September 2016: Honored Birds in Culture

Hello, I am Caitlin and welcome back to my corner! This month, I will be introducing you to honored birds from different cultures. Many different people over time have picked certain birds to worship or really appreciate, and not just because! There are many intriguing reasons, and I am thrilled to share them with you:

1. Eneke the bird from Things Fall Apart: Over the last school year, I delved into the cultural significance of the book Things Fall Apart. One of the honored symbols of Ibo culture in this book happened to be a bird named Eneke. When the bird was asked why he was always on the wind, he replied: “Men have learned to shoot without missing their mark and I have learned to fly without perching on a twig.” This proverb about Eneke is used to help maintain community that the Ibo so dearly hold by showing the ability to adjust to new surroundings when necessary. By providing inspiration and the townsfolk quoting him, they worship this bird.

2. American Bald Eagle: Many patriotic Americans might shout “’merica!,” wave around flags, and bow down to pictures of eagles. But why is the American Bald Eagle so important as more than just the national bird? It all starts further back than you might think! In ancient times, the eagle was thought to be a symbol of strength and would be used by many different cultures such as the Romans and the Aztecs (as you will read below). Charles Thomson, after the role of making the official seal for the nation was passed around to several committees with no prevail, chose the elements for it, which included the bald eagle. After the seal was approved (with a seal of approval, you could say), the design has appeared practically everywhere, so it simply became iconic! There has been a Bald Eagle Protection Act to try to save this dwindling species, which has helped remove it from the endangered species list in 2007. Being the national bird does have its protection perks!

3. Eagle with the Aztecs: As mentioned in last April’s article, there is an eagle holding a snake that stands on a cactus on Mexico’s flag. There is a story behind why this flag is how it is. Legend has it that the Aztecs, an ancient tribe in Mexico, were told to walk to find a place to build their new, huge city named Tenochtitlan (which is now Mexico City). That place was to have an eagle eating a snake. If they did not see the eagle, they would just have to keep walking. After a lot of time passed, they saw this eagle eating a snake, perched on a cactus. So, they settled there, and Mexico and the Aztecs honored this bird for their prosperity.

4. Falcon with the Eye of Horus: The Falcon was thought to be a guardian of Horus in Ancient Egypt, found in many pictures to have its wings spread over his head. They were so important to Egyptians that they even had these falcons mummified and built a catacomb in the Late Period for them! The Eye of Horus is used to represent ancient Egyptian religion, as Horus is the solar falcon god and represents the disk that you can see during eclipses of the sun.

5. Thunderbird in Tribes: The eagle is thought to be very strong, right? Well, the Thunderbird is good competition, thought to make thunder from flapping his wings and shooting lightning from his eyes. Yet, the Thunderbird is thought to be friendly and wise. The Chippewa and Algonkian tribes thought the above, while the Kwakiutl also thought that he could help build houses. The Assiniboin saw the Thunderbird as a protector against weather and other creatures. However, he is also seen as a destroyer or killer in other cultures. So, it really depends which you look at. But in my opinion, I believe this bird is out to do well.

So there you have it: a few different revered birds in cultures. I hope you feel like you learned a little bit this month, and I will see you next time for another mythological-like article on Caitlin’s Corner!