The blood eagle apparently appears only twice in Icelandic sagas, with Smithsonian adding that the ritual is mentioned in nine historical accounts written in both Old Norse and Latin. In each account ...

The Vikings executed enemies with the "blood eagle." "Blood eagle" execution is described in medieval Scandinavian texts, but it may have just been a gruesome idea, rather than a real practice.

Eli Federman’s op-ed “The Bald Eagle Is Heaven-Sent” (Dec. 31) brings to mind the beautiful hymn “On Eagle’s Wings,” which is often sung both at Roman Catholic funeral Masses and at ...