The Forrest City times., 1892-05-13
THE yAINEsT OF BIRDS.
THE PEAcock's PLACE IN THE
 CUSTOMS OF NATIONS.
Served as Food During the Middle Ages Looked on by Many as . Bird Of III Omen-used ss an Elm
 blem of Immortality.

never been considered tho precursor of bad luck. but in many parts of the country the possession of his feathers is believed to bring misfortune to the owner Every kind of loss will have to be sustained by the occupiers of the house they adorn. including ill., ness and death, and many country people even now. would be mortified if any one were unwittingly to bring under roof one or more of these feathers. It is further said that chill dren will never be healthy in rooms adorned with these iridescent plumcs and that it Is the unluckiest thing in the world to give them as playthings to the youngsters.
 As might be expected. the first bird received bad name in the land of it's birth says the Philadelphia Times. According to Mohammedan traditions, the peacock opened the wicket of paradise to admit the devil and eventually received an ample share of the devils own punishment though what losses this winged accessory be- fore the fact suffered are not stated perhaps they were a melodious voice and presentable feet.
 To Paradise, the Arabs say,
 Satan could never find the way
 Until the peacock led him in.
 In the likeness of u serpent Satan tempted Eve. and the punishment meted out to the associates in crime may be that the peacock shall here after consider his former friend his greatest enemy. This is the one use- full trait in the vain character Of the bird. and deserves placing on the re- cords--that he Is the deadly foe Of all snakes. harmless and venomous.
 The Yezidees, a remnant of the old Persian religion. which acknowledged the two principles of good and evil as antagonistic powers. chose the peacock as the representative of the evil prin- ciple Ahriman Pride. Believing that the evil principle is the strongest in this world. they considered that it was prudent to propitiate it by sacri- fee before its emblem. the peacock. though they also believed in the final triumph of the good principle. The Egyr.ians had of course. long before this arranged little narrative about the peacocks tail. They said it's feather is an emblem of an evil eye. or an ever watchful traitor in the house.
 Argus was the vigilant minister of Osiris king of Egypt When Osiris started on his Indian expedition he left his Queen Isis Regent and Argus her chief adviser. The latter. with his hundred eyes-secret spies--soon made himself so formidable that he seized the Queen Regent shut her up in a castle and proclaimed himself king of Egypt Mercury was sent against him with large army. took him captive and cut off his head whereupon Juno metamorphosed him into 5 peacock. and set his eyes in his tail.
 In the middle ages 1t was costum- ary to serve the peacock at great ban- quets with much pomp and ceremony. Over his carcass medi eval knights swore one of their most solemn VOWS the ladies being witnesses thereto The principals do not appear to have known any thing of the origin or meaning of the oath by the peacock. and there is reason therefore for be. lieving it to have been traditional and imported. Its incongruous com bina. ton with vows to God and the Virgin seem to show that it was Pagan oath Christianized in outward form by the aspersian of holy words. In l45S. Philip the Good. Duke of Burgundy. vowed 'by the peacock to go to the deliverance of nstantinople which had recently fallen into the hands o the Turks.
 At the conclusion of the tournament and banquet held by tue duke at Lille. Holy Mother church under disguise of lady in mourning. seated on ar elephant and escorted by giant ap proached the duke and delivered ( long, versifed complaint claiming tho aid and succor of the knights of tho Golden Fleece. The herald advanced. bearing on his fist live peacoch pheasant which according to the rites Of chivalry. he presented to ths duke. At this extraordinary summons. Philip. wise and aged prince. en. gagged his person and powers in tho Holy war against the Turks His ex, ample was initiated by the barons ant knights of the assembly: they swors to God. the Virgin. the ladies and ths peacock. lu this connection will bs recalled Praefs brilliant charade
 ..The Peacock and the Ladies. "
 A representative of the bird. witt train displayed is supposed to have been employed by the early Christian' to symbolic the resurrection of thu body and the immortality of the soul. It is of frequent occurrence as an em blem Tn the catacombs Of Rome. Ths fact appears to be that the peacock as an emblem of the resurrection sup planted the Phoenix. which used by the Egyptians seated on it's claws and with two human arms protrudins from is breast in an attitude Of pray CT as type of ,heir great astrono mical year came wita th@ latte fable of its rising from its ashes. tt symbolize immortality of the soul ant an after life.
 Not only does it thus appear or monuments and in windows but thu variegated feathers of the bird. or i'm itations of them in embroidery. were often used in early times as churcl decorations. The wings of angels moreover. were often represented al formed of the plumes.
 There was an old idea as to the in