Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



identify with some species of the peony, the 

 plant of Pan and the sun, that plant which 

 will open concealed doors of rock and permit 

 the lucky possessor to enter the Venusberg 

 and lift treasure. The way to beguile this 

 bird is to stop up tightly the mouth of the 

 hole where its young are ; the bird returns, 

 and, after seeing what is wrong, flies off to 

 fetch a plant which will dis- 

 lodge the obstruction. If the 

 treasure-seeker gives a shout 

 at the right moment, the 

 woodpecker drops the spray 

 and flies away. Near Rauen in the Mark- 

 grafenstein is a princess who guards a treasure. 

 She can only be released and the treasure lifted 

 by some one who shall come at midnight of a 

 Friday, carrying a white woodpecker. She is 

 the descendant of Frau Venus in the Venus- 

 berg, with whom, like Ulysses in the island 

 of Kalypso, the knight Tannhauser passed 

 days of happiness and remorse. 



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