Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1880-06-09

Extraordinary honors were paid the
g oose In ancient times; and it is still
held in great veneration by some ofthe
Eastern nations. The figure that oc-
ours so frequently on Buddhist monu-
ments is the Brahmanese goose. The
ancient Britons, according to Caesar,
held 1t impious to eat the flesh of goose.
The ibis was another bird held in the
greatest sanctity by the old Egyptians.
There are still numerous pits contain
ing ibis mummies in that country. The
largest 0: them, little TO the westward
OF the pyramid Of Aboutir, is about
twenty feet deep. The floor of this pit,
for probably depth Of many feet, is
covered with heaps on heaps, and lay
ers on LAYERS, of coarse earthen jars,
the lids cemented down, containing
each the body OF an ibis, preserved
with bitumen and enclosed In numer-
Gus folds OF narrow cloth bandages.
Some of the mummies are found in a
state of great preservation-blsck and
charred, and incapable of being taken
whole out of the bandages, but all the
bones, the heads, and all the feathers
entire. Whether these animals were
thus embalmed and brought TO this
place of burial whenever found dead,
or whether collected here only as OBJ
jects of worship, is question OF which
no ancient authority assists In the solu-
ton. The Mohammedans have great
veneration and esteem for the stork.
Ir is almost as sacred with them as the
ibis was with the Egyptians; and they
would look upon person as profane
who should kill, or even harm one.
So precious were these birds held in
Thessaly, which country they are said
TO have cleared of serpents, that the
slayer of stork was punished with
death. They were thought much Of at
Rome; for when person, from afreak
of luxury, ordered 1t to be placed on
his dinner table, he drew upon himself
the direful obloquy of the whole city.
The robin is considered in several
countries sacred bird; 10 kill one is
little less than sacrilege, and its eggs
are free from the hands of the bird
master. IL is asserted that the respect
shown to il by man is Joined in by the
ANIMALS of the wood. The weasel and
the wild cat, it is said, will never mo
lest it when killed. One cause for the
yeneration In which 1t is held may be
the superstition which represents 1t as
the medium through which mankind
are wared of approaching death. Before
the decease of person. robin is be-
lieved, in many instances, to tap thrice
at the window of the room in which
the sick person is lying. Grimm says
that the peculiar veneration with
which this bird is treated has been
shown by the whole German race from
remote times; and he refers to the
birds color and Its name as evidence
that it was sacred to Thor, the god OF
lightning. The swallow, too, in Ger
many is everywhere deemed sacred
Bird. Like the stork, il preserves the
house OH which II builds its nest from
fire and lightning. The Spanish peas
ants have tradition that it was swal-
low that tried to pluck the thorns out
of the crown of Christ as he hung upon
the cross hence they have a great rev.
ere nee for this bird. and will never de-
stroy it. In parts of France the wren
is a sacred bird. To kill it or rob its
nest is deemed an atrocity which will
bring down the lightning on the culp-
rit's dwelling. Such an act was also
regarded with horror in Scotland.
The whydah bird and the water
wagtail are held sacred by the natives
of several parts Of Africa. Among the
Mandan Indians the dove is held SO
sacred that neither man, woman, nor
child will injnre it; indeed, the Man.
dan Indians declare that even their
dogs, ferocious as they are, instructive
ly respect that bird.