Bird Symbolism in Art

25 March, 2025

Before There was Anything, Heron and Crow were There, monoprint with mixed media, 16 x 12 in

"I realized that if I had to choose, I would rather have birds than airplanes."

- Charles Lindbergh

Why All the Birds?

Back in 2013, on my first blog, True Adventures of an Art Addict, I wrote 2 posts about birds in art: "Put a Bird on It, part 1 and part 2". Lots of great bird art in these if you want to check them out. The title comes from this very silly episode of Portlandia, where characters Bryce and Lisa go around, even into stores, and "put birds on things" to "make them pretty."

I have to tell you that this post is rather more serious. There will, however, be lots of bird art and inspirational quotes. I'll also explain the symbolism of birds, and why they're so ubiquitous in my own work.

Birds in Mythology

It would seem that birds have made a significant impression on humans for a very long time. Bird imagery appears in prehistoric rock art, and in the mythology of practically every culture around the world. On Uniguide, Kristen M. Stanton presents quite an exhaustive list of them in her article 61 Mythical Birds: Exploring Mythological Birds from Diverse Cultures.

A few depictions of birds in prehistoric rock art

"Rising above the earth and soaring through the skies, birds have been symbols of power and freedom throughout the ages. In many myths and legends, birds link the human world to the divine or supernatural realms that lie beyond ordinary experience."

(Myths Encyclopedia, Birds in Mythology)

A few of the many bird depictions from various world mythologies: 1) Harpie - Greek; 2) Simurgh - Persian; 3) Bennu - Egyptian; 4) Phoenix - Greek and Egyptian; 5) Thunderbird - Native American;

6) Garuda - Hindu; 8) Raven - Native American

Above are just a few of the many examples of birds in mythology throughout the world. Many gods and goddesses are portrayed as birds. The Egyptian Sun god Ra is depicted as a hawk or falcon, and the Bennu, similar to a phoenix, as Ra's soul. The phoenix of Greek and Egyptian myth is a symbol of regeneration and rebirth.

In Hindu religion, the powerful Garuda, an eagle, carries the god Vishnu on his back. In some native American traditions, the Raven is an important character, playing a part in the creation of the world.

The links above, especially "61 Mythical Birds..." are a good place to start if you want to delve into that.

Glass and ceramic sculptures by Christina Bothwell; 3 versions of Vishnu on Garuda

Bird Symbolism in Art

It's easy to understand how the beauty and mysterious abilities of birds would have inspired the imaginations of early humans. With little to no scientific knowledge, they must have viewed birds as magical creatures, inhabiting the spaces between the earth and the realms of gods. For this reason, one of the primary symbolic meanings of birds to early cultures was as a messenger from humans to the divine and vice versa.

Message From a Dream, mixed media collage on vintage book covers,

"Throughout history, birds have captivated the human imagination, holding symbolic significance across cultures and spiritual traditions. From ancient mythology to modern religious iconography, these avian creatures represent myriad themes, including freedom, spirituality, and transformation." (The Symbolism of Birds in Art: A Flight of Meaning and Beauty, by Michaela McCaslin)

Messengers and Helpers

Top: Yoshitaka Amano; Anne Bachelier; Owl of Protection - Joshua Yeldham; Messenger - Maggie Taylor

Bottom: To Taste a Pearl - Stephanie Pui-Mun Law; Anna Vavrova; Hummimgbirds - James Jean

I don't know the name of this piece by Dominique Fortin, but to me it looks like the hawks are her guardians, protecting her from some dark power, or perhaps helping her to weild it.

Right: In my monoprint with mixed media piece, Caretakers, the crane and the ibis help the little girl to care for the eggs, which hold seeds that may grow and replenish the barren land with new life.

"I hope you love birds too. It is economical. It saves going to heaven."  

  - Emily Dickenson

Spirits and Souls

As mentioned before, the Bennu bird was said to be the soul of the Egyptian Sun god Horus, as depicted in the tomb painting, left. Why the soul of a hawk would be another bird is a bit confusing to me, but as it had the phoenix-like power of rebirth, it may have been necessary to ensure the rising of the sun each day.

Artist Christina Bothwell says: “Since I was very young, I have been fascinated with the concept of the Soul… the idea that the physical body represents only a small part of our beingness."

Dreaming in Color, right, depicts a child's spirit or consciousness leaving his body, presumably to go wandering in the dream world.

Left: “Treasury of Souls II” by Mary Jane Ansell, a British figurative and portrait painter born in 1972. She is known for her highly detailed, hyperrealistic oil paintings.

Annunciation, 1657, Nicolas Poussin; The Dove - Joy Heyneke; The Baptism of Christ, 1460, by Pierro della Francesa

Of course, one of the most familiar bird symbols in art is that of the white dove which represents the Holy Spirit in Christianity. According to the website Misfits and Heroes in the article The Peace Dove: "The dove as symbol of the Holy Spirit first appears at the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist. “And lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and coming upon him.” (Mathew 3:16)

ancient relief carving of Sumerian goddess Astarte

Interestingly, in the original Aramaic, the pronoun for the Holy Spirit was feminine; the holy family was composed of a father, mother, and son. The masculine pronoun was substituted when the gospels were translated into Greek. This may not be totally surprising when you consider that there were several goddesses in the Middle East at the time who were symbolized by doves. Among them were the Sumerian goddess Ishtar, the Canaanite Asherah, and the Phoenician goddesses Astarte and Tanit. (The Peace Dove, link above). It's so cool when I get to learn things while I'm researching blog topics!

To Be Continued...

As usual, this post has grown much too long, as I get carried away with all the fascinating art and can't seem to edit it down. So, I'm going to split it into 2 parts, with the sections on the symbols of transformation, rebirth, and freedom in the next post. It will also include my own work and the reasons I so often tend to "put a bird on it".

It will be coming up soon, so stay tuned!

"I value my garden more for being full of blackbirds than of cherries, and very frankly give them fruit for their songs."      - Joseph Addison