The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-11-16

| Birds have held a prominent place in
the religious life of man from the earliest
| times They seem 10 be connected in ont
way or another with the superstitions and
the folklore of every nation, civilized oil
| savage
Among the oldest supcrstitions are those
relating TO the common cock and hen.
These fowls were carefully watched and
| studied by the ancient augurs, particular
notice being taken of the time and place
of their Growing, which was interpreted
for good or evil. In the Bible the cock is
conspicuous ut the time when Peter denied
his master. Ii is said its figure on church
spires was placed there TO remind men of
this circumstance. In the early hours of
| the morning the cock crows a warning to
the dead as well as to the living, and all
| ghosts that are wandering about the earth
must return to the land of spirits.
Mohammed declared that in revelation
he saw in the first heaven cock so large
that his crest touched the floor of the Sec
ond heaven. The Growing of this celestial
bird arouses from sleep every living crea-
ture except man. When this cock ceases to
crow, the judgment day will be at hand.
With the ancient Romans the goose was
a sacred bird During the invasion of
Rome by the Gauls detachment of sol
diers in single file proceeded up the hill of
the capitol so silently that the leader
reached the top without being challenged,
but when he was climbing over the wall
the noise disturbed some sacred geese in
the temple of Juno. The geese began To
cackle and awakened the garrison, when
Marcus Manlius rushed TO the wall and
threw the luckless Gaul back. In com
memoration of this event the Romans car
ried sacred goose in procession to the
capitol each year.
According to Greek mythology Argus
was set To watch To- who had been changed
into COW. Hermes. ordered to release 10,
lulled Argus to sleep with the music of IA
shepherd pipe and then killed him. Hera
(Juno) set Argus hundred eyes in the tail
of her favorite bird the peacock.
This bird among the early Christians
was emblematic of a glorihed body Its
feathers have adorned many n throne and
We're ut one time among the ornaments of
the kings of England.
The sacred ibis of the Egyptians was
supposed from the color of its feathers to
symbolic the light and the shade of the
moon. 1t was the incarnation of the god
Thoth, who in the guse of this bird
escaped the wrath of Typhon. 1t is said
that its feathers would scare and even kill
the crocodile. The bird was believed TO
deliver Egypt from winged and other SER
penis that came from Arabia. 1t was cele-
brated for its purity and drank only the
purest water. Its love for Egypt was
thought to be so great that the bird would
die of self starvation if transported else
where.
The stork was probably considered more
sacred that any other bird except the ibis.
1t was the type of tilial attachment among
the Greeks, the Romans and the Hebrews,
who believed that the young repaid the
care of their parents by remaining with
them through life and attending them in
old age. In Holland boxes are built for
the storks, and it is fortunate thing for
a household to have the box occupied.
The dove has been largely employed in
Christian art, representing peace and pu-
rity. TWAS the dove, you know, that Noah
sent forth from the ark to find dry land.
1t has been represented with seven rays
proceeding from it, terminating in seven
stars signifying the seven gifts of the
Holy Spirit Holding an olive branch, the
dove is emblematic of peace, and when
seen issuing from the lips of dying saints
and martyrs il represents the human soul
purified by suffering
Mohammed had pigeon that was taught
TO pick grains of wheat from his ear that
il might be thought that the bird brought
him messages from heaven. There is
superstition that any one sprinkled with
the blood of pigeon will never die a nat
ural death A sculptor carrying home
bust of Charles i stopped to rest by the
way. At that moment a pigeon was struck
by "a hawk overhead, and the blood of the
bird fell upon the neck of the bust The
incident led to the superstition when the
unfortunate monarch was beheaded short
ly afterward
In England and America the robin red
breast is welcomed as the harbinger of
spring. The joyful melodies that he pours
forth foretell "a bountiful harvest. There
is a tradition that when the Saviour was
on his way TO Calvary robin plucked
thorn from his crown and the blood that
issued from the wound fell upon the breast
of the bird and dyed it red 1t was once
a prevailing belief in England that the
robin will cover with leaves the body of
any dead person that it may find
There are many superstitions connected
with the raven. 1t is spoken of in the
Bible as an instance of Gods protecting
iONc' III populdr supcTstlllOH III Is All evil
omen foreboding death and desolation.
1t was the favorite bird of Odin, the SUI.
preme deity of the Scandinavians. He had
one on each shoulder and they told him
of all things of heaven and earth
Equally unlucky is the crow. When one
flies over house and caws thrice, it is
said to foreteil death Crows seen to the
left of the observer signify a loss of money.
There are two occasions, however, when
the crow is a good omen-nine crows i'm
a row on fence foretell speedy marriage,
and a white crow in flock means the in
heritance of fortune.
The swallow is bird that brings good
fortune. 1t is said to carry pebble from
the seashore to give sight to its young
The cuckoo tells the length of life and in
forms maidens when they will be married
1t is called the "ranbrd, from the err
roneous notion that it cooes only before
storm.
The hooting of the owl is believed by
some persons to foretell death, while
Others say IL means change In the wealth.
er.-Lcuis +. Seaber in Philadelphia
Times.