As a high-flying raptor, the hawk shares much of the symbolism of the eagle. It is associated with light, royalty, power, the sun, watchfulness, and the heavens. Many solar gods have the hawk as an attribute or messenger. Gods portrayed in the form of hawks or as being hawk-headed are almost always Sun gods. Like the eagle, the true hawk was thought capable of staring directly into the Sun.
In political allegory hawks represent war, contrasted with doves representing peace.
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