The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-19
suPERsr1TIONs ABOUT BIRDS.
some Queer Beliefs Found in the
Folk Lore of Many Nations.
From the Philadelphia Times.

Birds have held prominent place
~. religious life of man from the eal
lest times They seem 10 be connected
IN ane way or another, with the superst
tions and the folklore of every nation
civilized or savage.
Among the Oldest superstitions are thos
relating to the common cock and her
These fowls were carefully watched an
studied by the ancient augurs, particu
lar notice being taken of the time an
Mace of their Growing, which was inter
nreted for good or evil. In the Bible tn
cock is conspicuous at the time when Pc
Tor denied his Master. 1t is said its fig
mr.. on church spires was placed Their
to remind men of this circumstance. i
the early hours of the morning the cocl
crows a warning to the dead, as well a
10 the living, and all ghosts that are way
dering about the earth must return to Il
land NJ spirits.
Nlhomet declared that, in a revelath
he saw in the first heaven a cock so Ege
mat his crest touched the floor q the
second heaven. The growing of IF CO.
lestiaI bird arouses from sleep everything
creature except man. When th5 COCK
ceases to crow the judgment day"ll De
at hand
In Persia the growing of coqyls sign
of some event affecting the fanny ana the
master of the house hasteuslo feel the
birds feet. If they are colTI IS pre-
nonition of death; but if tW are warm
the sign is propitious, and Ee master re-
joces in coming good fortfe.
The hen is not so higB respected as
the cock. and her crowi1 is generally a
thing not to be toleratedtln many places
1t forebodes death.
With the ancient RonShs the goose was
a sacred bird. Durig the invasion OF
Rome by the Gauls SdetachmeIt Oh sot-
diers in single file preceded up the hlil OF
the ca1itol so sileny that the leader
reached the TOP witout being challenged,
bnr when he was Aimbing over the wall
tbe noise DISTURBED some sacred geese in
the Temple of Jub. The geese began to
cacll,e and awakhed the garrison, when
Marcus Manilusf rushed to the wall and
threw the luckUss Gaul back. In com
memoration of his event the Romans car
ried a sacred g'ose IN procession 10 the
capitol each yer
According to Greek mythology Argus
was set to watCh 10, who had been changed
INTO a COW. Hermes, ordered to release
To- lulled Arfus to sleep with the music
of a shepherds pipe, and then killed him
Hera Juno set Argus hundred eyes in
the tail Of her favorite bird the peacock.
This Jrd, among the early Christians
was e6blematic of a g.oritied body. It's
feathfrs have adorned many throne, and
wereat one time among the ornaments of
theh[iugs of England. They are the in
sg hia of rank in China, and the wearing
of them is a charm against the evil
spirit. By some persons they are consid-
cred particularly unlucky but this super
stition is dying out, and they are regain
ing their former popularity.
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 guise 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
10 deliver Egypt from winged and other
serpents that came from Arabia. 1t was
celebrated for it's purity and drank only
the purest water. It's love for Egypt was
thought to be so great that the bird would
die of self-starvation if transported else
where. 1t was so deeply venerated that
It entered the most sacred temples with
impunity and to kill one, even by acct
dent was a crime punishable with death.
After DEATH its body was embalmed, and
thousands of their remains have been
found at Thebes, at Memphis and at other
Egyptian cities
The stork was probably considered more
sacred that any other bird, except the ibis.
II was the type of filial attachment among
the Greeks, the Romans and the Hebrews,
woo believed that the young repaid the
care OF their parents by remaining with
tnem through life, and attending them in
Oh age. In Holland boxes are built for
the storks, and it is a fortunate thing for
household TO have the box occupied.
The dove has been largely employed in
christian art, representing peace and pur-
ny 1t was the dove, you know, that
Moan sent forth from the ark to find dry
Idhd Ii has been represented with seven
rays proceeding from it, terminating in
seven stars, signifying the seven gifts of
me Holy Spirit Holding an olive branch.
the dove is emblematic of peace, and when
seen issuing from the lips of dying saints
ana martyrs it represents the human soul
purified by suffering.
Mahomet had a pigeon that was taught
10 puck grains of wheat from his ear, that
II might be thought that the bird brought
MN messages from heaven. There is a
superstition that anyone sprlnkled with
Tue blood of pigeon will never die a nat
Slal death, sculptor carrying home a
oust OF Charles l., stopped TO rest by the
way AT that moment a pigeon was
struck by hawk overhead, and the blood
VI VI 'ne bird fell upon the neck of the bust
lue incident led to the superstition, when
se Unfortunate monarch was beheaded,
shortly afterwards.
III England and America the robin red
uleast is welcomed as the harblnger of
spring The joyful melodies that he pours
ttO''A ioretell a bountiful harvest. There
- d Tradition that, when the Saviour was
Va MS way to Calvary, a robin plucked a
;tlo'n rom his crown, and the blood that
lssuea rom the wound fell upon the breast
VI me bird, and dyed it red. 1t was once
prevailing belief in England that the
aooh will cover with leaves the body of
my ~ uead person that it may find
inere are many superstitions connected
t kun me raven. 1t is spoken of in the BIZ
Nv ' as an instance of Gods protecting love-
a. popular supertition, il is an evil omen,
n, Pooling death and desolation 1t was
w W. 80 tsaEorte bird of Odin. the supreme del
e,, 'ae Scandinavians He had one on
tbia. shoulder, and they told him of all
i'es OIL heaven and of earth
is5a'aHus Pontanus tells of two skirm-
and near Beneventum between ravens
tes h G.'es hat foretold great battle. Bat
case ''Fe thus been foreshadowed in many
Nv ~ 1t Is sign of death for a raven to
birl. dwelling. 1t is said that these
dean warned Cicero of his approaching
one ny nuttering about his house, and
N4ttItQ his n m har, on fha wary daU