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Folklore Of Birds One
Folktales and Superstitions of Birds
Bird Lore- Albatross thru Cuckoo
(Page One)
Albatross
*The appearance of an albatross heralds bad weather
Bittern
*Hearing a bittern's call foretells a greedy new acquaintance.
Blackbird
*Placing blackbird feathers under someone's pillow and he will tell his innermost secrets.
*Blackbirds symbolize reincarnation.
*Blackbirds are linked to the element of Water.
*Two blackbirds seen together mean good luck.
Bluebirds
*In Navajo belief, two bluebirds gaurd the house of the Gods.
*A bluebird in the yard presages happiness in the households.
*Bluebirds are often connected with puberty rites of young women.
Bobwhite
*Hearing a bobwhite call means rain is coming.
Buntings
*Snow buntings are a symbol of hope in adversity.
Canary
*Keeping a canary helps one's singing and speaking voice.
Cardinals
*Cherokee belief states that cardinals are Daughters of the Sun.
*Note the direction of a flying cardinal; toward the sky means good luck, and toward the ground means bad luck.
*Cardinals are magickally linked with the number 12, associating them with the Sun
Cat Birds
*Catbirds nesting on the house means you will have visitors soon.
Chickadee
*If a chickadee perches near the house, a long-missed friend will return.
*Enthusiastic chickadee chirping means good weather on the way.
*If you see a chickadee hanging upside-down, good news is on the way.
Chickens
*If a hen lays an even number of eggs, it is a bad omen.
*If the hens are listless at feeding, it is a bad omen.
*In China, the rooster is a symbol of eccentricity.
*If the rooster crows early, the weather will be good that day.
*If the rooster crows at night, a storm is coming.
*If a rooster crows at your door, news is coming.
*To keep evil at bay, throw the egg of a white hen over your right shoulder toward the front door.
Cowbird
*A cowbird near the house presages a fight in the household.
Crane
*Eskimos say that flocks of cranes occasionally kidnap children.
*The appearance of a crane means vigilance is needed.
*Many cultures do a "crane dance" to bring Spring.
*In Chinese legend, cranes take the souls of the dead to heaven on their backs.
*In Celtic myth, cranes symbolize war & death
Crossbill
*A crossbill kept in a cage cures rheumatism and colds.
Crow
*Finding a dead crow in the road is good luck.
*A crow perched near the house wards off evil.
*"Two crows I see, good luck to me."
*In New England, it is unlucky to see two crows flying to the left.
*Roman lore states:
"A crow on the thatch, death lifts the latch."
and
"One crow for sorrow, two for mirth,
Three for a wedding, four for a birth."
*If a pair of crows fly by a wedding couple, they will have a long, happy marriage.
*Some legends state that the soul of King Arthur lives on in a crow.
*North American legends state that crows brought the first seeds from heaven.
*In Celtic myth, crows symbolize war and death.
*Crows are considered very magickal.
*When sighting the first crow of the year, watch his flight. If he flies off into the distance, you'll travel much in the coming year, but if he just sits, you'll not travel at all.
Cuckoo
*A cuckoo's call means a storm is coming.
*Cuckoos may be asked how long one will be married and how many children one will have. The cuckoo answers with the number of calls.
*Jingle the money in your pocket when you hear a cuckoo, for "Turn your money when the first cuckoo calls, and you'll have money 'til he comes again."
*If a cuckoo calls from the North, sorrows are coming; from the South, death; from the East, consolation; and from the West, good fortune.
*Look at the cuckoo's bill. If it is yellow, communications will be trustworthy, and if it is black, watch out for deception.
*You can make a wish on the cuckoo's call.
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