The Symbolic Meaning of the Peacock
Why Ancient Churches Had Peacocks (& How They Point to the Resurrection)
I was recently gifted a icon of Christ blessing the little children and noticed the image of the peacock in the corner.
I was fascinated, because I knew how much the peacock is found in ancient churches, houses, and especially the catacombs. Below is picture in the catacombs of Priscilla in Rome (dated 200 AD) showing peacocks surrounding Christ the Good Shepherd on the ceiling dome. The peacock represents immortality or eternal life in the ancient world which is why it is a fitting image to point to the hope of the resurrection in a place where the first Christians were buried.
As the Christians descended into the catacombs to visit the martyrs and holy ones who departed this life, they placed their hope in the One who called Lazarus out of the tomb knowing that He would do the same with them if they remained faithful.
(Btw, you may be interested in watching a short video [6 minutes] on this topic that I recently published or you can continue reading below).
In the 4th century, the church father, St. Augustine, comments on a popular belief at his time that peacock flesh would not decay or rot like other meats:
“For who but God the Creator of all things has given to the flesh of the peacock its antiseptic property? This property, when I first heard of it, seemed to me incredible; but it happened at Carthage that a bird of this kind was cooked and served up to me, and, taking a suitable slice of flesh from its breast, I ordered it to be kept, and when it had been kept as many days as make any other flesh stinking, it was produced and set before me, and emitted no offensive smell. And after it had been laid by for thirty days and more, it was still in the same state; and a year after, the same still, except that it was a little more shrivelled, and drier.” - St. Augustine, The City of God, Book XXI, ch. 4
I have never tried St. Augustine’s experiment of leaving out a slice of fresh peacock to see what happens so I will trust him on this one! Whatever the ‘decay’ time is on this bird, the church father’s point is that the peacock is a fitting symbol for immortality or incorruption. As St. Paul notes in Romans 8, there will be a time when Creation is liberated from its corruption and decay, and this renewal will be linked with the resurrection of the dead at the end of time when Christ returns. Just as Adam’s downfall led to the disfiguration of the original Creation, the New Adam’s resurrection is leading to a final transfiguration of the coming New Creation!
Let’s continue surveying a few more images. In the Church of the Multiplication in Tabgha on the northwest shore of Galilee (4th century), we find another mosaic of a peacock:
If you travel to Ravenna, Italy, you will can find peacocks upon Bishop Theodore’s sarcophagus surrounding Christ’s monogram in the right nave of the church of San Apollinare:
As an interesting side note, C.S. Lewis picks up on this ancient Christian symbolism by placing peacock feathers in Narnia:
"For then, in the Great Hall of Cair Paravel--that wonderful hall with the ivory roof and the west door all hung with peacock's feathers and the eastern door which opens right onto the sea..." (The Lion, Witch, and the Wardrobe).
Many Orthodox churches continue to use the imagery of the peacock in continuity with the ancient church. For example, peacocks are carved into this bier which represents the Tomb of Christ. Biers are used on Holy Friday in Orthodox Churches throughout the world (See example) https://youtube.com/live/VpwHxQYtNCE?si=moiMSPlQdy8KKRZI&t=84
In conclusion, I hope this small study on the peacock inspires you to investigate more about its meaning in ancient Christianity as well as other sacred images. I would also encourage you to purchase Michael Garten’s newest book: Early Icons if this topic interests you! (Stay tuned for the release of our upcoming interview)
Rediscovering The Goodnesss of Creation by Robin Phillips
If you would like to explore more about the renewal of God’s creation at Christ’s return (Roman 8) that I referenced earlier in the article, I would encourage you to check out Robin Phillps’ work “Rediscovering the Goodness of Creation: A Manual for Recovering Gnostics.” This book is quite readable for its theological depth, and I would encourage anyone interested in this topic to consider a purchase. Here are a few quotes:
"Any earthly activity we do not pursue for the glory of God represents a type of wilderness waiting to be brought into the Eden of Christ's space." (pg. 138)
St. Paisios, "The monk flees far from the world, not because he detests the world, but because he loves the world and in this way he is better able to help the world through his prayer, in things that don't happen humanly but only through divine intervention. In this way God saves the world." (pg. 192)
Why Is Interest In Ancient Christianity Rising?
Lastly, you may enjoy a video I recently streamed ‘live’ on the topic of religion in America and why interest in Orthodox Christianity is significantly on the rise. I also share a little bit about my theological journey in college while attending Taylor University 20 years ago (I attended from 2004 to 2008), and when I first heard of ‘Orthodoxy’ from a friend https://youtube.com/live/XDedlGE7nss
Be entirely His,
Kyle
Thank you, Kyle!