Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



that something was going to happen, and he 

 used the term by which he knew that particu- 

 lar fowl, because the swan has from time 

 immemorial been a bird of prophecy. 



The same order of ideas regarding the swan 

 has enriched the German language with an 

 identical expression : Es schwanet mir (it 

 swans to me) means that a premonitory or 

 prophetic shudder is felt, such as is expressed 

 by the popular exclamation " Somebody 's 

 walking over my grave ! " 



Let the priest in surplice white 

 That defunctive music can 

 Be the death-divining swan. 

 Lest the requiem lack his right. 



{Phcenix and Turtle.) 



In 1440 Frederick II of Brandenburg insti- 

 tuted an Order of the Swan, and at Cleves 

 there was also an order of Knighthood of the 

 Swan, showing that swan worship lingered in 

 ceremonies long after it had been ousted or 

 covered up by Christianity. 

 t8t 



