Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



lads of people embraced by Greeks and Ro- 

 mans under the general title of "folk beyond 

 the north wind/* 



In the Kalevipoeg we read of three brothers 

 of the north, born of the gods, the youngest 

 of whom, Kalev, was carried by an eagle to 

 Esthonia and there founded a kingdom. A 

 widow of that land found in the fields a pullet, 

 the egg of a grouse and a young crow. The 

 pullet she placed in a brood-basket over the 

 Ggg* One day she found that pullet, egg and 

 crow had turned into three maidens — Salme, 

 Linda and an orphan girl or drudge. It is 

 Linda, whose name means " bird '' that Kalev 

 wins for his bride. 



Sun, moon, ocean, wind and riches come to 

 woo Linda, but Kalev is the preferred one. 

 He represents the eagle, just as, though for 

 the time being a swan in the story of Leda, 

 Zeus-Pan is oftener represented by the eagle. 

 The time having come to break off the wed- 

 ding festival — 



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