The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-11-19
BIRD SUPERSTITIONS.
QUEER BELIEFS FOUND IN THE FOLK
LORE OF MANY NATIONS.


Among the Oldest Are Those Relating to
The Common Cock-Origin of Rome's
Sacred Goose-The Sacred Ibis Of Egypt.
The Robins Red Breast.
Birds have held u prominent place i'll
the religious life of man from the earliest
times. They seem to be connected in one
way or another with the superstitions and
the folklore of every nation, civilized or
savage.
Among the oldest superstitions are those
relating to the common cock and hen.
These fowls were carefully watched and
.tudicd by the ancient au"lrs, particular
,uricc being taken Of the time and place
# their growing, which was interpreted
ior good or evil III the Bible the cock i
conspicuous 1T the time whcn Peter denied
his master. 1t is said it, figure on church
-l,ir,.- vas placed there t. remind mon vi
his circumstance In the carly hours Of
INC morning the cock crows q warning 10
the dead Us wcu as to the living. and all
ghosts that are wandering about the earth
must return TO the land of spirits.
Mohammrd declared that in Il revelation
he SAW i'll the first heaven cock 80 large
that his crest touched the floor of the sec
ond heaven. The growing of this celestial
bird arouscS from sleep every living crCa-
ture except man. When this cock ceases TO
crow. tie Judgment day will be Mt hand.
With the ancient Romans the goose was
sacred bird During tho invasion of
Rome by tho Gauls a detachment of sol
dicrs 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 i'll
the temple of Juno. The geese began to
cackle and awakened the garrison, when
Marcus Alanlus rushed to the wall and
threw the lucklcss Gaul back. In com
memoration of this event the Romans car
ricd a sacred goose i'll procession to the
capitol each year.
According to Greek mythology Argus
| WAS set to watch 10, who had been changed
into Il COW. Hcrrles, ordered TO release 10,
lullcd Argus to sleep with the music of n
shepherd 5 pipe and then killed him. Hera
(Tuno} set Argus hundred eyes in the tail
OF her fav0ritc bird, the peacock
This bird. among the carly Christians,
| vas cmblcmatic of q glorificd body. Its
feathers have adorned many Il throne, and
were at 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
symholiZc the light and the Shade OF the
moon. 1t was the incarnation of the god
Thoth, who i'll the guisc of this bird
escaped the wrath of Typhon. 1t, is said
that its feathers would scare and even XIII
| the crocodile The bird was believed to
lniit-nr, fran, Nviupp1 and ptbpr
penis that came from Arabia. 1t WAS cclc-
bratcd for its purity and drank only the
purcs6 water. Its love for Egypt was
thought 10 bc 50 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 tiiial 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 arc built for
the storks, and it is IL fortunate thing for
q 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, signifyiEg the seven gifts of the
Holy Spirit. Holding an olive branch, the
dove is cmblenatic of peace, and when
seen issuing from the lips of dying saints
and martyrs it represents the human soul
purified by suffering.
Mohammcd had pigeon that was taught
to pick grains of wheat from his ear that
it might be thought that the bird brought
him messages from heaven. There is a
superstition that any one sprinklcd with
the blood of a pigeon will never die q nat
ural death a sculptor carrying hoe a.
bust of Charles | stopped to rest By /,
way. At that moment a pigeon was st.llr.
by II 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 bchcaGed short
ly afterward.
In England and America the robin req
breast - welcomed rs the harbingJr Of
spring. Tho joyful melodies that he pouTs
forth foretell a bountiful harvest. There
is n tradition that when the Saviour was
on his way to Calvary "a robin plucked "a
thorn from his crown and the blood that
issued from the wound fell upon the breast
OF inc ijlltl ana uNCu IL req. II was once
q 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
love. In popular superstition it is an evil
omen, fOrcboding death and dcsolation.
II was the favoritc bird of Odin, the SUI
premc deity Of the Scandinavians. He lad
one on each shoulder, and they told him
of all things OF heaven and earth.
Equally unlucky is the crow. When one
flies over Il house and cawS thrice, It is
said to forctcll death. Grows seen to the
left of the observer signilya loss OF money.
There are two occasions, however, when
the crow is good omen-nine crows in
row on fence foretell speedy marriage,
and i white crow in a flock means the in
hcritanCc Of I; fortune.
The swallow is bird that brings good
fortune. It is said TO carry pebble from
shc scashorc to give sight to its young
The cuckoo tells the length of life and in
forms maidenS when they will be married.
Il is called the 'rainbird, from the err
roneous notion that it cooes only before a
storm.
The hooting of the owl is believed by
some persons to foretcll death, while
others say it means change in the wealth
cr--Louis +. Seaber in Philadelphia
Times.