Bird Symbolism in Art, part 2

11 April, 2025

The Night Flight by Susan Seddon Boulet

More Bird Symbolism

In my last post, I delved into the very deep and wide subject of bird symbolism in art. I thought I was encapsulating it as briefly as possible, but still the post was running long. I had more art to share, more symbolism to write about, and then my personal stuff. So here I am again, trying to edit out, well - a lot. Should I go for a third post? Surely not, I hope - but we shall see.

Freedom

“The desire to fly is an idea handed down to us by our ancestors who, in their grueling travels across trackless lands in prehistoric times, looked enviously on the birds soaring freely through space, at full speed, above all obstacles, on the infinite highway of the air.” ~ The Wright Brothers

Bald Eagle by John James Audubon

Probably the first example of a bird associated with freedom that comes to mind is the bald eagle. This raptor is the national bird of the United States, chosen for its majestic presence and symbolic significance of freedom. The concept of freedom is strongly linked to our national identity, as the original colonies had to fight British colonial rule to gain independence.

The light airy quality of this bird cutout artwork by Claire Brewster suggests a sense of freedom.

Hand-carved wooden birds made by Japanese Americans incarcerated during World War II. Bear Guerra photo/High Country News

Ironically, an important example of birds as freedom symbols occurred in the Japanese internment camps during WWII. As a pasttime, many prisoners took up artistic activities, and, after classes were offered by Roy Takahashi in September 1944, carving wooden birds became a particular favorite.

(A symbol of freedom, birds became an art obsession among Japanese Americans forced into relocation camps during World War II, by Susan Shain, High Country News)

"Birds sing after a storm; why shouldn't people feel as free to delight in whatever sunlight remains to them?" - Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy

Transformation and Rebirth

Rebirth by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law - one of my favorite phoenixes ever!

"The very idea of a bird is a symbol and a suggestion to the poet. A bird seems to be at the top of the scale, so vehement and intense his life ... The beautiful vagabonds, endowed with every grace, masters of all climes, and knowing no bounds—how many human aspirations are realized in their free, holiday-lives—and how many suggestions to the poet in their flight and song!"

John Burroughs

The Falling Sky, 25 x 18 in

While researching for this post, I tried to pin down the reasons that birds in particular symbolize rebirth and transformation. I was able to come up with three. The first is that they come out of an egg. Compared to humans and land animals, who have live births, this would have been seen by early people as magical or strange, and quite a transformation. After all, if you crack an egg at an early stage, there's no bird in there, at least not that we can see.

For this reason, eggs themselves are powerful symbols in many cultures. The cosmic egg (Brahma's egg) in Hinduism represents the universe's origin, signifying creation and the cycle of existence. The egg has long been a symbol of new life, fertility, and rebirth. In my own work, eggs have played an important part, signifying new life and potential for growth.

The Swan - Hilma af Klint ; The Recital of Dreams - Leonora Carrington; Spirit of the Plains - Sydney Long; I Heard the Owl Call My Name - Susan Seddon Boulet; Unlock Yourself - Dominique Fortin

The second reason is obvious: they can fly.  From a human point of view, this is quite astonishing. They go where we cannot, lending their very existence a mythical and mystical quality. Insects and bats can fly, too, but they don't seem nearly as elegant or graceful, and don't posess the striking beauty of birds.

And third, birdsong is so beautiful and mesmerizing. Does any other creature make sounds that are so close to human music? Perhaps they were thought to carry messages to and from the gods in their own musical languages. I really like that thought.

A few of my older pieces featuring birds in a spiritual/transformational context:

Phoenix Ancestral Ground Longing For Spring

Human-Bird Hybrids

Harpie's Nest, cut paper collage

Human-bird hybrids have been depicted since prehistoric times, and in ancient rock art are usually thought to represent shamans. It makes sense, right? - in order to commune with the gods, who are 'up there', somewhere, the shaman or priestess would take the form of a bird.

There are also stories about hybrids who are not shamans. In numerous world mythologies, gods and other supernatural beings have wings and/or bird heads: Angels in all Abrahamic religions; Calais and Zetes, the sons of the North Wind Boreas; Harpies, bird-women in Greek mythology; Huitzilopochtli, Aztec god of sun and war; Morpheus, god of dreams; the gods Horus and Thoth from ancient Egyptian mythology, and so many more. (List of Avian Humanoids, Wikipedia). Some are included in the last post, Bird Symbolism in Art.

Mrs. Partridge - Leonora Carrington; Human Birds - SylC; Title Unknown - Ed Binkley

Daughters of the Night Sky - Marta Witkiewitz; Borrowed Memories - Tran Nguyen; Dakini - Rithika Merchant

Meridian, Allen Williams

Well, my friends, it seems I've done it again. This post will be much too long for anyone to want to read, if it isn't already. So I will just have to say...

To be continued...