Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



off Blathmaid is given by the latter, who 

 pours milk into the stream that passes the 

 castle. The plot succeeds and Curoi is killed, 

 while Cuchullaind goes off with Blossom as if 

 he had no wife to grieve over his fickleness. 

 In this fine allegory Curoi is winter, Blathmaid 

 the flowers of spring and Cuchullaind the bird 

 whose notes chase winter off and deliver the 

 flowers from their icy bondage. Perhaps the 

 milk in the stream is the ice floating down in 

 sign of the approaching summer. 



In his book on the poetry of the Finns the 

 Italian writer Comparetti lays great stress on 

 the low form of wizardry and magic shown by 

 the contests of Vainamoinen with Youkahai- 

 nen, and the preference of Lemminkainen as 

 well as Vainamoinen for conjuring over battle. 

 But the same traits appear in Cuchullaind. 

 On his voyage to Scotland he uses " sea 

 magic" like a Finnish wizard; in his contest 

 with Eocho Rond, as related in the " Feast of 

 Bricriu ** in which, like the Finnish conjurers, 



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