronze. Perm region
Human being in a ritual dance The figure is deliberately broken into several parts. The lizard from below has not survived. VIII-X centuries. Place of find: environs - near the town of Berezniki, Perm Territory. Bronze, casting.
figures of four human-voices, following each other. Perhaps there were originally seven figures. (Cherdynsky district of the Perm region). Bronze, casting.
A plaque with a human-haired lizard and a long fish at the top. (Ukhta river, Komi ASSR). Bronze, casting.
Bronze Place of find: Perm Territory, Upper Kama Region Location: Archeology Cabinet of Perm State University (Zelikman collection) Dimensions 78 mm x 28 mm A carcass on a lizard.