Eagle in Myths, Mythology and Folklores

Medieval bestiaries reported that when an eagle grew old it would first find a fountain. Then it would fly directly into the sun until its wings were singed and it fell into the waters. After repeating this three times, the eagle would once again be filled with youthful vigor, much like Christ, who rose from the dead on the third day after his burial.

One of the very few literary works in which eagles are viewed not with awe but with tenderness is “The Parliament of Fowles” by Geoffrey Chaucer, written in the late fourteenth century. On Saint Valentine’s Day, the birds gathered at the temple of Venus to choose their mates. Several birds paid court to the lovely female eagle that sat in the hand of the goddess. When they had all set forth their claims, Nature ruled that the female eagle herself should make the choice, thus upholding love over politics. Lords and princesses, after all, are still human beings, just as even eagles are birds. In many ways the Native American view of the eagle was surprisingly similar to that of Europeans. The Plains Indians, most especially, admired the strength of the eagle and associated the bird with the sun. Eagle feathers represented solar rays, and they were used on headdresses and shields to indicate skill in war or hunting. The Indians also stylized the eagle into a mythical creature-the thunderbird. The beating of its wings causes thunder, while its beak is like lightning. The eagle is a bit like singers and actors who, after achieving great popular success, find themselves dominated by their public image. People have trouble comprehending that the eagle, so mighty in legend, can be very vulnerable in fact. This creature has been so prominent in symbolism over millennia that people even have trouble thinking of it as a genuine animal, and the cultural significance of the eagle seems to provide it with little protection. In countries such as the United States and Germany, eagles remain endangered despite being national emblems.