Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1894-04-25
THE ROBIN IN FOLKLORE.

A Famous Friend OF MankInd-Its
Place In Sacred HfstorT-Some
Quaint Coneeits.
Is. N. H. 9. In the New York Evening Post
Among the many varieties of the feath-
cred kind that find their way back to these
elimes from day to day, at this time of the
year, there is none, perhaps, that receives
90 hearty aud warm a welcome as the
cheerful robin. To be sure the farmers,
and particularly the fruit-growers, In some
Of our Southern and Western states, look
upon him with an unkind eye, and often
wish him any where else than where we
love to see him. But even they, far down
in their heart of hearts, must eomshow re-
io'ce to hear their gsrrulous visitor, not
withstsndins their pre- judiee.
The fondness that Is generally felt In
this country, outside of these particular
circles, for what we designate the robin,
and which has In several states resulted in
the enactment of stringent laws prohibi-
ting the wsnton slaughter that lie some
times carried on In other parts of the con-
tnent where its members are more plsnti-
full, 10 undoubtedly derived from the sen-
timent prevalent in Europe. The Amsri-
can robin is, III fact, wholly unrelated to
the European robin of ornithoIogy and of
folklore, being actually q variety of the
thrush, and about twice ss large in size
But, as has been the case with some other
birds In other parts of 'he world, q Ger
tain similarity of marking and colorirg
has afforded the opportunity 10 extend
over IL the mantle of charity and kindness,
as well IS of legend. that has for 80 many
years existed among the Anelo-Ssxons and
other races. And what wss in the begin
ming an error or whim of our ancestors
has to-day become an accepted matter of
course.
From time immsmorisl, when the fruits
and products of the earth were considered
the Common heritage of sll creation, the
rob- or the redbreast, the
bird whom mAn loves best
The pious bird with the scsriet breast"
as Wordsworth says, has been regarded
with this same feeling of affection; and,
as 1t universally requires two parties TO
constitute q friendship, the robin has been
generally presumed to reoiprocaie In kind,
and to entertain for man and his fortunes
the most genuine sympathy and solicitude.
What was the origin of this queer but
pretty belief, or why the redbreast should
have been chosen in preference to others
of its relations, Ii is difficult to say. Per-
haps 1t was because, as q northern tale in
forms MS, be was commonly thought TO
have Q drop of the Ssviour's blood In his
veins. At any rate there 10 no doubt that
he is frequently, and occasionally very in
timstely, associated with sacred history,
both In song and nursery ditty, as well ss
in old mothers tales; and IL is quite posi-
bly, due to this fact, aside from the nhtu-
raj attributes of the robin, that his posi-
ton In the popular esteem for 60 many
centuries 10 due.
There is no prettier story, 10 All this sx
tensive and curious literature, than that Of
/ the peasants and rural folk of aLciept
Brittany, In France, which is told the chill
dren to this day. "Ths robin,n they SAY.
Twas among the birds that witnessed the
crucifxion of our Lord upon Calvary,
and, more thoughtful and plying than the
others, was engaged In viping away with
bis wings the tears that coursed down the
Saviour's cheeks, and removing tie cruel
thorns that lscersted his brow, when g
drop of the blood fell npon his breast, dy-
Ing 1t the crimson that IL has erei re-
| msined. The Saviour, beholdius tbis,
blessed the robin. exclaimipg, Wherever
thou goest, happiness and Joy shall follow
thee. Blue as the heavens shall bs thy
eggs. and, from henceforth, thou shalt be
the Bird of God, snd bearer of good It'd
| ipgs.' And 30 1t is," they continue, THAT
| the robin is 30 loved by mankind, and
| should be treated with such gsntleness. {"
Another version, so common to the west
ern coast Of France, declares that the rob
in's own breast was punctured by the
| thorns, for which he was endowed with
perpetual existence, and the power of en-
riching Young peasant girl every year, as
we'll as with other gifts.
It is but natural to suppose that the kill.
| ing or harmipg of bird 30 connected by
the popular fancy With sacred narrative
should come to bs regarded In the light of
| o grave and odious sin, the commission of
| which inevitably involved the perpetrstor
| in misfortupe aud oalsmity. So frm has
been this belief that, In times gone By, In
some countries, the penalty was said to be
no less than sudden or violent death itself,
or the contraction of some dreadful mals.
| dy, such as the leprosy or scrofula; and
there is q curious proverb still extant in
certain parts of England, as well as in
Holland, that the offender will surely Euf.
/ fer broken limb before the end of the
| week. The Bohemians assert that the kill.
| ing of q robin. or the hsrryiug of it's nest,
entails q trembling of the hands. which
| would appear to have come analogy TO the
| superstition of the mountaineers of the
italian and Austrian Tryol, that the pun.
isnment for such misconduct will be eth.
or st. Vitus' dance or epilepsy. In Ger
many and In Yorkshire and other counties
of England the affections are thought to
extend not only to the guilty person, but
to his whole family as well; and q vagary
that 10 said to have prevailed among the
about the middle of the last century, and
which was without doubt brought by the
colonists from some of the rural English
districts, where II is known to have tesn
common, was to tie effect that the pro-
ducts of the dairy would, for Q considers.
BILE period, be tainted with blood.
/ An anecdote is told In ons of the early
numbers of "Noies and Queries" !" series 1
volume 8, which win, perhaps, be Of In