Fourth of July thread

[Reiwa]

Originally Posted by Ciderpress [You must be logged in to view images. Log in or Register.]

Bald eagles are huge when you see them irl. I saw one eating a dead deer by my house a few months ago, it was like ten feet off the side of the road and it looked at me and I was like please don't kill me

Eagle lore

Eagle


Latin name: Aquila
Other names: Adler, Aegle, Aigle, Aille, Aisgle, Aygla, Aygle, Egle, Ernes
Category: Bird

A bird with eyes so strong it can look directly into the sun

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General Attributes

When an eagle is old, its eyesight dims and its feathers and wings become heavy. To rejuvenate itself, the eagle flies up to the region of the sun, which burns away the mist over its eyes and burns off its old feathers. The eagle then plunges three times into water, and its youth is restored. Also as a result of age, the eagle's beak grows until the bird can no longer eat; by striking its beak against a rock, the eagle breaks its beak which then grows back.

The eagle's eyes are very sharp and can see fish when the bird flies over water. The eagle can look directly into the sun. As a test of the worthiness of its young, the eagle holds them up facing the sun. The birds that cannot stare into the sun and turn their eyes away are cast out of the nest. Some authors say that the eagle's rejected chicks are adopted by the coot or the vulture.

Allegory/Moral

The eagle received both favorable and unfavorable interpretations.

As the eagle renews its youth, so too can the man with "old clothes and dim eyes", who should seek the spiritual spring and raise the eyes of his mind to God. The rock on which the eagle sharpens its beak is Christ, on which man can sharpen his soul; the eagle also represents Christ, who came from heaven to catch souls, just as the eagle catches fish. The eagle's ability to look directly at the sun represents Christ's ability to look directly at God, and as the eagle lifts its young to the sun, so do angels lift worthy souls to God.

According to the Aberdeen Bestiary, "The word 'eagle' in the Holy Scriptures signifies sometimes evil spirits, ravishers of souls; sometimes the rulers of this world. Sometimes, in contrast, it signifies either the acute understanding of the saints, or the Lord incarnate flying swiftly over the depths then seeking once more the heights. The word 'eagle' represents those who lie in ambush for the spirit. ... The word 'eagle' also symbolizes earthly power." The descent of the eagle from the sky to the earth to find food also represents the fall of Adam, who ate what was forbidden.


Uses Magical, Medical, Alchemical and Culinary

The gall of an eagle mixed with honey and rubbed on a person's eyes will restore vision and give the person very acute sight.

If you put an eagle's beak to your head at night, you will be able to dream anything you want.

Magical stones are associated with the eagle. There is a stone called midriosi that eagles use to restore their sight; this stone will also restore sight in humans if worn as a ring. Eagles keep a stone called ethitem or jet in their nests to protect the eggs from excessive heat; this stone is useful for many remedies. Above the eagle's eyes are two stones which are a powerful deterrent against demons.