In medieval bestiaries the pelican was portrayed as a symbol of self-sacrifice and maternal devotion. According to the legend, the mother pelican wounds her own breast to revive her young with her blood, an image used as an allegory for Christ’s sacrificial love and redemption rather than as a denoscription of real animal behavior. The pelican motif appeared widely in Christian art and decorative objects, reinforcing its symbolic association with spiritual nourishment, devotion, and renewal.

McIntosh, M. (2018, May 14). The pelican, self-sacrificing mother bird of the medieval bestiary. Brewminate. https://brewminate.com/the-pelican-self-sacrificing-mother-bird-of-the-medieval-bestiary/

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