Courting Peacocks
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The image of the peacock can be found in many cultures and traditions. The early Celts looked to the beasts of the earth, sky and sea in an attempt to understand life and believed animals taught them how to live in harmony with Nature itself. The peacock appeared as a symbol of beauty, paradise, rebirth, pride and the incorruptibility of the soul. It also tells the story of the heavens and the rays of the sun. As legend had it, the peacock’s flesh did not putrefy, so the Celts considered it a symbol of the Resurrection and everlasting life. Hence, it is widely used throughout early Christian Celtic manuscripts as a representation of Christ.
© 2005 Rachel Arbuckle
