Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



But to return to the Shah Nameh : other 

 cuckoo and bird traits appear in the life of 

 Rustem, the child of Zal and Roodabeh. He 

 is not exposed or put away to foster, but he 

 has exactly Cuchullaind's adventures. During 

 a raid into Turan, Rustem loves Tehmineh, 

 and in parting tells her to send the son she may 

 bear into Persia to him. Sohrab their son 

 invades Persia — as Conlaech invades Ireland 

 — and after overcoming everybody else, suc- 

 cumbs to his unknown but invincible father. 

 Thus we have the same story, or fragments 

 of the same story, in Italy — Janus, Saturn, 

 Faunus ; in Persia, with Sahm, Zal, Rustem 

 and Sohrab ; in Wales, with Arthur and his 

 "nephew" or son Modred ; in Ireland, with 

 Conchobar, Cuchullaind and Conlaech ; in 

 Scandinavia, with Sigurd and his sister ; in 

 Esthland, with the Finnish magician and Kale- 

 vipoeg and the island maid ; and in Finland, 

 with Untamo, Kullervo and the latter's sister. 

 We shall presently see it in Greece also, but 



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