SUPERSTITIONS RESPECTING THEM. 355 



the bird or its nest. This kindly feeling towards it is said to 

 have thus originated : 



When our Saviour was crucified, a little bird came and 

 perched upon the cross, peered sorrowfully down upon the 

 sufferer and twitted, " Hugsvala, svala, svala Honom " 

 that is, console, console, console Him ; and hence it obtained 

 the name of Svala. In consequence of the commiseration 

 thus evinced by the swallow towards the Redeemer, Heaven 

 ordained that blessings and prosperity should ever afterwards 

 attend on those who protected it and its nest. 



It is furthermore said that, for a long time afterwards, it 

 would often sit upon the cross ; but when this was taken 

 down by the enemies of Christendom, and buried in the 

 earth, it flew sorrowing away from the spot. When, how- 

 ever, at an after-period the cross was recovered, it returned, 

 and frequently made it its resting-place. For this cause 

 Kors-messa, or Holyrood-day, was marked with a swallow 

 on many Run-stafvar, or Runic staves the time tallying 

 with the migration of that bird. 



In Scania the superstitious feeling towards the swallow is 

 carried somewhat far. They say, that if one shoots at, or 

 otherwise molests this bird, it is sure, in return, to salute 

 the enemy in the eye, and that the disagreeable application 

 will inevitably cause total blindness. 



As was mentioned in my former work, it is believed by 

 many in Scandinavia, that so far from migrating to other 

 climes, the swallow tribe pass the winter months in the mud 

 at the bottom of lakes and rivers. This very strange notion 

 is of long standing. Bishop Pontoppidan, when speaking of 

 the swallow, says : 



" Almost everybody knows that towards the winter, after 



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