Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



and continued until all memory of their original 

 connection was lost. 



The other Greek word for pigeon or dove, 

 peleia, seems to be of Greek, not of Pelasgic 

 origin like oinas. We find a probable meaning 

 in the word pelemizo, to quake, quiver, tremble. 

 The peleia would be the bird that quakes, as 

 one sees the pigeon or wild dove quiver when 

 caught or while dying — a peculiarity that did 

 not escape the sharp eye of Audubon. This 

 is a better derivation than from pelos, dark, 

 dusky, ash-colored ; for we have no reason to 

 suppose that the rock pigeon or ringdove 

 would strike the eyes of early men as espe- 

 cially dusky or dark. And so the old King 

 Pelops, whose name adheres to the Pelopon- 

 nesus, is likelier to mean "Dove face'* than 

 " Dark face." 



Venus of the lovely form, sweet voice and 

 enchanted necklace is therefore not merely 

 from the poetic standpoint symbolized by the 

 dove, the bird that draws her flower-studded 



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