Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



Conchobar that wonderful birds with gold 

 chains about their necks have been seen in 

 the land. He sets out to hunt them, is led 

 to a palace he has never seen before, where 

 is a beautiful woman with attendant maids, 

 whom he does not recognize. He demands 

 that she shall be his wife, but she says she is 

 about to become a mother ; and that same 

 night Setanta or Cuchullaind is born, with 

 features like Conchobar ! 



Throughout his career this child of doubtful 

 origin shows the cuckoo or bird characteristics, 

 not once or twice, but a dozen times. The 

 dates of his taking arms, his first adventure 

 and his death confirm it, if we put weeks for 

 years in the account we receive. Thus, at seven 

 weeks, the end of May or beginning of June, a 

 young cuckoo is fledge : at seven years young 

 Setanta induced his " uncle " to grant him 

 weapons and harness, or, as the men of the later 

 Middle Ages would say, he was made a knight. 

 At seventeen weeks, the end of July or begin- 



95 



