

Accordingly, the swan represented the North Direction and was also the first Power of Creation, which is the Wind. This knowledge was passed on to the younger generations. The swan was very sacred to the Natives and they used its feathers to make ceremonial fans, cloaks, and feather jewelry. The elders in the tribes always narrated swan mythology legends of different animals and birds to depict the messages these animals/birds portrayed. Ceremonial fans made from bird feathers played an important role in Native American medicine, healing, magic, and rituals. ( 1) Swan Native American symbolismīird symbolism was integral to Native American cultures and tribes. This has become a symbol of love and romance in many cultures. When swans mate and make love, they intertwine their necks. Many romantic writers and musicians have depicted the swan’s grace and beauty as symbolic of the sun and light. That is why sailors believed that swan symbolic meaning is a sign ‘against shipwreck.’ The swan’s fresh white plumage is considered as the symbol of purity and grace.

There is also a legend that connects the swan to the ‘waters of the Underworld’ and, through many cultures, the swan has been linked to the ‘loss of love.’ There is a Greek fable which tells us about the swans’ last unearthly song as they die, which tie them up to poetry as well as death. In Roman mythology, the swan symbol is connected to Aphrodite’s beauty as well as with Apollo – the God of poetry, prophecy, and music. Similarly, in 1876, Tchaikovsky’s ballet, Swan Lake, depicted feminine softness, beauty, and grace. In 1848, the white swan became the hero of Wagner’s opera Lohengrin and other tales of the swan knight. In this guide, we will discuss white swan meaning, the meaning of dreaming of swans, and what does a black swan symbolize so that you will be in a better position to understand what the graceful bird is trying to tell you.Ī swan personality is mixed–so it is an ambiguous symbol of light, love, romance, death, transformation, poetry, and melancholy passion and is especially highly represented in ballets and operas. The swan is an emblem of feminine beauty and softness and has even had operas and ballets written about it. White swan symbolism is related to light, grace, beauty, love, and purity, whereas black swan is found in occult symbolism.
