Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



parable for fire, which men used to carry about 

 in a copper tinder-box ; fire that like the 

 copper dwarf rises to a giant and does more 

 than giant's work. Fire must clear away the 

 forests before civilization can establish itself 

 So here again we have the eagle and fire 

 brought into close connection. 



The great age ascribed to the eagle was 

 known to the Welsh; only one animal out- 

 ranked him, namely, the salmon of Llyn 

 Llyw. The Mabinogion tales place after this 

 salmon in order of longevity the eagle of 

 Gwernabwy, the owl of Cwm Cawlwyd, the stag 

 of Rhedynvre and the black bird of Kilgwri. 

 And Giraldus has preserved for us the dra- 

 matic figure of the Eagle of the Eagle Moun- 

 tain (now Snowdon) prophetic of wars " who, 

 perching on a fatal stone every fifth holiday, 

 in order to satiate her hunger with the car- 

 casses of the slain, is said to expect war on that 

 same day and to have almost perforated the 

 stone by cleaning and sharpening her beak" ! 



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