Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



of doves sacred to Zeus, who was called Pe- 

 lasgic in consequence. 



It is at Dodona that the dove appears in 

 human form and thus gives us one clew to its 

 connection with Venus. 



The prophetesses at Dodona told Herodotus 

 that two black doves flew from Thebes in 

 Egypt ; one went to Libya, where it caused 

 the oracle of Jupiter Ammon to be founded ; 

 the other to Dodona. The latter settled in 

 an oak-tree and spoke with a human voice 

 " saying that it was necessary that a prophetic 

 seat of Zeus should be established in that 

 place.'* Herodotus would not believe this 

 crude legend ; he explains that the doves were 

 women of Egypt, sold by Phoenicians into 

 Libya and Epirus. They were called birds 

 by the natives, because they could not speak 

 the language ; but when they had learned the 

 speech of their captivity they were said to 

 have spoken with human tongues. " So long 

 as she spoke a barbarian tongue, she seemed 



lO 



