FABLE AND FOLKLORE 149 



found in a boat near Monaco at the moment of her ex- 

 piring, with a dove issuing from her lips. 67 The Paris 

 Figaro, in October, 1872, describing the ceremonies at 

 the death of a gipsy in that city, mentioned that a bird 

 was held close to the mouth of the dying girl, ready to re- 

 ceive her expired soul. This is not an illogical idea, if 

 the conception of a person's soul as a distinct entity is 

 conceded; for if it is to fly away to Paradise it must 

 have something in the nature of wings, and a bird, or the 

 semblance of a real bird, is inevitably suggested, the 

 wings of a bat being too repulsive — reserved, in fact, for 

 representations of Satan and his emissaries. Angels and 

 genii have always been provided by prophets, romancers, 

 and artists with swanlike wings, springing from behind 

 their shoulders, reckless of comparative anatomy — other- 

 wise how could these "heavier-than-air" beings ac- 

 complish their travelling? 



I have said that the theory that the disengaged soul de- 

 parts to heaven in the form of or by aid of a bird is 

 historically very old. Probably, indeed, it is of pre- 

 historic antiquity, for various savage peoples have arrived 

 at the same doctrine, based on an obvious philosophy. 

 For example: Powers 19 tells us that the Keltas of 

 southern California believe that when one of the tribe dies 

 a little bird flies away with his soul. "If he was a bad 

 Indian a hawk will catch the bird and eat it up, body, 

 feathers and all; but if he was a good Indian the soul- 

 bird will reach the spirit-land." 



In Christian iconography the eagle is the emblem of the 

 evangelist St. John, an assignment originating, it is said, 

 in Jerome's interpretation of the amazing visions of the 

 four "beasts" as recorded in Ezekiel i 15, and somewhat 

 less fantastically in Revelations iv.y. Wherever in 



