The Majestic Eagle - Chester Fields
Graceful, powerful and majestic, the eagle is among the most revered of all creatures in our world. The eagle is borderless and timeless in its appeal, inhabiting practically every part of the planet and putting man's very existence into perspective.
Through the centuries, eagles have been respected for their physical strength, speed and agility, the companions of kings and gods, the symbol of nations and the manifestations of deities. They were the sacred birds of Zeus to the Greeks, the birds of Jove to the Romans, and the bearers of Caesars' soul to the heavens. From the ancient dynasties of Persia , Egypt and China to Belshazzar of Babylon to the Russian czars and Austrian emperors, the eagle has signified might and unity, courage and triumph.
During the Middle Ages, the eagle regularly appeared on shields, seals and coats of arms. The Prussian eagle marked Teutonic knights and the black Imperial eagle remained the emblem of the German Republic until 1933. English Crusaders and the soldiers of Napoleon in France displayed the eagle on banners and pennants, and in the new world the bird was a symbol of the Aztec's elite Knights of the Eagle and was sacred to the Mexica Indians.
With Native North Americans, eagles have held a central place in spiritual traditions and have been celebrated as creatures of vision, power and grace for centuries. To many tribes, the eagle unites Heaven and Earth as a spiritual messenger, regally resting on mountaintops with a superior view of mankind.
Today, the eagle serves as a symbol of many modern countries including Poland , Mexico and the United States . The great Bald Eagle, found only in North America, is United States ' national bird. It was placed at the center of the Great Seal of the United States on June 20, 1782. 200 years later, the US Congress proclaimed the year 1982 to be the Bicentennial of the Bald Eagle and June 20 to be National Bald Eagle Day. It remains a universal symbol of freedom and pride.
The eagle's effortless mastery of the air inspires awe from mere mortals below. It becomes the duty of these mortals to respect and protect the eagle as a symbol of our own environment and existence.
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