They will defend and protect each other." This fact explains why doves are also seen as symbols of love and loyalty.Īs time has progressed, Christian lore has used the dove to represent the Holy Spirit or "heavenly messenger." In Circlot's A Dictionary of Symbols, the dove "is also symbolic of souls, a motif which is common in Visigothic and Romanesque art. When the dove returned holding an olive branch in its beak, Noah knew it was safe to leave the ark - a sign from God that penance had been served.Īccording to the Pet Doves website, these birds remain faithfully monogamous to their mates "Dove couples who have bonded with each other will remain together for life unless separated by death or other means beyond their control. The gospel of Luke states that Mary and Joseph went to the Temple and sacrificed two doves after Jesus was born, as prescribed by law.Īppearing throughout the Bible, the dove was also regarded as oracular, a means by which the divine could communicate with man.
White doves, a sign of immaculacy, were sacrificed as offerings, both as restitution for guilty acts and as a rite of purification. Throughout the ages, steeped in rich tradition and lore, doves have served to symbolize many aspects connected with the "Divine." In the ancient world, the dove was a symbol for the Mother goddess, the "feminine divine".ĭoves served as icons of fertility and procreation and were associated with the goddesses Ishtar, Astarte, Aphrodite and the early Judaic goddess of Canaan, Asherah (statue pictured).Įarly Israelites believed Asherah to be the consort of their god Yahweh.Īs the Judaic religion evolved, the dove came to represent the feminine spirit of God and God's love for his people. And while they're often thought of as bright white birds, with over 300 species, they actually come in all shapes and sizes. Along with their close cousin, the pigeon, doves make up the bird family Columbidae.
Alice Hoffman's The Dovekeepers shows us a world where doves, in addition to serving day-to-day purposes, represent so much more.
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