"This is the name of an enormous bird, also known as the Rukh, in the legends of Arabia and Middle Eastern countries around the Persian Gulf. The Roc is described as a vast bird that resembled an enormous eagle or vulture, although some accounts say that it is part lion. It was said to have horns on its head and to have such a huge wingspan and talons that it could grasp an elephant easily and transport it back as food for its young."
Carol Rose, Giants, Monsters and Dragons
A roc is something that I've had in the back of my head to draw for a while now but I've just never felt super inspired. The idea of just a big bird didn't really appeal to me.
Then I was flipping through a copy of The Arabian Nights and came across this illustration by Earle Goodenow.
The stork beak full of teeth and the bat wings are great. I didn't take them for my design but it did get me to thinking that a roc could look really wild not just like a big bird. Carol Roses description also helped. The vulture reference and the fact that some accounts describe it as being half lion! That's great!
Rocs are featured in a ton of pop culture including the usual suspects of D&D (Forgotten Realms 1e) and Magic the Gathering. But may favorite has to be Ray Harryhausen's 2 headed roc from The Seventh Voyage Of Sinbad!
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