Wings are used symbolically worldwide. Some of our favorite
mythological and magical beasts have wings: angels, harpies, demons, dragons,
sphinxes, griffins, gorgons, gods, and even inanimate objects like the royal
orb and Caduceus rod.
In the long-ago prehistory of the Maglamosian, Vanir, and Æsir
people, and in nature itself, we can easily observe the functions of wings. In
Alchemy and esoteric symbolism winged symbols represent volatile elements,
indicate the ability to commune between heaven and earth, or signify a
connection between the spiritual and temporal. Angels are the messengers of God
and have the wings that accompany your spirit into its eternal home. This stems
from the time when North was toward Cygnus, the Swan constellation in the Milky
Way; wings or birds signifying north as we use a red and white striped pole
today. In both Egyptian and Masonic symbolism an hourglass with wings can be
found. Wings represent movement through air; in that respect it is reasonable
to use wings as a symbol for the movement of time. Perhaps we could interpret
the winged hourglass as “time flies”?
The wings of a Fairy symbolize functional concepts. The
Fairies were descendants of the Magdalenian culture, ca. 12,500 BC, a culture
that survived the brutal iron cold of an ice age. It was so cold that
frost-bite could happen in minutes. In order for these people to survive,
methods of keeping warm had to be perfected.
If you snowshoe, snow-mobile, or ski you know that
down-filled clothing is very warm. Until the invention of space-age materials,
Eider-down clothing was considered the warmest clothing on earth. Our
prehistoric ancestors knew this as well. They harvested down, quills, and other
feathers from the ground after ducks migrated overhead. At that time migrations
consisted of millions of birds; there were so many birds they blacked out the
sun and made a substantial amount of noise. Feathers were considered a gift
from the birds to the human babies, to keep them warm and insure their
survival. This is reflected in symbols and mythologies of mother’s with wings
and birds that are mothers such as Mother Goose. Expert weavers in prehistoric
villages made the quilted clothing; wings on Fairies symbolize, in part, their
skill as weavers. (Duncan-Enzmann)
Another aspect of wing symbols grew out of navigation. The
oil for Magdalenian lamps was partly supplied by fishermen who sailed the gyre
hunting the Great Auk. In the story of Noah (Old Testament.), when the
waters were receding, he sent a bird out from the ship to assess how far they
were from land. This was common practice among ancient mariners. When a bird
did not return, land was near and a carrier pigeon was sent with a message to
the land-dwellers that a ship was incoming. Symbols of Gorgons (navigators) with
wings on their heads or helmets represent those who knew these practices.
Likewise, images of Fairies with wings can represent the knowledge of how to
use birds for communication with ships.
As symbols of: flight, travel between heaven and earth,
quilting weavers, navigational measurement, communication over distances,
movement of time, volatile elements, and the path of the spirit between life
and death, wings are found in cultures worldwide.
Author bio:
Michelle is an author, speaker, columnist, blogger, and
teacher. She earned her post-graduate degree at the University of Wales,
Lampeter and has been teaching art and visual language to students of all ages
for 35 years. She writes original fairy tales and books about the history and
origin of myths, folklore, and symbols. Her artwork, inspired by her love of
symbolism, has appeared in galleries from Massachusetts to California.
Michelle is co-owner of White Knight Studio with her husband Jay, providing publication and marketing services.
Michelle is co-owner of White Knight Studio with her husband Jay, providing publication and marketing services.
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