Observations placeholder
Cirlot on bird size symbolism
Identifier
007115
Type of Spiritual Experience
Background
As in all the symbolism we encounter, the size of the bird is an indication of power and authority. The larger the bird, the higher up the terrestrial or celestial hierarchy it is.
A description of the experience
A Dictionary of Symbols – J. E. Cirlot
The 'giant bird' is always a symbol of creative deity. The Hindus of Vedic times used to depict the sun in the form of a huge bird – an eagle or a swan. Germanic tradition affords further examples of a solar bird. It is also symbolic of storms; in Scandinavian mythology there are references to a gigantic bird called Hrasesvelg which is supposed to create the wind by beating its wings. In North America, the supreme Being is often equated with the mythic personification of lightning and thunder as a great bird