Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



the language of all, like unto Solomon. When 

 he plays the harp all birds gather and the 

 beasts, too, and even the fishes swim to the 

 shore to listen to his minstrelsy, even as they 

 came to hear Saint Francis preach. He and 

 Orpheus are the same, bird gods both, as we 

 shall see. If any, it is the eagle that favors 

 old Vaino, that lover ever luckless — who is 

 in that respect in sharp contrast to Lemmin- 

 kainen, whom too many women adore — and 

 next to the eagle, the cuckoo. 



And good reason is assigned for the love 

 that eagles and cuckoos give to Vaino, for 

 when he cleared the primeval forests of Vain- 

 ola he left a tree for the birds to perch on 

 (mark this, ye all-too-zealous foresters !) : 



Down from heaven came the eagle. 

 Through the air he came aflying. 

 That he might this thing consider. 

 And he spoke the words that follow: 

 " Wherefore, ancient Wainamoinen, 

 Hast thou left the slender birch-tree. 

 Left the birch-tree only standing ? ' * 



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