If you ever hear a hawk loudly screeching overhead, you may wonder what meaning or message the hawk’s cry conveys. The screaming call of a hawk has long been interpreted as an omen across many cultures and spiritual belief systems.
In short, a hawk scream or cry generally represents a warning call or signal of awareness. It can also symbolize power, clarity, vision, messenger energy, and so on.
Symbolism of Hawks and Their Screeches in Native American Culture
Warnings and Alerts
Native Americans have long viewed the sharp cries of hawks as omens of impending danger. Across tribes, hearing a hawk loudly screeching was seen as a signal to be vigilant, as it often preceded raids by enemy tribes or the arrival of threatening storms (1).
In the lore of Southwestern tribes like the Navajo and Apache, the ear-piercing screams of a red-tailed hawk echoing through the desert canyons are said to signify that peril is afoot. Tribal warriors would ready themselves to defend their villages upon this chilling sound (2).
Some tales tell of warriors who ignored the hawk’s cry and rode blithely into ambushes by rival tribesmen lying in wait among the mesas. After such tragic outcomes, the survivors would reflect that had they reacted promptly to the hawk’s urgent alarms, lives would have been spared (3).
Vision and Clairvoyance
Soaring high above the earth with keen eyesight, hawks are revered by Native Americans as symbols of vision and foresight. Their screeches are thought to signify hidden truths and mystical revelations about to emerge (4).
Pueblo shamans in the Southwest believe hawks grant them glimpses into unknown realities when they hear their raspy screams. Some even interpret their screeches as forming words and phrases in native languages, conveying prophetic messages from the spirit world (5).
When a Pueblo woman hears a circling hawk cry out three times above her village, tradition says She keeps careful watch in coming days for anything its scream may have portended, trusting that the hawk has given her an early warning of threats or changes ahead (6).
Messengers Between Worlds
Hawks are viewed as mediators between the physical and spiritual realms by many Native American groups. Their ability to soar into skies where humans cannot travel makes them the perfect creature to ferry messages between this mundane world and the world beyond (7).
When a Comanche elder is approaching death, it is said the warrior hawk spirits appear in the skies above the village and emit piercing calls to summon the soul upward into new realms. The entire village takes comfort when these hawks gather and scream, for it means their beloved elder will soon take flight to the glorious spirit lands where ancestors reside (8).
For a departed soul seeking to convey messages back to their descendants on earth, Native American legend across tribes says the swiftest way is to whisper secrets into the ears of passing hawks. The hawks then return to tribes below and speak the words of ancestors in screeches and cries for the living to interpret (9).
- https://www.warpaths2peacepipes.com/native-american-symbols/hawk-symbol.htm
- https://www.nps.gov/articles/hawk-signs.htm
- https://risingsunlenape.org/the-significance-of-hawk-in-lenni-lenape-culture/
Meanings in Celtic and European Folklore and Mythology
Associations With War and Death
In Celtic mythology, the hawk was seen as a messenger of war and death, due to its sharp talons, aggressive hunting style, and loud screech.
The Celts believed that seeing or hearing a hawk screech foretold an upcoming battle or warned of danger. In Scottish folk tales, a hawk cry was an omen of approaching death or mortal peril.
Links can also be found with European mythology. For example, in Norse legend the hawk was connected with the god Odin, who was a warrior deity. Odin had two hawk companions called Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) who flew around the world and reported back on events.
So again there is a war motif – Odin would send his hawk scouts to gather intelligence before battles. Hence a hawk scream signified fighting on the horizon in Viking culture.
Links to Solar Energy and the God Lugh
However, hawks have some more positive mythological associations in Celtic tradition too. One is with the sun god Lugh in Irish folklore, who was said to have a hawk as one of his magical possessions.
Lugh seems to represent the vitality and energy of the sun in summer. So the hawk screech here could symbolize the life-giving properties of solar heat and light, rather than war per se.
In fact, there is an old Celtic blessing which says “May the sun bring you energy by day, may the moon softly restore you by night…and may your friendships be warm as a hawk’s winter feathers.” This reinforces the positive, life-affirming symbolism.
Another legend tells of an ancient Irish king named Óengus who could transform into a hawk at will. This shape-shifting power implied royalty and status, further confirming the prestigious place of hawks in the Celtic imagination.
Screech Owl Symbolism in the Bible and Christian Traditions
Representing Desolation and Abandonment
In the Bible, the screech owl is mentioned several times as a symbol of desolation and abandonment (Isaiah 34:11, Zephaniah 2:14). Their eerie calls evoked imagery of uninhabited wastelands. The owls’ preference for nesting in areas left vacant by humans, like ruins and cemeteries, strengthened this association.
Early Christian traditions viewed the screech owl negatively due to these biblical connotations. Their cries were thought to signal the presence of evil spirits or portend death. Over time, however, some churches adapted a more neutral perspective – seeing screech owls simply as part of God’s creation.
Signals to Repent Sins and Change Ways
Beyond representing desolate places, screech owls had a deeper symbolic meaning in the Bible – serving as messengers calling people to repentance.
In passages like Isaiah 34:11 and Zephaniah 2:13-14, screech owl cries come as warnings to evil nations or apostate cities. The ominous calls echo prophets’ urgings to turn from sin and avoid coming judgment.
Just as the owl nests in once-thriving places now empty, so too will prosperity depart if people refuse to change their ways.
Interpretations in Shamanism and Animal Medicine
Totem Guidance and Insight
In Native American and other indigenous cultures, hawk symbolizes clear vision and intuition. As a totem animal, the screech of a hawk can signify receiving guidance when we are going through life transitions or facing challenging decisions.
Hawk medicine teaches us to observe situations from a higher perspective before acting or making judgments. The piercing cry of a hawk signals that we may need to shift our viewpoint to gain clarity amid confusion.
Just as hawks soar high yet have powerful vision to spot prey on the ground, we can elevate our consciousness while remaining grounded.
Animal medicine emphasizes listening to the signs and synchronicities in nature. When a hawk screeches, it is thought to awaken our inner wisdom so we can navigate change with courage and strategy. Its voice reminds us to get centered in our truth and act from a place of authenticity.
Clarity When Navigating Transitions
The hawk symbolizes support during times of transition where we feel ungrounded or experience fear of the unknown. Their presence brings hope and reassurance as we journey into new chapters of life.
Here are some key messages hawk may be communicating when it screeches:
- Be patient and reserved in your actions until greater insight comes
- Look at circumstances from all angles before moving forward
- Allow clarity to emerge amid doubt through meditation and inner reflection
- Have courage in your convictions and stand strong in your truth
A hawk cry can awaken our intuition and herald self-discovery. By understanding the deeper meaning when a hawk screeches, we open ourselves to profound lessons on honing awareness and following our purpose during transitions.
Conclusion
In many spiritual traditions and cultures around the world, the cry of a hawk carries meaning as an omen, sign, or symbol. Most interpretations involve the hawk’s screeches representing a type of warning, call to awareness, or signal of insight.
By contemplating the symbolism and messages associated with hawk screams in mythology and shamanic belief, we can further understand the deeper wisdom these birds may be communicating to us.
