This beautiful and elegant bird has always been a symbol of unrestrained freedom, liberty, pride and invincibility.

In addition, Falcons have been representing success, achievement and the power of raising yourself above the circumstances with noble heart, honesty and wisdom.

Thus, it is not strange to find that some of the mightiest and the most glorious empires had been using falcons’ motifs to represent royalty, glory and divinity.

Falcons have been representing some of the highest and the noblest values people admire and adore, since far past until modern times;

In antiquity, falcon motifs were regularly used as royal and godlike symbols. For example, in Ancient Egypt and ancient Nordic mythology.

In modern times, falcons are still perceived amazing, beautiful, proud and skilful birds, so many brands and companies use its motif to accent their own capabilities and values they express.

For example, there are aircraft products associated with these incredible sky predators.

Falcons in Egypt

Egyptians had a special admiration for falcons. They thought of this beautiful bird as divine and powerful mythical creature and they identified falcons with their gods.

One of the most beloved and worshipped Egyptian deities, Horus, the sun god, was usually portrayed as a man with a head of a falcon.

Falcon pictogram can be seen in hieroglyphic pictogram constructions for a god, a pharaoh, a ruler, stars, moments in time, prayers and blessings, the Earth, the World, a year and skies.

As a representation of the mighty Horus, falcons were also associated with the sun itself, glory and power.

One of the most powerful Egyptian divine symbols, The Eye of Horus, was represented as a picture of eyes and stylized face of a falcon. The single eye motif also reminds of a falcon’s eye;

Ancient Egyptian believed falcons were in tight connection with sun deities. Beside Horus, they also identified falcons with another, even mightiest god, Amon Ra, the supreme sun deity of Ancient Egypt.

Ra is also described and portrayed as a man with a falcon’s head.

Since Egyptians believed a pharaoh was a godlike, powerful being, falcons were also considered royal birds and symbols of pharaohs’ might, supreme rule, glory and power.

Ancient Egyptians believed pharaohs are Horus’s incarnation on Earth, so they would often portray their rulers with a falcon’s head, as well.

Also, during the era of first pharaohs’ dynasties, the path of a ruler’s ascending to the throne was known by the title of ‘a falcon’s flight.

The Peregrine

The peregrine falcon is the most numerous and probably the most beautiful representative of falcon birds’ genus.

This amazing flying predator lives all around the world; it is usually known simply as a ‘peregrine’ and as ‘duck hawk’ (only in North America).

It is a large bird, with characteristic bluish and grey feathers on its back, and white striped underparts, with dark feathers on the head.

Because of colours of its feathers, in some eastern European countries, it is known as a ‘grey falcon’.

Peregrine falcon is the fastest flying bird on our planet, a characteristic for which this impressive creature is especially admired and favoured as a hunting bird.

Some research data suggest it could achieve speed up to almost 400 km per hour;

No wonder this amazing bird has been inspiring legends, beliefs and admiration for ages. It is probably the most loved and admired falconry species, with a falconry ‘career’ lasting for about three millenniums or even more!

Peregrines are easy to train and they express incredible readiness to hunt. Because of so long use in falconry, peregrines had become endangered species over time and law in many areas of the world protects them.

Native American peregrine beliefs – Peregrine falcon has special spiritual significance to Indians of Mississippi in North America.

Just as falcons in other mythologies are associated with sky and sky deities, peregrine falcons are believed to be spiritual beings in connection with sun and sky, light and a higher order of things.

Falcon as spirit animals was particularly important to tribes of Pascagoula, Cahokia, Choctaw and Chickasaw.

Mississippian Indians believe peregrines have special, supernatural powers and that the bird is able to travel between heavens and earth, carrying messages from forces that reside in the upper world and look over the people.

They believed in a mythological character of a Birdman, which was portrayed in a form of a peregrine falcon. Native Americans believed birdman peregrine protects our world from evil spirits of the underworld.

Peregrine falcon was a powerful warfare symbol for Native Americans. They believed it would bring them luck and victory;

They performed dance ceremonies in which participants would wear Falcons’ feathers, winged costumes and masks resembling the bird.

They believed such ritual could help them get in touch with the realm of good spirits and help them absorb powers from the mighty peregrine falcon.

Some archaeological findings suggest how much Native Americans had worshipped the peregrine. Burial beds of their chieftains were shaped in a form of the bird (those were made out of shell beads).

Falcon Lessons