SKANDINAVIAN FOLK-LORE OF BIRDS OF PASSAGE. 



PART IL 



The birds that stay in Denmark both 

 summer and winter are but few, and 

 when the hard times come, they seek 

 the houses. It is therefore a sign of 

 snow and cold weather, when partridges 

 hide in the grain and hay stacks near 

 the houses, or when the yellow ham- 

 mers come in flocks to the yards. It 

 is also' a sign of winter when the kitty- 

 wren sings loud in the dry fagots, also 

 when the titmouse taps on the window 

 pane or raps on the beehive to tempt 

 the bees to come out. 



In December, the winter is already 

 severe, and it becomes difScult for the 

 birds to procure food; but they, too, 

 will know it is Christmas. It is there- 

 fore customary in all Scandinavian coun- 

 tries to set out sheaves of grain to 

 them, and that pays because then the 

 next harvest will be good, and the birds 

 will not destroy the grains. In Jutland, 

 oats or barley are often thrown out for 

 the birds, and where that is placed, the 

 birds have peace because no one can 

 set traps or snares for partridges. 



In Scania, people put out food for 

 the magpies, and that may be quite 

 needed by them," for Christmas evening 

 they lay the first sticks for their nests. 

 Christmas over, the days grow longer. 

 It is not much but it can be noticed. 

 In the most part of Europe, they say 

 the day lengthens a cock-stride, but in 

 France, it is said the day lengthens ''un 

 pas de russe," a robin-step, hence even 

 less. 



January is the most dead month; 

 there is hardly anything to notice in 

 regard to the birds. In February, we 

 find more. At this time it is not well if 

 birds are fat, as this indicates a long 

 winter. Candlemas, the second of Feb- 

 ruary, has great significance. Then the 

 skylark should sing his first song, for 

 if he sings earlier, it is a bad omen, and 

 as long as the lark sings before Candlc- 

 mas-day so long must he be silent there- 

 after ; but on Candlemas-day he must 

 sing. He says himself: "How little I 

 am capable of, even if T cannot" fly 



higher than the oxen carry the yoke, 

 yet I must get up Candlemas-day and 

 sing a hymn to the virgin Mary." If 

 the lark. Candlemas-day, flies as high 

 as the oxen carry the yoke, in Denmark, 

 Sweden, Germany and France, it is be- 

 lieved that there will be early spring. 

 The lark wiDl continue to sing, and he 

 sings with joy: "Delightful time, de- 

 lightful time, summer is coming, delight- 

 ful time!" 



The third of February is called 

 "Blowmas day." On that day is blown 

 life in all beasts and birds that have 

 lain torpid through the winter. The 

 name "Blowmas" is, however, only a 

 popuilar explanation of Blasius, the 

 name of the day in the almanac. 



The twenty-fourth of February is, on 

 the Danish island Bornholm (in the 

 Baltic), called "Rookmas." In the other 

 parts of Denmark the rooks are not so 

 common, but on Bornholm they are 

 numerous all over. In the winter they 

 vanish, but at Rookmas they are ex- 

 pected back again. In previous times, 

 when Bornholm was under the power 

 of the rich Hauseatic League, about 

 this time of the year they came to claim 

 taxes; so "Now the Lubecs are com- 

 ing!" was the cry by which the first 

 rooks were saluted. 



March the first, signs of spring appear. 

 The titmouse cries: "Give time, give 

 time," and then people say, "the worst 

 of the winter is over." In Sweden, they 

 say that the titmouse will call attention 

 to happy progress; the sun shines and 

 the snow melts, therefore he sings: 

 "Littlle girl, peep out, peep out." In 

 other places, however, people are less 

 imaginative. Both in Sweden and Nor- 

 way it is said that he cries: "Dried 

 beef," simply to notify people that they 

 can now begin to eat dried meat. The 

 same interesting message in Denmark 

 and Germany is brought by the cuckoo. 



In the last part of February or first 

 part of March, the lapwing is expected, 

 i)ut vet the winter is not over: 



