Eagle, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The majestic eagle, revered for its keen eyesight and regal demeanour, serves as a powerful symbol in various contexts throughout history. Physicists attribute its name to the remarkable sharpness of its vision, capable of piercing through the depths of the sea from great heights, a feat beyond human capability. With unmatched precision, it swoops down like lightning to seize its prey, embodying strength and determination.

Yet, beyond its predatory prowess, the eagle exhibits nurturing qualities: it encourages its eaglets to soar to great heights, imparting wisdom and strength. As they grow, the eagle guides their gaze towards the sun, symbolizing enlightenment and aspiration towards the divine. Those who shy away from the light are deemed unworthy, a reflection of divine discernment.

In its aging years, the eagle confronts the weight of time, its once-proud wings becoming burdensome. Similarly, humans, burdened by sin and age, find solace in repentance and renewal, shedding their past selves in the fires of divine love.

The tale takes a poignant turn with the inclusion of the coot, a humble bird that embraces abandoned eaglets as its own, nurturing them with maternal care. In contrast, humans often forsake their own kin, displaying a lack of compassion and empathy.

The eagle's actions and symbolism parallel the human journey towards enlightenment, repentance and compassion. Through its allegorical significance, we are reminded of the importance of clarity of vision, nurturing the spirit and embracing the divine light even in the face of darkness.

Drawing from its ability to renew its strength by plunging into water, the eagle became a symbol of resurrection and spiritual rebirth. This theme resonates with Christian beliefs in redemption and the promise of eternal life. The motif of baptismal renewal, paralleled with the eagle's rejuvenation, is a recurring theme in medieval Christian allegory.

In Christian iconography, the eagle was traditionally linked with John, symbolizing the soaring heights of theological insight and divine revelation. This association is reflected in John NKJV 12:32[1], where Jesus speaks of drawing all people to Himself, akin to the eagle's soaring flight.

Aquila secundum phisicos ab acumine oculorum dicitur.
que tam acute videt. ut dum super maria imobili pen-
na feratur. nec humanis pateat obtutibus; detanta
sublimitate pisciculos natare videat. ac tormenti in-
star descendens raptam predam pennis ad litus trahit.
Pullos quoque plumescentes; alis verberat et ad volandum
provocat. Item cum pullos plumescere videt. piis un-
guibus adsolem suspendens; convertit. et illum quasi
proprium nutrit filium; qui irreverberata acie; solem
aspicit. Si lumina deflectit; quasi degenerem abicit.
Pullos quoque ad volandum provocat; et lassos alis sus-
tentat. Item cum senuerit; gravantur ale ipsius. et
oculi eius caligine obducuntur. Que in altum vo-
lans; radio solis exurit et alas et caliginem oculorum.
et denscendens trina mersione in fonte; se renovat
in multo vigore alarum et oculorum. Nomine aquile

In Christian iconography, the eagle was traditionally linked with John, symbolizing the soaring heights of theological insight and divine revelation. This association is reflected in John NKJV 12:32 , where Jesus speaks of drawing all people to Himself, akin to the eagle's soaring flight.

aliquando dicitur christus. aliquando diabolus. aliquando superbus
hereticus. aliquando contemplativi qui rapine et cupiditati
terrene vacant. aliquando contemplativi et sancti quo-
rum conversatio est. in celis. Pullos plumescentes alis
verberat et ad volandum provocat aquila; sic christus dic-
tis et exemplis et doctrina duorum testamentorum. sive ge-
mine caritatis exhortans ad alta provehit. ut sequa-
mur quo ipse precessit. Lassos alis sustentat; et christus in
humeris suos portavit; dum in cruce peccata eorum
sustinuit. Super etiam exaltatus et humanis subtrac-
tus aspectibus. in mari huius mundi natantes; oculis mi-
sericordie videt. et pennis amoris pertrahit ad litus eter-
ne securitatis. Unde si exaltatus fuero a terra; omnia
traham ad me ipsum. Aquila plumescens ad solem
suspendens convertit. et cetera. ut supra; sic deus adverum
solem nos invitat. Infirmitatibus nostris compatitur.
et alis gracie sustentat. Qui vero verum solem atten-
dere nouerit diligens tenebras mundi; a deo despi-
citur; sicut ab aquila negligitur. non acerbitate na-
ture; sed viditii integritate; qui ei degener inve-
nitur. Item aquila cum senuerit; gravantur ale ipsius. (et cetera added)

sometimes Christ, sometimes the devil, sometimes the proud heretic, sometimes speculators, who devote themselves to theft and earthly greed, sometimes the contemplative and the saints who seek a connection with Heaven. The eagle beats its fledged eaglets with its wings and spurs them to fly, so too did Christ try to elevate us upwards, by means of His words and examples and the doctrine of the two testaments or His dual love, so that we may follow where He preceded. By supporting the weary with His wings, Christ bore their sins on His shoulders whilst He sustained them on the cross. Although he has raised to heaven and withdrawn from human sight, he can see with the eyes of His mercy those floating on the sea of this world and drags them to the shore of eternal safety with the feathers of His love. “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John NKJV 12:32). The fact that the eagle subjects its eaglets to the sunrays symbolises God inviting us towards the true light. He sympathizes with our weaknesses and sustains us with the wings of His grace. God despises those who have tried to turn to the true sun whilst cherishing the darkness of the world. The same does the eagle with the eaglets that avert their eyes from the sun. This is not owing to the harshness of nature, but to the keenness of sight; therefore, God regards them as unworthy. Similarly, when the eagle grows old, its wings become heavy.

Sic sancta cum in aliquo delicto preoccupati fuerint
et senuerint ab illa virtutum veste quam habue-
rant. et caligaverint oculi cordis eorum; per penitencie
alas volant ad vetum solem. et in caritatis eius ig-
ne; deponunut suam vetustatem. et in fonte baptis-
mi vel gracie. vel penitencie; renovatur ut aquile
iuventus eorum. Ferunt quod avis cui nomen fulica est.
que grece dicitur phene. susceptum illum abdica-
tum sive non agnitum aquile pullum; cum sua
prole connectit. et eodem quo proprios fetus ma-
terne sollicitudinis officio et pari nutrimentorum
sub ministratione; pascit et nutrit. ergo phene alie-
nos nutrit. Nos vero nostros inmiti crudelitate;
proicimus. Aquila enim si proicit; non quasi suum proicit.
sed quasi degenerem; non recognoscit. Nos vero quod peius
est; quos nostros recognoscimus abdicamus.

Thus, godly men, when they have been guilty of some sin, have languished under the guise of virtue and the eyes of their hearts have darkened. Through the wings of repentance, they fly towards the old sun and abandon their old age in the fire of God’s love; in the font of baptism, grace or repentance, they rejuvenate in the same way as the eagles. It is said that the bird named fūlĭca[2], coot, which is called φήνη/fíni in Greek, takes with her the abandoned or disowned eaglets and adds them to her own offspring. Besides, she feeds and nurtures them with the same maternal care and equal administration of food. Therefore, the coot nurtures others. On the contrary, we abandon our dear ones with harsh cruelty. In fact, when the eagle abandons her eaglets, she does not feel that she is abandoning her own offspring: she merely does not recognise them, for they are regarded as unworthy. On the contrary, what is worse is that we humans abandon what we recognise as our own.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Eagle, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast232.htm

Mynott, J, Birds in the Ancient World (New York: Oxford University Press 2018)

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014), Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)

Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)

Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)

White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of fantastic beings from myth and magic (London: HarperElement, 2005)

Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Footnotes

[1] John NKJV 12:32: And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself.”

[2] Also fŭlix