Many cultures believe eagle feathers hold special powers and consider them very valuable to own.  These stories tell the history behind these beliefs.
   One time a party of Delawares were chased by the Pawnees up a tall hill in their hunting grounds. Here the desperate chief warrior sacrificed his own horse to the tutelar spirit.  Suddenly an eagle coming down from the sky carried his horse off in its' talons and dropped a feather from its' wing.  The chief caught it happily and led his people down the hill right through the enemy and not one of the Delawares got hurt.
   Long ago, a Cheyenne man  went on a vision quest.  He climbed high into the mountains where he  fasted and prayed for five days.  He prayed that a powerful being would come and help him cure  his troubles.  He thought he heard  a voice telling him to be brave, no matter what he might see.  Then seven eagles appeared, and one of them started speaking to him.  "Look at my feathers and see how they can be used to help you and your people."  The eagle taught him how to make headdresses and ornaments from feathers and told the man that if his people used just eagle feathers, it would help them win battles.  Then the eagles shook out feathers, which the man took home.  His people made him a chief for bringing them the feathers.
     Many legends from around the world, especially from northern peoples, tell of the Thunderbird, a giant eagle.  In the beginning the Thunderbird lived in an almost empty world with the Dene people of the icy tundra.  The Thunderbird flew across the ocean, just touching it with his wing tips.  This caused the earth to rise from the ocean bottom and float on the surface of the water.  Another Thunderbird myth from northern asia says when the Thunderbird dies, his heart is immortal and hangs from a thread in the sky.  The beating of the heart makes thunder and after awhile the Thunderbird regenerates.
     Zeus, the king of the greek gods is always accompanied by an eagle.  The Roman god Jove also used an eagle as his messenger.  They believed if a general saw an eagle before a battle they would win.