And da Cheech Wizard is looking for dat guy ;) Face seems awful similar, but the wings, or "wings" resemble those of flying/gliding lizards.

Tuan Cederic, thanks for righting my misconception about that hulu. :) Its good to learn more.

I found an online story and another website about Jatayu. He was described as a 60,000 year old vulture king. A noble one too, it seems, died fighting the demon king Ravanna.

http://www.vnn.org/world/WD9901/WD10-2823.html
http://www.mythfolklore.net/india/en...dia/jatayu.htm

Another image ;
http://images.exoticindiaart.com/hindu/hc03.jpg

Cool.
Rick, do you know where, geoculturally, that picture is from? Is it from Indonesia? I see two rather k(e)ris like daggers, and I think one is of a familiar Hindu form (I don't know its name though.....).

kayu pelet it is
 

Thanks again Tuan Cedric for the kayu pelet advice. I agree with you that it's probably the most traditional choice. I will try to hunt up a piece long enough. The demon bird statue (fountain?) you posted has many similarities to my hulu but there is one difference that may be significant. My hulu has a rather prominent set of teeth. Would it be likely that any bird, no matter how demonic, be depicted thus equipped? I know that one of BluErf's posts on this thread show a number of Garudas with teeth but their faces and bodies are more human than birdlike.
Sincerely,
RobT

Thai Garuda sculptures

http://members.tripod.com/~tudtu/garuda.htm

And various other representations of garuda, some are just so human...

By the way, I now know where my source for attributing the hulu from the invincible kris to Garuda came from. If you look at Martin Kerner's book -- Keris Griffe, pg 97 to 98. It described the hilt as an anthropomorphic Garuda with the turtle and elephant as its attribute (not sure correct or not), and the symbols on it's chest showing that it is the 'sun Garuda'. I know this is in conflict with the annotation in the invincible kris which referred to the same hulu as terrifying Devi. Don't know what to say...