Spirit Animal Round Up: Eagle

Yes, I know that I said that turtle was going to be the next animal round up. I lied. Because a certain American holiday is coming up.

This bird has long been a symbol of leadership, power, and masculinity in many cultures. The eagle is the national symbol of the United States, but it's the national symbol of a lot of other places too. The famous Bald Eagle, on the other hand, is unique to North America. Eagles feature prominently in the mythology of almost all Native American tribes. Some believed that they were the earthly incarnation of the Thunderbird. Eagle feathers were given to non-indigenous people and Natives from other tribes as a sign of trust, but this traditions is not often practiced anymore as it is illegal to own an eagle feather in the United States. Not everyone thought that the Bald Eagle was the best choice for our mascot (Teddy Roosevelt thought that it should be the grizzly bear, go figure). But our love for the Bald Eagle has held fast, and the bird was even rescued from the brink of extinction.

So in honor of the upcoming Independence Day, here are some names inspired by the eagle:

1. Aquila. Literally means "eagle" in Latin and is what the English word is derived from.

2. Zeus/Jupiter/Jove. The eagle is the patron animal of the ruler of the Gods.

3. Ptolemy. The eagle appeared on the seal of the Ptolemaic rulers of Egypt. The most famous member of this family was Cleopatra. Greek for "warlike."

4. Vega. This star is known as "the falling eagle" or "the swooping eagle" in Arabic.

5. Griffin. A griffin is the chimera of an eagle and a lion, so it could work here.

6. Arnold. A German name meaning "eagle power."

7. Golden. In reference to the Golden Eagle, the most widely distributed species. It is also the largest eagle species.

8. Erne. It means "the soarer" in Anglo-Saxon and it's another name for the White-Tailed Eagle in parts of Scotland.

9. Garuda. Garuda is a lesser Hindu god who looks mostly human except for his eagle's wings and beak. He's a pal of Vishnu's and regularly gives him a ride.

10. Roc. A giant eagle capable of eating elephants from Persian mythology. The creature was popularized in the West due to stories like One Thousand and One Nights and Sinbad the Sailor. Also spelled Rokh.

11. Pallas. In reference to Pallas' Sea Eagle from Central Asia. It is, unfortunately, a rare bird nowadays.

12. Steller. In reference to Steller's Sea Eagle from coastal Northeast Asia. On average, this is the heaviest eagle in the world. Steller could also work as a virtue name, come to think of it.

13. Rome/Roman/Roma. In ancient times, the eagle was the symbol of the Ancient Roman army.

Sources:
http://www.behindthename.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eagle
http://symboldictionary.net/?p=2446
http://www.treesforlife.org.uk/forest/mythfolk/eagle.html
http://www.whats-your-sign.com/symbolic-eagle-meaning.html

Image Credit:
http://www.eaglesatlakemonroe.com/EALM%20-%20C-52%20-%2002%20-%20right.jpg