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Saturday 22 December 2007

Power Animal: The Osprey

Known for its acuity of sight, the Osprey has been used to represent those of vision; it is also a symbol of abundance and long used as a totem of the Fisherman.

The osprey may also be classed with the eagle. It is always represented as a white eagle and is referred to in heraldry as a sea-eagle. The eagle is held to represent a noble nature from its strength and aristocratic appearance, as well as its association with the ancient kings of Persia, Babylon and the Roman legions, having been the official ensign of those empires. Since then, other empires and nations have also adopted the eagle as their symbol, such as the German third reich and the empire conquered by Napoleon. The eagle is also associated with the sun. As a Christian symbol, the eagle represents salvation, redemption and resurrection. The eagle has been represented over the centuries in a variety of different ways: wing tips pointed up or down, wings closed or rising or the eagle displayed from above with one or two heads. Parts of the eagle such as the head, wings, legs or talons, are also often symbols in heraldry. The claw of a bird and leg of a bird are always taken to be that of an eagle unless specified otherwise, and the eagle leg borne on a shield or coat of arms is said to signify that the "preyer upon others has been preyed upon'.