Preface 



the simple bird to a more complex creature 

 representing lightning, tempest and the sun. 



Odd enough to arrest the attention, at least, 

 that many gods, goddesses, and demigods in 

 Greek and Roman mythology have certain 

 birds or beasts connected with them, without 

 obvious reason for such association ! And if 

 one looks at the mythology and religious sys- 

 tems, the epics and legends of other peoples, 

 not excepting the Judaeo-Christian, one finds 

 a similar condition of things, varying in degree 

 of clearness. Even Christianity retains the 

 dove associated with the Holy Ghost, the 

 eagle, bull and lion, emblems of evangelists ; 

 other instances will occur to readers of the 

 New Testament. 



I wish to call attention to remains in the 

 early lore of Europe of a very extensive 

 connection of birds with gods, pointing to a 

 worship of the bird itself as the living repre- 

 sentative of a god, or else to such a position 



