WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
Birds in Legend, Fable and Folklore cover

Birds in Legend, Fable and Folklore

Chapter 18: INDEX
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

About This Book

A survey of myths, folktales and beliefs that examine the roles birds play in human imagination, ritual and symbolism. The author collects traditions linking birds to prophecy, migration lore, religious legends, heraldry, witchcraft, weather signs, and fabulous creatures, and traces how specific species and plumage traits acquire symbolic meanings. Chapters combine ethnographic anecdotes, comparative examples and historical legends, treating topics from augury and messenger-birds to popular explanations of species origins and lightning lore. The book closes with regional tales, a bibliography and an index to guide further reading.

INDEX

  • Abbey, founded by birds, 269
  • Adjutant Stork, stone in head of, 96
  • Aetites, or eagle-stone, 96
  • Albatross, raft-nest of, 76
  • Alectorius, a magic stone, 95
  • Alectromancy, 217
  • American eagle, 36
  • Ani, or Black Witch, see Jumbiebird.
  • Anka, mythical bird, 198
  • Arabian mythical birds, 193, 196
  • Ark, messengers from the, 99
  • Arthur, King, becomes a raven, 163
  • Arvenus, legend of Lake, 78
  • Asbestos, a bird’s skin, 195
  • Augury and Auspice defined, 214
  • Babes in the Wood, story, 116
  • Bennu, a sun-symbol, 195
  • Bestiaries described, 58
  • Bird-myths, origin of, 226, 253
  • Bird-of-Paradise, legends of, 63
  • Bird-superstitions rare in United States, 7
  • Birds, alleged hibernation of, 89
  • Birds as “Openers,” 249–253
  • Birds as pilots, 161
  • Birds as spirits, 10, 25, 189
  • Birds associated with monks and hermits, 262–271
  • Birds becoming gods, 18
  • Birds changing into other birds, 92
  • Birds connected with Lightning, 242–253
  • Birds, fabulous, explained, 202, 208, 226
  • Birds, lucky and unlucky, 25
  • Birds of Assyrian seals, 202
  • Birds of the Bosphorus, 16
  • Birds riding on bigger birds, 81
  • Birds transport souls, 190
  • Birds, variety of accounted for, 226–241
  • Bittern, breast-light of, 79
  • Blackbird, red-winged, 239
  • Blackbirds blackened by Raven, 229
  • Blackbirds once white, 233
  • Bluebird, mountain, 23, 240
  • Blue jay, legend of, 240
  • Bluejay visits the Devil, 166
  • Brahminy duck, sacred in Thibet, 18
  • Buffon denies song to American birds, 78
  • Bulbul, Persian nightingale, 48
  • Butcher-bird, alleged trick of, 79
  • Buzzard, turkey, features of, 227, 236, 241, 284
  • Chickens as weather-prophets, 221
  • Chickens used in augury, 216, 223
  • Chimney swift, Josselyn’s account of, 62
  • Chouans, named from owl’s cry, 187
  • Cinamros, Persian myth, 205
  • Cock, alectorius of, 96
  • Cock, as Gaulish emblem, 44
  • Cock, barnyard, a sun-bird, 218
  • Cock, Christian legends of, 109, 151
  • Cock, stoned on Shrove Tuesday, 123
  • Cormorants, legends of, 228, 231
  • Cranes carry away girl, 237
  • Crane’s foot, origin, 170
  • Cranes transport small birds, 83
  • Cranes war with Pygmies, 94
  • Crocodile-bird, legend of, 60
  • Crossbill, Christian legend of, 113
  • Crow, Chinese three-legged, 172
  • Crow, formerly white, 233
  • Crow, hooded, dread of, 165
  • Crow in Ghost Dance, 176
  • Crow, omens from, 213
  • Crows’-feet at eyes, 170
  • Crows visit the Devil, 166
  • Cuckoos as rain-prophets, 223
  • Cupid of the Gaels, 3
  • Curassow, legend of, 170
  • David beguiled by a pigeon, 259
  • Deluges, birds connected with, 98–108
  • Demonic birds, 52, 205
  • Devil’s birds, 166
  • Direction, element in divination, 8, 175, 213
  • Divination by birds, 212–217;
  • Dove and the Holy Grail, 137
  • Dove as bird of peace, 140
  • Dove, Christian legends of, 113, 139
  • Dove guides Cortez’s ship, 138
  • Dove instructs Pope Gregory, 133
  • Dove of St. Remi, 133, 137
  • Dove, revered in Islam, 135
  • Dove saves Genghis Khan, 141
  • Dove sent from the Ark, 101
  • Dove, symbol of Holy Ghost, 133, 134, 138
  • Dove, symbol of Ishtar, 127–132
  • Doves at Dodona, 130
  • Doves in Jewish sacrifice, 140
  • Doves in Solomonic legends, 259
  • Doves, prophetic, 5–9
  • Eagle, double-headed, 29, 33, 52
  • Eagle, emblem of St. John, 149
  • Eagle, golden, or war, 24, 35
  • Eagle, imperial, 30
  • Eagle-lecterns, origin of, 149
  • Eagle, legends of, 97
  • Eagle, Mexican harpy, 38
  • Eagle, myths about, 68, 73, 76
  • Eagle of Lagash, 28
  • Eagles, omens from, 213
  • Eagle-stone, or aetites, 96
  • Easter eggs, customs explained, 124
  • Eggs in mosques and churches, 54
  • Eskimo bird-tales, 273, 274
  • Fairies traced to Morrigu, 165
  • Falcon, symbolism of, 150
  • Feng-whang. See Fung-whang.
  • Fish-hawk, legend of, 80
  • France, popular emblem of, 41–46
  • Franklin compares eagle and turkey, 37
  • Fung-whang, Chinese myth, 207
  • Garuda, Hindoo myth, 206
  • Gaul, name explained, 41
  • Genghis Khan saved by owl, 186
  • Ghost Dance explained, 177
  • Goatsuckers, cries of dreaded, 6, 15
  • Goldfinch, Christian legend of, 113
  • Goose and golden eggs, 66
  • Goose-bone fable, 222
  • Goose, golden Capitoline, 255
  • Goose growing on trees, 64
  • Goose in Buddhist myth, 67
  • Grebe, legend of, 240
  • Green fowl, Mohammedan, 15
  • Grouse, marks on ruffed, 238
  • Guan, legend of, 107
  • Guatemala, emblem of, 39
  • Guillemots, origin of, 237
  • Gulls offend Giant, 234
  • Hair, superstitions about, 9
  • Halcyon days, meaning of, 22
  • Harpies, Sirens, etc., 193
  • Hibernation of birds, 89
  • Ho-ho, Japanese myth, 208
  • Hoopoe, legends of, 153, 250, 261
  • Hornbill, superstitions about, 16
  • Hummingbird, hibernation of, 90
  • Hummingbird, riding a crane, 81
  • Hummingbird, voice lost, 241
  • Indian poetic story, 275–279
  • Jackdaw of Rheims, 157
  • Jay, Canada, gives warning, 4
  • Jumbie-bird, Ani, or Black Witch, 189
  • Kamar, Persian myth, 206
  • Karshipta, Persian myth, 206
  • King, choice of by birds, 82, 206
  • Kingbird, riding a hawk, 81
  • Kingfisher, halcyon myth, 20, 234–239
  • Kingfisher, sent from the Ark, 102
  • Kiskadee, legend of, 239
  • Kite, Egyptian legend of, 151
  • Lapwing and Covenanters, 256
  • Lark, Laverock, funereal, 115
  • Legend, definition of, 254
  • Lightning attributed to birds, 243–253
  • Loon, origin of its cry, 279
  • Lucky birds, 25
  • Macaw as fire-bird, 41
  • Magpie, portents by, 171
  • Mexico, national emblem, 38
  • Migrating birds carried by others, 81–88
  • Migration to the moon, 91
  • Moccasin flower legend, 6
  • Monks, medieval and birds, 262–271
  • Morrigu and her crows, 165
  • Nightingale, myths and legends, 48, 50
  • Number, important in divination, 8, 171
  • Nuns of Whitby, 88
  • Odin’s ravens, 150
  • Omens trifled with, 257, 258
  • Ornithomancy, origin of, 5
  • Osage Indians, bird ancestry, 11
  • Osprey, legend of, 80
  • Ostrich eggs, use of, 54
  • Ostrich, errors pertaining to, 54
  • Ostrich plumes, symbolism, 153
  • Owein’s ravens, 162
  • Owl, a Baker’s daughter, 121
  • Owl a monarch’s daughter, 183
  • Owl, Athenian, 180
  • Owl in medieval medicine, 185
  • Owl once a singer, 112
  • Owl once an Eskimo girl, 233
  • Owl saves heroes, 186, 258
  • Owls, Christian legends of, 121
  • Owls, superstitions about, 181, 187, 213, 258
  • Oystercatcher, why blessed, 112
  • Palm, associated with phenix, 198
  • Paradise-birds, 63, 64
  • Peacock feathers, indicate rank, 144
  • Peacock, feathers, superstitions, 148
  • Peacock, saves Chinese general, 187
  • Peacocks, legends of, 141–147
  • Pelican, errors pertaining to, 58
  • Pelican, Seri ancestor, 11
  • Pelican, symbolism of, 147
  • Pharaoh’s chicken, 34
  • Pheasant, Argus, painted, 233
  • Phenix as a Christian symbol, 196
  • Phenix described, 191
  • Pigeons in church feasts, 125
  • Pigeons of Venice, 125
  • Pigeon shrine near Yarkand, 136
  • Polynesian bird-gods, 19
  • Quails, Israelitish legend, 93
  • Quetzal-bird, 39
  • Rabbit and Easter eggs, 124
  • Rain-birds described, 223
  • Rara avis (swan), 46
  • Raven as culture-hero, 228–234
  • Raven, characteristics of, 134
  • Raven, Dickens’s “Grip,” 156
  • Raven dresses the birds, 228
  • Raven feeds Elijah, 158
  • Raven feeds hermits, 164
  • Raven flag of Danes, 159
  • Raven, ghostly, 164
  • Raven, Mosaic view of, 158
  • Raven, myths concerning, 72, 105, 248
  • Raven once white, 168, 232
  • Raven, portents by, 169, 173, 213
  • Raven saves body of St. Vincent, 164
  • Raven sent from the Ark, 100
  • Raven’s Hill and Barbarossa, 163
  • Ravens, Odin’s messengers, 150
  • Redbreast, Christian legends of, 114
  • Redbreast covers corpses, 116
  • Redpoll, bringing fire, 274
  • Rhea, errors concerning, 55
  • Robin, American, singing, 282
  • Robin, European. See Redbreast.
  • Roc (Rukh), Sinbad’s discovery, 200
  • Sacred birds explained, 16, 24
  • Sagehen, Paiute story of, 106
  • Salamander as a bird, 196
  • Scapegoats among birds, 25
  • Scarlet bird of Taoists, 207
  • Schamir, Solomonic legend, 249
  • Seal of United States, 36
  • Semiramis, story of, 128
  • Sentinel-birds, stories of, 254, 256
  • Seven Whistlers, 13, 89
  • Shrike, errors regarding, 79
  • Shrove Tuesday customs, 123
  • Simurgh, Persian myth, 205
  • Smell, sense in birds, 75
  • Snow-owl blackens raven, 232
  • Souls brought by birds, 12
  • Souls carried away by birds, 13, 139, 148
  • Sparrow in Christian legends, 112
  • Speech by birds, 3, 10, 13
  • Stones possessed by birds, 95
  • Stork, as a migrant, 92
  • Stork, legends of, 112, 153
  • Stymphalia, birds of, 192, 194
  • Swallow, Eskimo origin of, 238
  • Swallow in Christian legends, 112
  • Swallow, omens from, 25, 213, 218
  • Swallow restores blindness, 96
  • Swan, black (rara avis), 47
  • Swan, death song, 76
  • Swan, omens from, 213
  • Symplegades, legend of, 131
  • Thibetan divination, 174
  • Thunder-birds described, 243–248, 281
  • Thunder Cape, name explained, 245
  • Trochilus legend, 60
  • Trogon, or quetzal-bird, 39
  • Trumpeter, legends of, 107, 239
  • Tulare, legend of lake, 108
  • Turkey, Franklin’s preference, 37
  • Turkey, Indian legend of, 106
  • Vulture, baldness explained, 227, 236, 241
  • Vulture, omens from, 213
  • Vulture revered in Egypt, 151
  • Vultures, Persian, 207
  • Vulture, Turkey. See Buzzard.
  • Wagtail, Ainu legend of, 103
  • War-eagle, American Indian, 35
  • Weathercocks explained, 151
  • Weather prognostics by birds, 217, 219, 282
  • Whippoorwill as a prophet, 5, 6
  • Winds as birds, 203, 206, 249
  • Woodpecker, Californian, 281
  • Woodpecker, magical powers of, 250
  • Woodpecker, redheaded, 23, 106, 235, 241
  • Wren, Cherokee story of, 282
  • Wren, hunting of in Ireland, 118
  • Yel, culture-hero, 230