What it means
کرکس (kargas) means vulture, the large soaring bird that feeds on the carcasses of dead animals. This is a native Persian word inherited from Middle Persian kargās, itself cognate with Avestan karkāsa, both meaning vulture. The word literally means something like “hen-eater,” combining an early Iranian root for hen with a root for eating, pointing to a Proto-Iranian origin. In everyday speech, کرکس names any of the large vulture species found in Iran, including the Eurasian griffon vulture and the cinereous vulture. The word carries a dark connotation in both everyday and literary usage. A related metaphorical use is describing greedy or predatory people as کرکس, similar to how English uses “vulture” for someone who exploits weakness.
How to use it
- کرکسها دور لاشه جمع شدن. (Kargas-ha dor-e lâshe jam’ shodan.) “The vultures gathered around the carcass.”
- کرکس از بالا دنبال غذا میگرده. (Kargas az bâlâ donbâl-e ghazâ migarde.) “The vulture circles high up looking for food.”
- اون آدم مثل کرکسه. (Oon âdam mesl-e kargase.) “That person is like a vulture.”
- تو این منطقه کرکسهای زیادی هستن. (Too in mantaqe kargas-hâye ziâdi hastan.) “There are many vultures in this region.”
Cultural note
In Persian classical poetry, the کرکس is a symbol of death, patience in waiting, and predatory opportunism. Poets used the image of circling vultures to evoke battlefields and the passage of time. In ancient Zoroastrian practice, vultures played a ritual role in the tradition of dakhmas (towers of silence), where the dead were exposed to be consumed by birds rather than buried or cremated. Iran’s mountainous regions remain home to several vulture species, and they are protected under Iranian environmental law.