In Greek mythology, there are a few goddesses that are associated with birds in some way. Birds can symbolize different things in mythology, like wisdom, love, or protection. By looking at the key goddesses connected to birds, we can better understand what birds represented to the Ancient Greeks.
Athena and the Owl
The goddess most commonly associated with birds is Athena, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare. Athena’s sacred animal was the owl, which represented wisdom, learning, and intelligence.
Owls were revered by ancient Greeks because they appeared to have a human-like expression due to their forward-facing eyes and rounded heads. The owl’s ability to see well at night and rotate its head 270 degrees symbolized Athena’s wisdom and perceptiveness. Owls were considered a sign of victory, and their image was put on Greek coins and sculptures of Athena.
According to some myths, Athena cared for a small owl named Pæon, who repaid her kindness by letting out a shriek that warned Athena of a sneak attack. From then on, the owl became Athena’s companion and also served as a protector. In Homer’s Odyssey, Athena takes on the form of a sea eagle, continuing that association between the goddess and birds.
Aphrodite and Doves
Aphrodite, the goddess of love and beauty, was also connected to birds – especially doves. Doves symbolized love and fertility, which were key attributes of the love goddess. Aphrodite was said to have a chariot pulled by doves in some myths. The cooing of doves was thought to be a call of love.
Turtle doves were sacred to Aphrodite and Aphrodite’s priestesses were sometimes called “doves.” There is a myth of Aphrodite transforming her son Eros into a dove to escape the monster Typhon. The myth showed the protective qualities of the dove. Overall, doves represent the gentleness associated with love and the fertility aspects of Aphrodite’s domains.
Hera and Peacocks
Hera was Queen of the Gods and the goddess of marriage, women, and birth. She was often depicted with peacocks, including having a chariot pulled by the colorful birds. Hera may have been associated with peacocks because of the peacock’s beautiful, shimmering plumage and regal air – symbolic of the majesty of the Queen of the Gods.
The “eyes” in a peacock’s feathers were thought to symbolize Hera’s watchfulness over the behaviors of gods and mortals. Peacocks were also a sign of fidelity and marital devotion, over which Hera reigned. Some myths say that Hera created the peacock from Argus Panoptes, a giant that served as her protector. So the peacock can represent her authority and guardianship as queen.
Artemis and the Deer
Artemis was the virgin goddess of the hunt, wilderness, and wild animals. She was an expert hunter and archer who roamed the forests with her pack of sacred hounds. One of her sacred animals was the deer. Artemis caught and tamed four golden-antlered deer to pull her chariot. This symbolized her domain as a powerful huntress that could capture even the most elusive game.
Deer also represent independence and wildness, which fits Artemis’s free spirit as an untamed goddess living in the natural world instead of civilization. There is a myth of Artemis transforming a companion into a deer when the woman was pursued aggressively by Alpheus. This again shows the deer’s link to Artemis’s protection of women.
Other Connections
Some other Greek goddesses have more minor connections to birds as well:
- Hecate, goddess of magic and necromancy, was sometimes shown with an owl, representing her wisdom and prophetic powers.
- Eos, the goddess of the dawn, had a chariot pulled by two winged horses, representing how she brought daylight to the sky each morning.
- Iris, goddess of the rainbow and a messenger, traveled between realms by leaving a rainbow in her wake. As a messenger goddess, she had similarities to birds carrying information.
While not quite a goddess, the monster harpy had the form of a bird with a human head. Harpies were known for snatching people and objects away.
Significance of Birds to Goddesses
The connections between Greek goddesses and birds shows how birds symbolized important divine attributes. Birds exemplified wisdom, love, watchfulness, freedom, and more. Goddesses often had chariots or companions that were birds to represent their powers. The goddesses nurtured special relationships with their sacred birds. Birds also acted as protectors and messengers for the goddesses.
Overall, birds were a key symbol of the feminine divine among the Olympians. The birds associated with each goddess reflected that goddess’s specific domain and abilities. Looking at the mythology surrounding the goddesses gives insight into how the ancient Greeks viewed both women and the qualities certain birds represent.
Conclusion
In Greek mythology, the goddesses most commonly connected to birds are Athena, Aphrodite, Hera, and Artemis. Athena had the owl to symbolize her wisdom. Aphrodite had doves representing love and fertility. Peacocks were the bird associated with Hera as queen. And Artemis had deer connected to her hunting and wilderness domains. Birds and other creatures accompanied the goddesses, pulled their chariots, and appeared in their myths as gifts or transformations. The birds amplified the powers of the goddesses and highlighted the divine feminine virtues they each embodied. Looking at the symbolism of the birds can provide more understanding of the roles of the Greek goddesses.