Religion and folklore
Religion and folklore
Representation of an eagle at Rio Carnival, 2014
Garuda, the Vahana of Lord Vishnu, depicted with an eagle’s beak and wings
In ancient Sumerian mythology, the mythical king Etana was said to have been carried into heaven by an eagle.[23] Classical writers such as Lucan and Pliny the Elder claimed that the eagle was able to look directly at the sun, and that they forced their fledglings to do the same. Those that blinked would be cast from the nest. This belief persisted until the Medieval era.[24]
The eagle is the patron animal of the ancient Greek god Zeus. In particular, Zeus was said to have taken the form of an eagle in order to abduct Ganymede, and there are numerous artistic depictions of the eagle Zeus bearing Ganymede aloft, from Classical times up to the present (see illustrations in the Ganymede (mythology) page.)[25]
Psalm 103 (in Greek, Latin, and English) mentions renewing one’s youth “as the eagle” (although the Hebrew word נשר apparently means vulture). Augustine of Hippo gives a curious explanation of this in his commentary on the Psalms.[26]
The eagle is a common form in the Anglican tradition, often used to support the Bible because of the symbolism of spreading the gospel over the world. Additional symbolic meanings for “eagle” include the pronouncements to the Israelites in Exodus 19:4; Psalms 103:5 and Isaiah 40:31. The United States eagle feather law stipulates that only individuals of certifiable Native American ancestry enrolled in a federally recognized tribe are legally authorized to obtain eagle feathers for religious or spiritual reasons.[27] In Canada, the poaching of eagle feathers for the booming U.S. market has sometimes resulted in the arrests of First Nations person for the crime.[28]
The Moche people of ancient Peru worshiped the eagle and often depicted eagles in their art.[29]
