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Bird Symbolism and Spirituality

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Birds As A Spiritual Symbol of The Divine

Since ancient times, because of the Birds connection to the sky, they have been thought of as a supernatural link between the heavens and the earth.

Middle Eastern and Asian cultures often speak of birds as symbols of immortality. In East Indian myth, every bird in the world represents a departed soul, and in Christian art, birds often appear as saved souls.

The Crane is a symbol of long life and immortality. The Eagle typifies power, resurrection and generosity. The Falcon signifies, "A Light that Shines in the Darkness". The Nightingale suggests love and longing. The Owl is synonymous with death and darkness; yet it can also bring wisdom, insight and virtue. The Peacock heralds spring, birth, new growth, longevity, and love. And the tiny Sparrow, represents the love of God for even the "least" among us.

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Mystic Beauty of Birds 

Flights of Fancy

Myths, Legends and Lore of the Birds

Flights of fancy: birds in myth, legend and superstition Volume 08

Flights of fancy: birds in myth, legend and superstition Volume 08

by: Tate Peter

Amazon Price: $11.66 (as of 02/15/2012)Buy Now

30 species of birds and each includes a line drawing and information on its song and diet. This attractive guide will intrigue bird-watchers and nature lovers. --George Cohen

Cranes

The Crane is a symbol of long life and immortality

The Crane is associated with longevity, health, happiness, wisdom and good luck.

In Asia, Cranes are symbols of longevity and immortality. The White Crane can fly to the heavens and it is a Chinese symbol for "wisdom" and is sometimes called the "heavenly" or "blessed" Crane. Cranes were vehicles of the gods and in China fly them to the "Isle of the Immortals", the legendary home of the eight immortals. A Crane's eggs were used in magic potions to grant eternal life upon its drinkers.

In many parts of the world, Cranes are regarded as a messenger of the gods. In ancient Egypt, legend says that a two-headed crane was once seen flying over the Nile, to announce a new age of joy and prosperity.

Cranes are masters at killing snakes, thus, in Christian symbolism, they were seen as natural enemies of Satan.

Their long annual migration, made them symbols of endurance and their wings were once used as talismans to protect travelers from exhaustion. The return of the Cranes, each spring made them symbolic of the Resurrection.

In Greco- Roman myth, the Crane was sacred to the Mother Goddess, Demeter, who renewed the earth each spring, when her daughter, Persephone, was released from the underworld.

Collectible Birds in Glass

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Eagles

The Eagle is a symbol of power, resurrection and courage

The Eagle has always been connected to the sun and heaven; a powerful symbol, it signifies resurrection and rebirth.

The Eagle is said to have the ability to soar, until it is lost to the sun, and, according to Aristotle, it can gaze into the blazing midday sun, without going blind. For this reason, it has come to symbolize Christ and those who are just; or stand for the virtues of courage, faith, and contemplation. It is also from this symbolic interpretation, that the lectern, from which the Gospels are read, is often given the form of a Winged Eagle.

The Bible identifies the Eagle as a sign of God's power over the wicked. Because of the constant care and protection it provides to it's offspring; God's loving care of the Israelite's was compared to that of the eagle. (Deuteronomy 32:11)

Eagles are associated with far-sighted vision, ambition realized and desire fulfilled. It is also associated with lightning storms and thunderbolts.

In Greek and Roman times, the Eagle was referred to as a God or "The King of Birds". In Roman art, the flight of the Eagle, was described as the soul ascending toward heaven.

Falcons

The Falcon is "A Light that Shines in the Darkness"

The domesticated falcon has always been a favorite companion of the hunter because it was thought never to close its eyes in sleep. Therefore, in some cultures, the Falcon became a protective guardian.

Egyptians associated the Falcon with the Eye of Horus. Horus himself was believed to appear in the form of Pharaoh's falcon or as a "falcon-headed god". He could see everything at once because one of his eyes was the sun and the other was the moon. As the embodiment of Horus, the falcon wears a double crown.

When he represents the Egyptian God, Ra, he wears a disk on his head. A human-headed falcon is a symbol of the human soul.

In Asia, the Eagle hunted and killed demons.

In Christianity, the Falcon came to symbolize the Holy Spirit and represented a pagan who was converted to Christianity.

Owls

The Owl is a symbol of death and darkness; wisdom, insight and virtue

To see an Owl in a dream, symbolizes wisdom, insight and virtue. However, the Owl is also synonymous with death and darkness.

- The Hoot of an Owl, denotes disappointments and forewarns that death or deceit creeps closely in the wake of joy and health.
- A Dead Owl, signifies a narrow escape from illness and death.

The Owl, since it hides in darkness and fears the light, has come to symbolize the Prince of Darkness, Satan. As Satan leads humans to evil, so the Owl is said to ensnare other birds, into the traps set by hunters.

The occasional presence of the Owl in scenes of the Crucifixion is due to the Owl's most ancient attribute of wisdom, and with this meaning, it represents Christ, Who sacrificed Himself to save mankind, "To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. . ." (Luke 1:7).

Bird Amulets and Protective Talismen

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Nightingales

The Nightingale is a symbol of love and longing

The Nightingale with its beautiful night song, is the bird of love, for as long as it sings, the dark night shelters secret lovers from the eyes of those who may part them.

Because it sings all night long, the Nightingale was once believed to be free of the need to sleep. One legend, tells of a fickle shepherdess who kept postponing her wedding date. This habit caused such distress and sleeplessness to her fiancee that he finally turned her into a nightingale and cursed her with the same insomnia which her delays had caused him.

- It was thought that if the Nightingale's eyes and heart were hidden in a drink, the one who drank it would soon die of sleeplessness.

- The Nightingale's song is revered around the world and is considered a good omen to poets, writers, and singers. Eating its heart was once considered an aid to sing, write, or speak beautifully.

As parents, the Nightingale is credited with teaching their offspring to sing with perfection; therefore, they are often symbols of education and good teachers.

Christians considered the Nightingale's song, a plea for help from the lost souls trapped in Purgatory; it was a cry of longing for one's heavenly home; or an omen of death.

Early Christians, noting that the bird sang with increasing joy as dawn approached, made the nightingale a symbol of the holy joy of the righteous Christian soul, singing in the darkness of this world. It was a joyful song, anticipating the arrival of Christ and His light.

St. Bonaventure believed the nightingale's last song (similar to the fabled swan song) was always it's most joyful and most beautiful, because it looked forward to its final release from this earthly life. When the nightingale dies, it was thought to be during the ninth hour of the day (three in the afternoon) just at the time of Christ's death on the cross.

The Nightingale is the Bird of the month of May.

Peacocks

The Peacock heralds spring, birth, new growth, longevity, and love

The Peacock can represent spring, birth, new growth, longevity, and love. It is a good omen, signaling prestige, success and contentment in relationships and careers. Alternatively, The Peacock's habit of strutting and displaying the beauty of it's feathers, is also a symbol of worldly pride and vanity.

The Peacock's beauty, has earned it a place in temples, royal gardens, and even, according to one Muslim legend, at the gates of Paradise, until the day he swallowed the Devil and snuck him into Paradise.

The Peacock is known as the bird with one hundred eyes. The eye-like patterns in it's tail represent the stars, the universe, the sun, the moon, and the "vault of heaven." To Christians, the "hundred eyes", in the Peacock's tail are symbols of omniscience, the all-seeing God, and are sometimes used to symbolize the all seeing Church.

In Catholic art, the Peacock is used as a symbol of immortality. This symbolism is derived from an ancient belief that the flesh of the Peacock does not decay.

The Peacock in Greek and Roman myth, appears as the favorite bird of the goddess Hera, or Juno. According to one myth, Hera created the Peacock from the eyes of her one faithful hundred-eyed guard, Argus.

The Peacock also is said to be able to foretell rain, and dances when rain is coming.
At one time peacocks were sacrificed to bring on rain and to make people, animals, and the land fertile. The Chinese people even believed that a glance from the Peacock, could impregnate a woman.

The Peacock is a symbol of beauty, prosperity, royalty, love, compassion, the soul, and peace. It was sacred in China and is the national bird of India.

According to Hindu belief, the goddess Saraswati, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom, rides a Peacock and when the god, Indra, transforms himself into an animal, he becomes a Peacock.

In Buddhism, the Peacock symbolizes purity, and their feathers are used for purification ceremonies. It often represents the Buddhist Wheel of Life and the Ming dynasty.

Ancient lore has the Peacock representing fidelity, for it dies of grief, or remains forever single, if it loses its mate.

Finding a Peacock feather - brings good luck, harmony, serenity, and peace of mind.

In Europe, however, its cry and feathers were once considered a bad omen.

Sparrows

The Sparrow is a symbol of Hope, Fertility, Renewal of Life, and Resurrection

The returning Sparrow, is the herald of spring, a symbol of the mother goddess, rebirth, and the Resurrection.

The Sparrow was an attribute of Aphrodite. The long battle at Troy was forecast when nine sparrows, representing the nine years of war, were eaten by a snake.

As a Christian Symbol, the Sparrow represents the concern of God for the least among all people, who are, nevertheless, under the protection of God the Father; for even the sparrow came to earth only through the will of God.

The bible proclaims the luck of the sparrow and the generosity of God by writing that "... even the lowly sparrow was invited to make her home in the Lord's temple" (Psalm 84:3). It is also a symbol of a pious holy family, who lives a humble, lowly life in obedience to the will of God.

A lone Sparrow upon a roof, represents Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, when He is emotionally abandoned by His sleeping disciples (Psalm 102:7).

Twelve Sparrows can represent the twelve Apostles. Some Gospels, relate the story of the child Jesus, forming twelve sparrows out of the clay of a riverbank and giving them life.

The Gift of Birds

Great Housewarming Ideas!

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The Beauty of The Birds

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A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song. ~Chinese Proverb

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