This Saturday was a beautiful day and we decided to enjoy it by going to the Point Defiance Zoo in Tacoma. The zoo is small but very nice. In addition to the exhibits you'd expect at a zoo (elephants, tigers, monkey), Pt. Defiance has a roaming exhibit--the Peacock pictured above.
We had seen the Peacock at various points during our visit, but happened to come around the corner just as the bird was getting its ire up and boldly displaying its feathers. My husband captured this beautiful picture--and then the bird charged at us! We quickly moved on to the more sedate penguin house.
But this beautiful photo made me remember something that I learned on a trip to Italy...
that Peacocks were symbolic of eternal life in the early church. I remember seeing the Peacock on frescoes in catacombs and mosaics on church floors.
that Peacocks were symbolic of eternal life in the early church. I remember seeing the Peacock on frescoes in catacombs and mosaics on church floors. The Peacock came to symbolize immortality because of an ancient myth that the flesh of a Peacock would not decay. It also came to symbolize resurrection as it sheds its feathers for newer and brighter ones every year.
The Peacock's spread of brilliantly colored, spotted feathers serve as a protection mechanism--making the bird look twice its normal size. The many "eyes" of the Peacock's feathers came to symbolize the many eyes of God--able to watch and see many things at the same time.
I'm not sure why the Peacock fell out of favor as a Christian symbol, maybe someone out there can answer that question. But I do know the bird is magnificent, perhaps pointing us to something divine even in the everyday setting of the city zoo.
Journey on....
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