The hummingbird, an intriguing bird whose name carries a significant amount of meanings and legends. The Incas believed that they were the messengers of the heavens and the Ancient Mayans believed that it was not a simple bird, but  “the sun in disguise” that appears on earth with the desire of courting the moon. 

 

For me these birds are attached to my childhood and to the person that showed me the magic that the hummingbirds carried with them. 

 

From the multiple meanings attributed to the hummingbirds,“Joy” will be the most significant one in my personal experience. These lovely birds are indeed, a mystic beings that cheered me up whenever they appear in my way. My most important childhood memories are attached to these birds, and the countless times that my grandfather drew them for me. Little did he know that he was teaching me something that ended up being my biggest passion in life. 

 

My grandfather passed away when I was just 9 years old, but the memories of him drawing hummingbirds are carved in mind. These birds are through my eyes the secret whispers of my grandfather's soul, that have continued to guide me even after his death. 

 

This collection of artworks is a disclosure of the messages carried by hummingbirds as well as a tribute to my grandfather. The main intention of these pieces is to inspire the viewer to unveil both the magic and the meaning behind these messages that best fit their own personal beliefs.

 

Hummingbird, a messenger from the gods : 

Symbolizes harmony, beauty, truth, strength, gratitude, healing, energy, joy, good luck, wisdom. 

 

good luck : Some have considered the hummingbird to be “magic” because of its speed and ability to appear and disappear so quickly. The ancient Mayan’s believed that the hummingbird was the “sun in disguise” that appears in a hummingbird form to court the moon.

 

strength : Huitzilopochtli, the most powerful Aztec god was thought to be half man, half bird. The Aztecs believed the god was made of hummingbird feathers that fell from the sky.

 

healing : A beautiful Cherokee legend tells a story about the hummingbird retrieving the tobacco plant from the evil goose Dagul’ku. An older woman was dying without tobacco, and the hummingbird saved her life by bringing back the plant.

 

gratitude : People believed that the Native American hummingbird was created from flowers. This is why the bird returns every spring to show its gratitude to flowers.

 

joy : Mojave folklore tells about people living underground in darkness until the hummingbird found a path to the upper world.

 

harmony : Another common belief among African cultures is that birds represent the highest state of perfection. The human soul, when it reaches the highest form, becomes a bird.Furthermore, the African continent has its hummingbirds known as sunbirds. The sunbirds are feeding on nectar, just like hummingbirds.

 

energy : Huitzilopochtli was depicted as a half-man half hummingbird creature, the powerful God of the sun

 

truth : The Inca believed that the hummingbird was a messenger from heaven.