Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



Finland, but modernized. Two magicians who 

 can read the future stay the night at a farm- 

 house where the wife is about to become a 

 mother. They prophesy that the child will be 

 a boy who will kill his father and marry his 

 mother. It is a boy; and the father is for 

 kiUing him, but at the mother's prayer he 

 binds the baby to a plank and sets it adrift 

 on the river. The plank goes ashore near an 

 abbey ; the child is reared by the monks and 

 takes a place as farm hand with his own father. 

 He is ordered to watch a field of turnips at 

 night and kill any thieves ; his father forgets 

 his own order, goes out at night to gather 

 turnips and is killed. In time the widow 

 marries the farm hand, and one day, when the 

 young husband is bathing, discovers by a birth- 

 mark what she has done. 



Many and most curious are the analogies 

 between the myths and the names of Ireland 

 on the one hand, Finland and Esthland on the 

 other. The name of the Shannon can be 



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