O Loving Pelican: A Brief History of the Vulning Pelican Image
“O loving Pelican! O Jesus Lord! Unclean I am, but cleanse me in Thy Blood! Of which a single drop, for sinners split, Can purge the entire
Greetings and prayers to you for a joyful month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus!
I’m happy to finally offer this new print of the Pelican in Her Piety on my website. This was a commission completed for a recent ordination. The seminarian reached out to me about a year ago looking to have the Pelican in Her Piety, or the Vulning Pelican, sketched and to be used in turn for ordination cards.
The Pelican in Her Piety is an ancient Christian symbol dating back to the Middle Ages. The first mention of the Vulning Pelican was in the Physiologus, a bestiary which contained anecdotes about animals and how they reflect deep theological truths. Sometimes the animal attributes presented in bestiaries were legitimate animal behaviors, and other times these characteristics leaned more toward fiction. The intention of these bestiaries was not to share scientific facts, but rather deep theological truths in ways that were easy for people to understand.
The Physiologus has this to say about the Vulning Pelican:
“It is an exceeding lover of its young. If the pelican brings forth young and the little ones grow, they take to striking their parents in the face. The parents, however, hitting back kill their young ones and then, moved by compassion, they weep over them for three days, lamenting over those whom they killed. On the third day, their mother strikes her side and spills her own blood over their dead bodies (that is, of the chicks) and the blood itself awakens them from death.”
The Pelican therefore, is an allegory for Christ. In it we see the deep and profound love of God, who weeps over the sins of His children. At the sight of His beloved young laying dead in original sin, He chooses to shed His very own blood on the Cross as a means of salvation for us all. We, ugly pelican chicks that we are, die to our former selves, and receive new life in Christ.
The Pelican in Her Piety likewise calls to mind Christ’s Eucharistic self as spiritual nourishment for his children. This one sacrifice continues to be made available to us all through the gift of the Mass, where we go to be nourished and spiritually fed by Christ’s own Body and Blood.
Today, you can often find images of the Vulning Pelican beneath altars of many Catholic Churches.
“Amen, amen, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you do not have life within you.”
-John 6:53
Peace to you and yours!
Haley Dessauer
Artist, This Little Fiat
June Discounts
June is truly such a beautiful time in our Church: Feast of Corpus Christi, The Month of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, all the new First Communicants joyfully marching up that communion line each Sunday! So much to reflect upon and find comfort in. I have placed all Holy Family Hearts and Eucharistic Art/prayer cards (including the Vulning Pelican) in the SALE section of my shop.
Be sure to use code SALE20 at checkout to receive 20% off these pieces.
