Kingfisher

A Symbol of gods, good luck, calm, peacefulness, agility, patience, bad omens, and fertility.

The kingfisher is a small blue and orange bird that can be found in most of the world. In Greek mythology, Alcyone, a Thessalian princess, and Ceyx, the son of Lucifer, were married. They sometimes called themselves Zeus and Hera. This angered Zeus, and he threw a thunderbolt at Ceyx’s ship while he was out to sea. Ceyx was killed. Morpheus, the god of dreams, came to Alcyone in a dream as Ceyx and told her of his fate. Alcyone was overcome and drowned herself. The gods took pity on them and turned them both into kingfishers. Kingfishers were also known as Halcyons in Ancient Greece. Any days of calm and peacefulness are called Halcyon days.

Polynesians believed the sacred kingfisher had control over the water and the waves.

Different Native American tribes have different symbolism for kingfishers. According to Makkah legend, when the earth was populated by the Two Men Who Changed Things, they turned a fisherman, a thief, into a kingfisher. The white feathers around the kingfisher’s neck were the shells from the necklace that the thief had stolen. A kingfisher on a totem pole represents speed, agility, luck, and patience. The Sioux associate the kingfisher with fertility. Most North Coast Indians view the kingfisher as a sign of good luck.

The Dusun people in Malaysia consider the kingfisher a bad omen. Warriors who saw a kingfisher when going into battle were supposed to return home.

In China, kingfishers are symbols of faithfulness and happy marriages.

In Sabah, from 1982-88, the coat of arms depicted a kingfisher. Traditional fishermen considered the kingfisher a messenger of the gods.

Kingfishers have been used as a symbol of Christ in the poem “As Kingfishers Catch Fire.”

Nowadays, Kingfishers can be found on logos for airlines, beer, and a bird festival, among others.