Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



Take the woodpecker as an instance. 

 When we picture to ourselves the European 

 savage, noble ancestor of our puffed-up race, 

 finding it a matter of deep thought how to 

 keep a roof over his head, loving murder, a 

 bloody tyrant to the weak, cringing before 

 power, subject to periodical famines because 

 of his sloth and ignorance, to disease because 

 of his laziness and filthy habits, we can under- 

 stand his envy and admiration of a bird which, 

 in addition to various marvellous, superhuman 

 traits, has the practical side so developed that 

 it can chisel for itself in a few hours a neat, 

 dry cave in the bole of a tree — a bird ever 

 brave and gay of heart that seems to find 

 nourishment where no green thing grows, 

 right under its busy beak. 



Mr. Woodpecker was thought to know the 

 whereabouts of hidden treasures ; wherefore 

 is he a special creation of the high god Ukko 

 of the Finns and has a mysterious afiinity to 

 fire, also a rain and thunder god. Writing 



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