On one level, this fable illustrates the deceptive nature of first appearances and teaches us that true beauty grows from within. Swan, in teaching us that we all have inner grace and beauty, teaches self-esteem.
Swan symbolizes grace and beauty on many levels.
It is associated with love, music, and poetry. In Roman mythology Swan was sacred to Venus, the goddess of love. In Greek tradition, this bird was often pictured singing to a lyre. The cloaks of the Irish bards, who were both poets and musicians, were made of swan feathers, and in the Irish saga, the Children of Lir, when turned into swans, sang so sweetly that all who heard them, were calmed and slept peacefully. This and other Celtic legends of the transformation of humans into swans illustrate the deepest meaning of Swan medicine.