Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



was the island of Oesel, concerning which 

 mention is made in a former chapter. 



Looked at in this way, it is not so strange 

 that swans at a very early epoch became as- 

 sociated with the night and moonlight, a con- 

 nection which was self-evident for the owl, for 

 instance, but not so readily seen to apply to 

 the swan. It may have been the noise that 

 migrating or resting swans of the vocal sort 

 (Cygnus musicus) make at night ; it may have 

 been the splendor of the swanks plumage on a 

 dark sea or against a night sky, which forced a 

 comparison with " that orbed maiden, with 

 white fire laden, whom mortals call the moon." 

 And when we consider the Baltic and the swan^ 

 it is odd that the Greek and Latin names for 

 the swan, kuknos, cygnus, resemble strongly 

 Esthonian kukene, "little moon," and perhaps 

 do represent some very ancient reduplication 

 of kuu (" moon '* In Finnish and Esthonian) 

 which was used by the original inhabitants of 

 Greece and Italy. Perhaps this is the same 

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