 Wings are the symbol of lightness, spirituality,
the possibility of flying and rising up to heaven. Wings are the
expression of the aspiration of the soul towards a higher than human
condition, in other words the aspiration to transcend the human
condition. Wings are related to the cognitive faculty, imagination,
thought, freedom and victory.
According to Hindus, wings are the expression of the freedom to leave
earthly things behind as a result of contemplation and to reach
Paradise. The Rig Veda sees wings as Intelligence, swifter than any
bird. The Universal Architect creates the world with the movement of
his winged arms.
In ancient Egypt, winged gods were protective gods. They protected
creatures, covering them with their wings, as well as surrounding
walls, enclosures and temples which doors were adorned with a winged
image of Amon-Râ. The union of Butho, the snake, and Nekhebet, the
vulture, representing respectively Lower and Upper Egypt, will give
birth to a winged snake (similar to Quetzalcoatl, the well known Plumed
Serpent of the Aztecs), symbolizing the union of Earth and Heaven.
In pre-Columbian cultures, wings are associated with the Sun, adopting
the form of an eagle in Mexico, and the form of a condor in Peru. These
solar birds are the symbol of the sky up to where they can rise thanks
to their powerful wings. The bird represents regeneration, the work
realized on Earth, that allows flight from one world to another,
superior world; this reminds us of the Egyptian scarab that, after
crawling on the ground, spread its wings at the end of its life cycle
to rise in the sky up to the Sun. The humming bird represents the
rising sun as well as the soul that rises from earth to heaven.
In Christian tradition, wings are associated with the light of the Sun
of Justice that illuminates the Intelligence of the Just. God protects
man with the shadow of his wings (Psalm). When man separates himself
from God, he loses his own original wings. Angels are the purest
expression of winged spirit.
In Greece, Hermes had winged heels, symbol of the traveller and the
messenger, of dreams, of impulse, of movement. The Greeks represented
Love and Victory with wings. According to Plato, wings represent
Intelligence and Understanding. That is the reason why they are
associated with certain fabulous animals, such as Pegasus, representing
the sublimation of the specific symbolism of the animal.
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