Due to its beautiful song the goldfinch is often called the "wild canary." The superstitious believe that goldfinches live in areas frequented by elves and fairies. Christian symbolism, to some degree, equates this bird with the thorns and thistles it eats and nests in. It is sometimes called a "thistle bird." Thorns and thistles are symbols of the Passion and Christ's Crown of Thorns. The goldfinch, appearing in pictures of the Madonna and the Christ Child, represents the foreknowledge Jesus and Mary had of the Crucifixion. This creature is an emblem of endurance, fruitfulness, and persistence.
Because it symbolizes the Passion, the goldfinch is considered a "savior" bird and may be pictured with the fly which represents the sin and disease which Christ saved us from. During medieval times, this bird was used by some as a charm to ward off the plague.
All scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated.
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Comments© 1998 by Suzetta Tucker
To cite this page:
Tucker, Suzetta. "ChristStory Goldfinch Page." ChristStory
Christian Bestiary. 1998. http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/goldfinc.htm
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