Birds as Symbols

Joe Meche is vice president of the North Cascades Audubon Society and is in his 10th year as editor of the chapter newsletter. Joe is also a member of the board of directors of the Washington Brant Foundation. He has been photographing birds and landscapes for more than 30 years and has been watching birds for more than 50 years.

For the duration of their shared history, humans and birds have often had close relationships — not all of which have been amiable. Nevertheless, in the process of coming to grips with and understanding the benefits of living in harmony with nature, humans developed a noted fondness for many bird species. The springtime return of insect-eating birds was often a cause for celebration. The birds that helped control insect and rodent populations that posed a threat to crops were welcome neighbors. The great fall migrations of birds were always significant as sources of food, as well, and consistent with the rhythms of nature.

Aside from the beneficial aspects of birds that were revealed as they were studied more closely, ancient civilizations looked at birds in a different light and considered them to be more than just feathered animals. Some birds were deified or considered symbolic, and some species were even seen as the precursors of coming events. Throughout the world, folklore and historical records abound with instances of birds being elevated to extraordinary heights.

The history of ancient Egypt is filled with examples of certain birds that were venerated by the populace and thought to be the manifestations of several of the gods they worshipped. Horus, the son of Osiris and Isis, was known as the god of the sky and often depicted with a falcon’s head. The goddesses, Nekhbet and Mut, were often portrayed as griffon vultures on the ceilings of temples, with their wings outstretched as protection. The bird most often associated with ancient Egypt was the sacred ibis. This bird was held in a revered position since it was considered the symbol of Thoth, the wisest of all Egyptian gods.

The legions of ancient Rome marched under the silver (golden) eagle, as a symbol of its power. The eagle stood atop a standard that bore the inscription, SPQR — Senatus Populusque Romanus — which honored the senate and the Roman people. The legatus, or officer in charge, would assign a soldier to be the aquilifer to carry the eagle into battle. If the eagle was captured, the legion would disband.

As it was with the ancient Hebrews, the Roman eagle symbolized divinity. Numerous cultures and countries have used the eagle on its flags and standards, and in heraldry, the eagle is one of the most often used depictions on coats of arms. The national insignia of the German Reich was represented by an eagle perched atop the Nazi swastika, which became one of the most hated symbols in the world during its brief time in power.

In 1782, the bald eagle was adopted as the national symbol on the Great Seal of the United States of America. The bald eagle on the Great Seal represents endurance, independence and courage. On the seal, the bald eagle clutches an olive branch in its right talons and a bundle of thirteen arrows in the left. Keep in mind that whatever symbolism that might have come with the turkey as our national symbol would have been questionable. (With the symbolic eagle prevalent on their respective seals and standards, any correlations that you might draw between the Roman Empire, the Third Reich and the United States of America could be quite illuminating.)

Eagles are still considered sacred by many Native American tribes. Their claws and talons are believed to drive away illness. The Thunderbird is prominent in North American Indian legends, especially in the Southwest. It was usually represented as a large eagle-like bird, which some tribes considered to be the Great Spirit itself. It was believed that if you saw an eagle while you were praying or participating in some ritual, your prayers would be answered. Many tribes used eagle feathers to adorn lances and war bonnets and status in a tribe was usually determined by the number of eagle feathers in one’s headdress.

For the native tribes of the Pacific Northwest coastal areas, one of the preeminent cultural symbols was the raven. It was properly celebrated as Raven, and was known as a trickster that many believed had the ability to change forms at will. Numerous stories abound of the role that Raven played in the lives of these remote tribes. The reverence that they held for Raven is symbolized in the prevalence of its image in Northwest Indian art and especially on their totems.

Across the globe and through the ages, birds have gained attention and stirred the imagination of humans. In certain European countries, storks are considered to be symbols of good luck and in folklore, of course, they were thought to deliver babies; and cuckoos are welcomed as a sign of spring and are considered omens of a happy marriage. Owls, perhaps because of their secrecy and a penchant for the darkness, have been considered prophets of doom, and in ancient Rome, a hooting owl warned of death. Cranes are revered in Asia as symbols of long life, and doves symbolize love and peace, while to dream of doves means that happiness is at hand.

A little known avian hero and a bird that has come to symbolize a “miracle” of the Mormon faith is the California gull. In the spring of 1848, farmers were counting on the first harvest in their new home to feed almost 5,000 emigrants in the Salt Lake Valley, but the locusts (alternately described as grasshoppers or crickets) came in hordes and began devouring the crops. Then, in what was considered by the faithful as “God’s intervention,” California gulls arrived and devoured the locusts. A monument on Temple Square in Salt Lake City commemorates the role that the gulls played in averting a certain catastrophe.

Many of the coats of arms of countries around the world include birds as prominent elements of the display. All American states and Canadian provinces have state/provincial birds. These symbols were created and meant to add to the sense of pride and promotion of each area. Closer to home, the American goldfinch is the Washington state bird while the Steller’s jay is its counterpart in British Columbia. And, as you might guess, the California gull is the state bird of Utah.

Of all the birds we see throughout history and in mythology, perhaps one of the most widespread and symbolic birds is the phoenix, which lived from 500 to 1,461 years, depending on which myth or culture you embrace. According to myth, the phoenix died by fire but rose from its own ashes. The phoenix was embraced by many civilizations and represented renewed life. For some Christians, the phoenix was symbolic of Christ and represented the resurrection, immortality and life after death. Numerous cultures such as Egyptian, Greek, Indonesian and Hindu — to name but a few — have their own variations on the theme of the phoenix, but the symbolism remains fairly consistent. §

Now I will believe
That there are unicorns; that in Arabia
There is one tree, the phoenix’ throne; one phoenix
At this hour reigning there.