Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



"Friihlings-Orakel.'* Hesiod taught the Greek 

 farmer to look out for three days of rain 

 when he first heard the cuckoo's note. On 

 the other hand it has been observed that 

 the Indians of CaHfornia and Mexico show 

 great terror when they hear the voice of the 

 cuckoo. This is all the more surprising 

 because the American cuckoo rarely if ever 

 interferes with the nests of other birds ; there- 

 fore their fear must have some other cause. 



In England of the thirteenth century the 

 cuckoo's treachery to his foster-parents must 

 have been an article of faith, or Chaucer in his 

 Parlement of Foules would not have caused 

 the merlin to exclaim in answer to the cuckoo : 



Thou murtherer of the hedge-sparr'w on the branch 

 That brought thee forth! thou ruthfiil-less glutton. 

 Live thou alone, worme (of) corruption! 



The Kalevipoeg, too, the epic of the Estho- 

 nians, is full of bird-mention. But let us keep 

 for the present to the cuckoo gods. 



Lemminkainen (from lemmin, love) is a 

 6i 



