174 BIRDS IN LEGEND 



one of eight points of the compass, or from the zenith, 

 making nine points in all. Multiplying these together 

 gives the ninety squares of the mystic table, and the inter- 

 section of two conditions gives you the square where the 

 appropriate interpretation or prophecy is written. 



Thus if in the first watch (i.e., early in the morning) 

 you hear a raven in the east say ka-ka, your wish to ob- 

 tain more property will be fulfilled; but if in the fourth 

 watch you hear a bird off in the southeast say da-da you 

 may be sure that a storm will arise in seven days. Five 

 different tones of the cawing were recognized as sig- 

 nificant. Just where and what you see a raven do when 

 you are travelling foretells some sort of a fortunate or 

 unfortunate incident of the progress or outcome of your 

 journey; yet these omens differ according to whether you 

 are moving and the bird is stationary, or you are stand- 

 ing still and the bird is flying, or both or neither are 

 motionless ! 



There was also a settled rule for taking prognostica- 

 tions from the nests of these birds. "When a crow has 

 built its nest on a branch on the east side of a tree," ac- 

 cording to Donacila's translation of a Thibetan manu- 

 script, "a good year and rain will be the result of it. 

 When it has built its nest on a southern branch the crops 

 will then be bad. When it has built its nest on a branch 

 in the middle of a tree, a great fright will then be the re- 

 sult of it. When it makes its nest below, fear of the 

 army of one's adversary will be the result of it. When it 

 makes its nest on a wall, on the ground, or on a river, 

 the [sick] king will be healed." 



Whenever it appears that the omen observed portends 

 harm, offerings of food and so forth must be made to 

 the bird in order to avert the evil, and these offerings vary 



