Like the raven, the eagle was known as a carrion bird in Germanic literature.  A Scandinavian name for the eagle was hraesvelgr, “corpse-gulper”, while the Old English epithet gudfugel denoted a “bird of war”.  Eagles were associated with heroes, and screamed at the birth of prominent warriors who would later feed them upon the bodies of their slain foes.  The eagle was also the symbol of sovereignty, and was particularly associated with the Germanic god of kings and heroes, Odin.  This notion was “probably influenced by Roman models and the eagle which symbolized the emperor”.

The overall design concept for this sculpture is derived solely from my imagination.  While studying this rare, Icelandic tree trunk in my California studio.  I envisioned a young Icelandic Sea Eagle at its top and the design embellishments for the rest of the trunk’s base developed while sculpting the eagle.  The warrior’s helmet with its eagle nasal guard and the two stylized eagles guarding the (valknot) or symbol of Odin are derived directly from Bronze Age Scandinavian archeological photos.

Note: I would like to recognize the artisans whose complimentary donations of materials made this sculpture possible.

Jon Steinolfsson
Icelandic Woodsculptor

Ira Kessey
Norwegian-American Stone Sculptor

Icelandic Arctic Birch / Black Granite
(44.5" x 5" x 6.5")