Everyone is familiar with the raven's role in mythology. They are often considered birds of prophecy and doom, and omens of death. The Norse god Odin kept two ravens, a black and white pair named Hugin and Munin - Thought and Memory. It was said they flew far and wide gathering news and information for Odin, and flew back to report to him, thus keeping him better informed than anyone else. The Danes and Vikings bore the symbol of the raven upon their sails. To them, the raven was a token of good fortune and luck. Another member of the Corvid family who is less well known for his role in folklore and myth is the Bluejay. In Native American lore, the jay was associated with war. These fearless birds mob together and often attack other birds and even people to drive them from their territory. Pueblo war priests would wear bluejay feathers and put them on their prayer sticks in the belief that the feathers would drive their enemies mad. The voice of the bluejay alone is sometimes enough to unnerve, however. They have a startling array of vocal abilities, and are good mimics. They call out with a warning to other jays, and the distinctive noise earned them the name Schreachag Choille in Scotland - "Screamer in the Woods". Well known for their ability to imitate musical instruments, they were kept as prized pets in ancient Greece, and were sacred to the god Dionysus.
Jays were believed to kill ghosts - although they may in fact have been sending them on to the underworld. For like his cousin the raven, the bluejay has ties to the world of the dead. It is said you never see a bluejay on Friday, because that is the day the bluejay carries sticks down to Hell in order to keep the fires burning. They are also, like Hugin and Munin, messengers of a sort. They spy and carry conversations back to the fairy folk.
Jays are known for being tricksters and makers of mischief. They can be found all over, even in cities, but in the country they especially love to stay near oak trees, being fond of acorns. The bluejay is credited with spreading the great forests of the world by burying acorns and then forgetting about them.
Source: The Secret Language of Birds, Adele Nozedar
2 comments:
My fav Raven myth is the one with the war goddess Morgan of Celtic lore. Good stuff.
There are lots of jays around my house in the city. They hang outside my studio window. I always worry about the cats getting dive-bombed though. Ballsy birds! ;)
Yes, the Morrigan, goddess of war, picking men's eyeballs out on the battlefield. It is good stuff!
I have a gang of jays outside as well. They are extremely noisy but I don't mind them.
Post a Comment