History Main / DovesMeanPeace

* The UsefulNotes/OlympicGames opening ceremonies originally had a tradition (starting in 1920 after UsefulNotes/WorldWarI) of releasing doves as a sign of peace. This ended after an incident in the 1988 Seoul games where the doves perched on the Olympic Cauldron and were burned to death when it was lit; and in the years since the ceremonies have incorporated symbolic dove imagery instead.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_dove Release doves]] are doves that are held in captivity and then released into the wild as part of certain ceremonies, such as weddings (to symbolize a new lifelong bond between the couple) and funerals (as if the dove is the soul of the deceased who is moving on into the afterlife). However, this practice has largely gone out of style due to ethical concerns regarding the treatment of release doves held in captivity and the possibility that they may be unable to find their way home or get killed in accidents or by predators while en route, so some events instead use dove-shaped balloons or other, much-less-harmful ways to celebrate whatever occasion.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_dove Release doves]] are doves that are held in captivity and then released into the wild as part of certain ceremonies, such as weddings (to symbolize a new lifelong bond between the couple) and funerals (as if the dove is the soul of the deceased who is moving on into the afterlife). However, this practice has gone out of style due to ethical concerns regarding the treatment of release doves held in captivity and the possibility that they may be unable to find their way home or get killed in accidents or by predators while en route, so some events instead use dove-shaped balloons.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_dove Release doves]] are doves that are held in captivity and then released into the wild as part of certain ceremonies, such as weddings (to symbolize a new lifelong bond between the couple) and funerals (to represent passing into the afterlife). However, this practice has gone out of style due to ethical concerns regarding the treatment of release doves held in captivity and the possibility that they may be unable to find their way home or get killed in accidents or by predators while en route, so some events instead use dove-shaped balloons.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_dove Release doves]] are doves that are held in captivity and then released into the wild as part of certain ceremonies, such as weddings (to symbolize a new lifelong bond between the couple) and funerals (to represent passing into the afterlife). However, this practice has gone out of style due to ethical concerns regarding the treatment of release doves held in captivity and the possibility that they may be unable to find their way home or get killed in accidents or by predators, so some events instead use dove-shaped balloons.

* [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Release_dove Release doves]] are doves that are held in captivity and then released into the wild as part of certain ceremonies, such as weddings. However, this practice has gone out of style due to ethical concerns regarding the treatment of release doves held in captivity and the possibility that they may be unable to find their way home or get killed in accidents or by predators.

[[folder:Film - Live-Action]]

* In ''Anime/VoltesV'', the symbol of the anti-slave rebellion leader, [[FallenPrincess Prince]] [[TheGoodKing Gohl]], is a set of twin doves. [[spoiler: It becomes an important plot point when [[EvilPrince Prince]] [[PrettyBoy Heinel]] pulls out his dagger and Gohl recognizes the doves on it. When he asks him where he got it, Heinel replies that his mother promised it to him during her pregnancy, before her DeathByChildbirth. Gohl then comes to the realization that the same Prince who has been crushing his rebellion all along [[LukeIAmYourFather was the child]] of him and his first wife, [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth Lozaria]].]]

* In ''Anime/VoltesV'', the symbol of the anti-slave rebellion leader, [[FallenPrincess Prince]] [[TheGoodKing Gohl]], is a set of twin doves. [[spoiler: It becomes an important plot point when [[EvilPrince Prince]] [[PrettyBoy Heinel]] pulls out his dagger and Gohl recognizes the doves on it. When he asks him where he got it, Heinel replies that his mother, gave it to him. Gohl then comes to the realization that the same Prince who has been crushing his rebellion all along [[LukeIAmYourFather was the child]] of him and his first wife, [[TooGoodForThisSinfulEarth Lozaria]].]]

This trope is OlderThanFeudalism; Literature/TheBible depicts doves as being manifestations of the Holy Spirit and [[{{God}} God's]] personal messengers, which would explain its popularity in religious imagery. This is in turn inheritted from a long history of these birds as sacred in the Levant.

In media, it is fairly common to depict doves as a symbol of peace. This can appear either in the form of a peace offering being a dove, a dove (or dove-like) character being a pacifist, or even a major event being symbolized by a dove. Doves can also be used in this context as symbols of love and other positive emotions, to the point of even belonging to a GoddessOfLove. Usually, when doves are depicted this way, they usually carry an olive branch in their beaks (due to the associations of olive branches with peace). This trope extends to pigeons as well, since it's just a different name for the dove. May also show up as RuleOfSymbolism.

** After the [[TheGreatFlood Flood of Noah]], Noah sends out a dive to search for land. It returns carrying back an olive branch representing that the violent flood is over - possibly the TropeMaker, or at least TropeCodifier.

* In UsefulNotes/{{Islam}}, doves and the pidgeon family are widely respected, due to the belief that they assisted UsefulNotes/TheProphetMuhammad in distracting his enemies outside the cave of Thaw'r in the great Hijira. Due to a pair of pigeons (alongside a spider weaving its cobwebs) laying their eggs and building a nest, Muhammad's enemies believed that he couldn't actually be in that cave (even though he was in there), which likely saved him.

* ''Wiki/SCPFoundation'': [[https://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-514 SCP-514]] invokes this. A flock of anomalous doves that generate a field of influence around themselves which cause all weapons to malfunction and fall apart, and even cause negative and aggressive emotions to fade.

* Discussed in the ''TabletopGame/MagicTheGathering'' card [[https://scryfall.com/card/bng/24/plea-for-guidance Plea for Guidance]], where unlike most other planes doves in Theros (a set inspired by Ancient Greece) don't represent peace but rather discovery.

* ''Myth/ClassicalMythology'': Doves are associated with the Greek Goddess Aphrodite, who was a GoddessOfLove. Her association with doves also spread to Venus (God of love, beauty, desire, sex, fertility, prosperity, and victory), and Fortuna (Goddess of Fortune), causing the dove to become associated with them as well.

Sub-trope of DivineBirds. Contrast PeskyPigeons. Compare NobleBirdOfPrey and BluebirdOfHappiness for another example of birds being depicted with positive traits. Related to DisturbedDoves.

* ''WesternAnimation/PhineasAndFerb'': In "Day of the Living Gelatin", Jenny's gelatin sculpture takes the form of a dove to symbolize her desire for world peace.
* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'': The episode "[[Recap/TheSimpsonsS9E9RealtyBites Realty Bites]]" has Marge become a real estate agent and sell a house to the Flanders. She neglects to tell them its a house where people got murdered. Marge is constantly worried the same thing might happen to the Flanders to the point she imagines the Dove on Ned's check urging her to tell them the truth.

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'': Played for tragic irony with the Arkbird; a giant low-orbiting spacecraft whose aerodynamic, almost angelic design evokes the imagery of a white dove. The Arkbird was initially built as a collaboration between two superpowers and former rivals, the Osean Federation and the Union of Yuktobanian Republics, and thus became a symbol of peace and cooperation between them. Rather than being used for warfare as it was originally conceived during their previous arms race, the Arkbird was deployed to destroy orbiting asteroid fragments [[VideoGame/AceCombat04ShatteredSkies following the Ulysses disaster]], and served as the site of treaties aimed at reducing the number of strategic arms and nuclear weapons worldwide. All was well and good... until a full-scale war suddenly breaks out between Osea and Yuktobania. The escalating conflict leads Osea to deploy the Arkbird once more during the events of the game, this time as a weapon to counter Yuktobania's ballistic missile submarines [[from above with its orbital laser]]. While this gives Osean forces a significant advantage over the enemy, your wingmate Kei Nagase laments that her beloved "white bird of peace" is now being used for warfare. [[spoiler:This comes to a head when the Grey Men -- [[LetsYouAndHimFight a sinister third party who orchestrated the war from the beginning]] -- secretly sabotage, hijack, and equip the Arkbird with a nuclear warhead to carry out a FalseFlagOperation, further perverting the Arkbird's purpose and forcing your squadron to destroy it before the Grey Men succeed in worsening the conflict.]]

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'': Played for tragic irony with the Arkbird; a giant, low-orbiting spacecraft whose sweeping, aerodynamic design evokes the imagery of a white dove. Originally built by the Osean Federation as a superweapon designed to shoot down submarine-launched ballistic missiles, it became a symbol of peace with the Union of Yuktobanian Republics following a cold war between the two superpowers, and later served as the site of treaties aimed at reducing the number of strategic arms and nuclear weapons worldwide. It is even described at one point as a "white bird of peace." However, during the events of the game, the ongoing war between Osea and Yuktobania leads to the former deploying the Arkbird in combat once again, and while this gives the Oseans the upper hand, your wingmate Kei Nagase is saddened to see her beloved symbol of peace corrupted in this manner. [[spoiler:This comes to a head when the Grey Men -- [[LetsYouAndHimFight a sinister third party who orchestrated the war in the first place]] -- secretly sabotage, hijack, and equip the Arkbird with a nuclear warhead to carry out a FalseFlagOperation, further perverting the Arkbird's purpose and forcing your squadron to destroy it before the Grey Men succeed in escalating the conflict.]]

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'': Played for tragic irony with the Arkbird; a giant, low-orbiting spacecraft whose sweeping, aerodynamic design evokes the imagery of a white dove. Originally built by the Osean Federation as a superweapon designed to shoot down submarine-launched ballistic missiles, it became a symbol of peace with the Union of Yuktobanian Republics following a cold war between the two superpowers, and later served as the site of treaties aimed at reducing the number of strategic arms and nuclear weapons worldwide. It is even described at one point as a "white bird of peace." However, during the events of the game, the ongoing war between Osea and Yuktobania leads to the former deploying the Arkbird in combat once again, and while this gives the Oseans the upper hand, your wingmate Kei Nagase is saddened to see her beloved symbol of peace corrupted in this manner. [[spoiler:This comes to a head when the Grey Men -- [[LetsYouAndHimFight a sinister third party who orchestrated the war in the first place]] -- sabotage, hijack, and equip the Arkbird with a nuclear warhead to carry out a FalseFlagOperation, further perverting the Arkbird's purpose and forcing your squadron to destroy it before the Grey Men succeed in escalating the conflict.]]

* ''VideoGame/AceCombat5TheUnsungWar'': Played for tragic irony with the Arkbird; a giant, low-orbiting spacecraft whose sweeping, aerodynamic design evokes the imagery of a white dove. Originally built by the Osean federation as a superweapon designed to shoot down submarine-launched ballistic missiles, it became a symbol of peace with the Union of Yuktobanian Republics following a cold war between the two superpowers, and later served as the site of treaties aimed at reducing the number of strategic arms and nuclear weapons worldwide. It is even described at one point as a "white bird of peace." However, during the events of the game, the ongoing war between Osea and Yuktobania leads to the former deploying the Arkbird in combat once again, and while this gives the Oseans the upper hand, your wingmate Kei Nagase is saddened to see her beloved symbol of peace corrupted in this manner. [[spoiler:This comes to a head when the Grey Men -- [[LetsYouAndHimFight a sinister third party who orchestrated the war in the first place]] -- sabotage, hijack, and equip the Arkbird with a nuclear warhead to carry out a FalseFlagOperation, further perverting the Arkbird's purpose and forcing your squadron to destroy it before the Grey Men succeed in escalating the conflict.]]