![]() However, the design predates Christianity by several thousand years (2). The double-headed eagle is used today due to the heraldic emblem’s connection to the prior Byzantine Church. The Greek Orthodox Church, for instance, employs iconography of pagan origins that extends back ages. For example, the red feathered patches on several birds, according to such legends, originated as stains from Christ’s blood.īird imagery, of course, is not always rooted in the events of Jesus’s life. These tales passed as just-so stories, attempting to account for certain avian characteristics. Some of these involve a red crossbill attempting to pry the nails from Jesus’s limbs, a European robin tending to his pierced side, a swallow wresting the sharpest thorns from the crown placed around Jesus’s head, and a dove sitting nearby in mourning (1). In Birds in Legend, Fable, and Folklore, the naturalist Ernest Ingersoll runs through numerous “legends of the Cross” that sprung up in Europe. While the New Testament does not reveal any birds at the Crucifixion, folklore entertains several narratives. But birds are reported later again in important visions witnessed by St. This incident, a fulfillment of Jesus’s prediction, marks the last time any of the four gospels refer to a feathered creature. Jesus’s cleansing of the temple consists not only of driving out the moneychangers but also those merchants who sell sacrificial pigeons (or doves) (Matthew 21:12–13, Mark 11:15–16, Luke 19:45–46, John 2:16). Thus, alluding to the wisdom of these birds, he indicates that God will provide, too, for his disciples and others in need.Īs recorded in the New Testament, birds accompany pivotal events in Christ’s last days and also appear in visions related to the early Church. Later, when counseling his followers against worrying, Jesus remarks how the crows (or ravens) do not stockpile food (Luke 12:24). In another teaching, to represent common objects of seemingly little value, he turns his disciples’ eyes to the small sparrows (Matthew 10:29–31, Luke 12:6–7). When mentioning the dead, for instance, he notes the scavenging vultures (Matthew 24:28, Luke 17:37). Extolling doves for their gentle ways, he recommends that his followers behave similarly (Matthew 10:16).ĭespite the dove’s importance, Christ incorporates other birds into his sermons. Furthermore, Jesus mentions the birds in one of his teachings. The latter scene is especially noteworthy, as the descriptions given in John 1:32 and the synoptic gospels (Matthew 3:16, Mark 1:10, Luke 3:22) establish this symbol’s scriptural basis. One can find the white-winged creatures in paintings depicting the Annunciation and also Jesus’s baptism. Today, many churches use doves in their logos and signage, the Gospel Music Association dubs its annual accolades the “Dove Awards,” and until recently the Vatican released doves into St. This bird’s allegorical connection to the Holy Spirit makes it the most prevalent avian icon of Christianity. ![]() But focusing on those feathered creatures in the traditional Christian texts-along with a brief look at some of the avian-related folklore, art, and poetry inspired by Jesus and the saints-offers up more than enough material for a post! Some non-canonical literature, particularly gnostic manuscripts such as The Gospel of Thomas and The Secret Book of John, also contain references. Even more are found in the Old Testament. The New Testament mentions at least six different types of birds. Sailors and Swallows: Clearing up a Tattoo Mystery.So this Artist and a Cormorant Walk into a Bar.Tweet Dreams and Flights of the Imagination.The American South: Blue Jays and Ol’ Prejudices.Turkey Day: The Evolution of a Thanksgiving Tradition.Easter Eggs: Their Colorful History and Symbolism. ![]()
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