The Splendour of the Peacock

Hey everyone, I hope you all had a weekend which is full of interesting experiences and otherwise you are doing well so far! In this article I would like to write something about a unique animal and hope you are able to expand your knowledge.

Some time ago, when I visited the palace of the former dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in Bucharest, I discovered this magnificent peacock which made himself comfortable in the front part of the garden and it was the first time for me to be able to examine this animal as well as the behaviour more closely. It's no wonder that in some cultures the peacock is a symbol of beauty which in mythology is sometimes even considered as a divine creature as in the Greek mythology in which it's associated with the goddess Hera and here there is the legend that the feathers of peacock the have been decorated with the eyes of Argos. According to Greek mythology, Argos is a giant who had eyes all over his body, but the peacock also plays an important role in other cultures such as in India where it was often considered as a sign of enlightenment or even immortality and also here it was considered a divine being according to mythology.

An outstanding property is the volume of the animal and it's typical to perceive a loud sound from them which can be particularly loud during the mating season and here too, there are again some legends from mythology which claim this scream had a special meaning and could stand for the transition of the seasons. Even if it's rather rarer and most consider the lion as the king of animals, the peacock is also rarely described as a ruler within nature who, in addition to the animal world, should also embody other aspects of nature such as the flora. Anyone who has already dealt with mythologies in the past will know that there are often similarities as well as with the peacock and in different cultures it was considered as guardian of worlds and even if there are different legends, in many of these the peacock is referred to as guardian of heaven or gates. There are different types of peacocks and even more symbolic meanings that prove in every respect what a symbolic animal it is.

The animal has a very special importance in India where it has even been appointed National Animal and it's also interesting that only the males have these conspicuous feathers while the females lead a much more inconspicuous existence and the males use it on the one hand to send warnings to attackers and on the other hand to camouflage themselves. In nature they are true survivalists and this is reflected in many areas and especially in the diet can be observed how a peacock can eat plants which are completely dangerous for other animals and even when it comes to choosing the right sleeping place the peacock is extremely flexible. Even if the peacock is able to fly, it usually covers shorter distances, which can be attributed to the enormous weight and in any case the peacock has a long lifespan and especially in nature it lives even longer.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you could learn something new! I captured these pictures with my Sony Alpha 6000 plus 55-210 mm lens.