The vulture played an important role in ancient Egyptian culture, as well.  One of the most famous goddesses of the early nile was Mut, or Nekhbet, the female counterpart of the king of the gods.  Her name means "mother," and she was believed to have brought forth all that exists.  She is most commonly depicted with large wings and the head of a vulture.
          In Native American culture, the vulture was regarded as a very important totem animal.  Representing cleansing of the spirit and strength to accept difficulty, it was a spiritual figure for many.
The Vulture's Bad Reputation:
...it wasn't always this way...
"And I bore you upon wings of vultures
and brought you unto me."  (Ex. 19:4)
          The Hebrews chose to compare God with a vulture, in this verse, because of the bird's amazing talent of flight.  They admired the vultures ability to "float" on the air for long spans of time, without so much as flapping a wing. 
          Vultures are incredible birds.  In fact, they have been revered by many cultures throughout history.  One place we see this clearly is in the Hebrew texts of the Bible.
          Exodus 19:4 is translated in the King James version of the Bible as "I bore you on wings of eagles and brought you unto me."   But the Hebrew word "nesher," which is interpreted as "eagle" in many common translations, actually translates as "vulture" in English! 
          Here is the original Hebrew text:
          You are probably familiar with the North American stereotype of the vulture--harbinger of death, dirty and traitorous.  Why do we feel this way?  Why has our view of these marvelous creatures so changed through the years? 
          In Native American culture, the vulture was regarded as a very important totem animal.  Representing cleansing of the spirit and strength to accept difficulty, it was a spiritual figure for many.
          The vulture played an important role in ancient Egyptian culture, as well.  One of the most famous goddesses of the early nile was Mut, or Nekhbet, the female counterpart of the king of the gods.  Her name means "mother," and she was believed to have brought forth all that exists.  She is most commonly depicted with large wings and the head of a vulture.