Mesopotamija, oblast između Eufrata i Tigra, je
kolevka današnjih domaćih golubova. Tamo je i boravište goluba
pećinara (
Columba Livia), pretka svih danas poznatih domaćih
rasa golubova.
Tamo su živeli Sumeri koji su verovali da su i bogovi živeli sa
njima. Ali su kasnije uvređeni ljudskom pohlepom otišli put neba.
Od tada ljudski rod pati, boluje, ratuje i prate ga ostale nedaće.
Da bi izmolili oproštaj od bogova, Sumeri sagradiše grandioznu
vavilonsku kulu, koja je svojim vrhom trebalo da dosegne nebo.
Nažalost nebo je još uvek bilo daleko, pa na vrhu kule izgradiše
hram u kome su živeli golubovi. Neki od tih golubova leteli su
visoko u nebo, pa su sveštenici zaključili da su golubovi u vezi
sa bogovima od kojih mogu doneti poruke. Tako je nastala legenda
o svetom golubu, ali tako je nastao i prvi golub visokoletač.
Posle propasti vavilonskog carstva, grupa plemena, preko Male
Azije i Trakije, stiže na Balkan. Kasnije ih Grci i Rimljani nazvaše
Ilirima. Iliri su sa sobom doneli i starog vavilonskog, svetog
goluba, kome su Rimljani kasnije dali ime
Columba illyrica
- ilirski golub.
Mesopotamia, the land between the rivers Euphrates and Tigris,
is among the home regions of today's domestic pigeons breeding.
Additionaly, it is the original region of the Rock Dove (Columba
livia), the ancestor of all domestic pigeon breeds we know today.
The Sumerians lived there and it was their strong belief that
the Gods used to live together with mankind. But later on the
Gods became angry about the greed and hatred of mankind and they
rose up to the skies. Ever since mankind suffered from diseases,
fights, wars and has to deal with other perils. To achieve the
remission of their sins from the Gods, the Sumerian people built
the enormous Tower of Babylon, which should have reached to the
skies.
But the skies were still far away and on top of the tower was
built a temple and in the roof of this temple, pigeons were living.
Some of these pigeons flew high up to the sky and the priests
concluded that the pigeons are in contact with the Gods and could
be used as messengers. That was the birth of the legend of a holy
pigeon but this was also the birth of the first Highflyer.
After the end of the Babylonian Empire, a group of tribes came,
via Asia Minor and Thrakia, into the Balkans. From the Greeks
and Romans, later on, these people received a name, the Illyrians.
The Illyrians had brought the old Babylonian holy breed with them
to their new home.
The Romans carried on the breeding of this breed and gave it a
new name, Columba illyrica, Illyrian Pigeon.
