Symbolism of an eagle

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Take a look at this image. The eagle’s skeletal structure, when it is in flight, is roughly the shape of a cross. The eagle rises into the sky to fly, primarily when it is hunting, seeking to draw game to itself and take them to its nest. Similarly, Jesus said that when he rose above the Earth, he would draw all men to himself and take them to his kingdom. The eagle consumes its prey and they became one with its body, as Jesus’ Spirit destroys our old sinful selves and recreates us as part of the Body of Christ.

Just as we become one with God through union with his Body, the Church, however, we also are God’s children.

The eagle settles down on its the nest and closes its wings, hunching over, changing shape into a more huddled form so that it can feed its chicks flesh and blood. Similarly, Jesus changes form physically to become a more compact and closed up shape in the Eucharist, when he feeds us his flesh and his blood.

An eagle’s chicks need constant effort and vigilance to protect and feed, as God’s saints need his unceasing support in their lives. The chicks start out small and very ugly, and undoubtedly quite a pain in the neck, but the eagle bears with them with unceasing patience. Similarly, many believers still have a lot of bad habits and look pretty bad to begin with, but get changed more and more as time goes on. They become beautiful themselves, in time, and soar like their parent eagle, just as Christians will be resurrected with their resurrected Savior Christ. “They will soar on wings like eagles,” the Psalmist tells us of God’s servants.

Eagles also prefer to create nests in trees, and Jesus referred to trees as symbols of the kingdom of heaven, in one of his parables. Here is what he said about that:

Matthew 13:31-32 said:
31Another story by way of comparison He set forth before them, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field. 32Of all the seeds it is the smallest, but when it has grown it is the largest of the garden herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and find shelter in its branches.’
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So chicks are rooted on salvation, heaven, and nourished by a Crucifix-shaped figure that offers them flesh and blood and cares for all their needs, and through its care helps them change from ugly demanding things into glorious new creatures. This eagle in flight also destroys creatures in one form in order to unify their bodies with its own, and in the eagle’s digestive system their bodies become part of its own and take on new forms, just as our Resurrected and Ascended Christ, who rose physically into the heavens like an eagle, destroys sinful natures to unify people with his own Body, and promised that when he rose above the Earth he would draw all men to himself in this destructive, recreating and unifying manner. And the eagle settles itself on the tree branches, the symbol of the heavenly kingdom, and is unmatchable amongst all the other birds of the air.
 
Wikipedia:
Eagles are differentiated from other birds of prey mainly by their larger size, more powerful build, and heavier head and bill. Even the smallest eagles, like the Booted Eagle (which is comparable in size to a Common Buzzard or Red-tailed Hawk), have relatively longer and more evenly broad wings, and more direct, faster flight. Most eagles are larger than any other raptors apart from the vultures.
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Like other birds of prey, eagles also have amazingly sharp eyesight. The reason for eagles’ keen eyesight is that their pupils are very large and thus scatter light very, very little. Similarly, God is in scripture united with light, so it is fitting that his symbolic representative would not scatter light but would use it to see, which parallels God’s omniscience.

Compare also this, between eagles and Christ:
Wikipedia:
Like all birds of prey, eagles have very large powerful hooked beaks for tearing flesh from their prey, strong legs, and powerful talons.
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The beak of the eagles are very large and powerful, effective at ripping apart prey. Similarly:
Hebrews 4:12:
For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul and spirit, joints and marrow, as it judges the thoughts and purposes of the heart.
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Words come from mouths, and indeed, the Book of Revelation describes Christ with a double-edged sword coming out of his mouth! His mouth pierces the soul as an eagle’s mighty beak pierces flesh. The talons of the eagle, also, are referred to as powerful to hold their prey once they’ve seized them. Similarly:
John 10:27-30:
27 “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”
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I find all of this symbolism very cool :).

Here’s a lovely picture of an eagle:
fws.gov/Endangered/graphics/Bald-Eagle.gif
 
Interesting analogy.

However, I’m a fan of birds of prey(raptors), and the Bald Eagle, although beautiful, is actually in the vulture family. In prefers road kill over hunting, in fact, it eats carian more than what it kills on its own.

Native Americans held little esteem for the Bald Eagle, and they thought the white man was fool, when he chose if as the national bird.

Native Americans considered the Golden Eagle, as the king of birds, and considered them, strong medicine. In fact the head bonnets worn by Chiefs, were made from Golden Eagle feathers, not Bald Eagles.

The Golden Eagle, has an average wing span of 7ft. Its range can go from Alaska, to South America. It doesn’t eat carian, but hunts and is known to kill small wolfs and coyotes.

This is actually the bird the US should’ve chosen, but then, they were arguing against Ben Franklin, who wanted the turkey as the national bird. 🙂

Jim
 
There can be more than one valid interpretation simultaneously. Any particular thing can symbolize more than one other reality at once.
 
I was actually reading about the symbolism of eagles recently for one of my stories because I was looking for a particular animal for my character to give to another who is becoming a priest. In Zuni society, an eagle carved as a fetish holds great symbolism too.

“Eagle-- Eagle is the guardian fetish of the Upper region. Eagle carries the power of intuition and creativeness, along with the powers of healing and spirit. His spirit transcends personal problems and he symbolizes becoming one with the Greater Spirit. He represents vision and higher truths.”

or this one:

“a soaring spirit that transcends personal problems, a connection to the Divine”
 
Thank you to esp. O.P and others for the good meditative points on the eagle !

Having heard recenly how important it is for us to
ask and plead The Holy Spirit to take control of all areas of one’s life…the tongue, the thoughts, emotions…and be willing to surrender …good to keep in mind that The Spirti is both The Dove and the Eagle …gentle and bold …willing to remove what is dead …and predatory in us… …and others …and even make use of it as food …helping us to soar and nest …to be shaken off the nest … to be caught up on the wings … …

May all fathers in all our lives be esp. blessed with the power and peace of The Spirit !

Come O Holy Spirit and take control of all areas of our lives !

O Mother Mary , help of Christians , help us to lead holy lives !
 
Lief_Erikson said:
Take a look at this image. The eagle’s skeletal structure, when it is in flight, is roughly the shape of a cross. The eagle rises into the sky to fly, primarily when it is hunting, seeking to draw game to itself and take them to its nest. Similarly, Jesus said that when he rose above the Earth, he would draw all men to himself and take them to his kingdom. The eagle consumes its prey and they became one with its body, as Jesus’ Spirit destroys our old sinful selves and recreates us as part of the Body of Christ.
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St. Ephrem liked to use symbolism. In some of his poems he used the image of a bird. In one he speaks of a bird and its necessity to spread its wings in the form of the cross. The bird must confess the cross in order to fly. Likewise you must confess the cross in order to fly.
 
You’ve just brought back a very early memory - the church I went to as a very young child (C of E, but very “high” church) had a beautiful eagle lectern. I was told that the eagle was special to God because it was the bird that flew so high it was the closest to Heaven.
I loved that church. It had a beautiful statue of Our Lady right near the sanctuary, Stations of the Cross, lovely stained glass windows etc. My great grandmother used to clean there, and I often accompanied her and spent a lot of time looking around while she swept and polished. I would ask her about the carvings on the font and she would tell me “that’s where you were baptised”. The church was demolished when I was about 6 or 7 and I wonder what happened to the fixtures and fittings - I did learn that the statue of Our Lady went to a church in the Far East.
Sorry for the digression.
 
More eagle symbolism from our Good Father ! 🙂
Code: 
[marianland.com/guadalupe002.html](http://www.marianland.com/guadalupe002.html)
traces-cl.com/july02/thestory.htm

? May be Diego becoming a popular children’s toy is a good sign … to displace some other characters , like that mouse that is named Mickey …? a subtle scorn of the agent of The Mighty One …one who is powerful against the pervasive mocking anti God popular culture , depicted by the ’ beast like the leopard '…that can crawl in and destroy reverence and worship of God and His truths …( and apologies to all Disney and mouse - cat fans 🙂 )

May the prayers of the humble servant of God St.Juan Diego help us all !
 
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