Academic literature on the topic 'Birds, folklore'

The article describes the symbolic meaning of the image of some bird species existing in the Kalmyk traditional perception. As a rule, different species of birds in the culture of a nation have their own symbolic meaning that can have both positive and negative connotation. The article analyzes the role of messengers referred to different species of birds. The article points out the link of the bird symbolism with totemism and in particular with the selection of this or other species of birds for totems of different ethnic groups. There was a comparative analysis of the bird symbolism among different nations. The study is of great importance as there is a need for revealing the main characteristics of bird image symbols which are as ancient as any other symbols existing in the life of people. The article analyzes the ornithonyms of the Kalmyk language from the ethno-linguistic point of view. Ornithonyms are widely represented in the folklore of Kalmyks and other Mongolian nations: in the fairy tales, proverbs, sayings and other folklore genres.

This paper presents data on names and folklore of birds collected among native speakers of Emberá in the moist tropical forests of Darién, Panamá. The naming data was collected by systematic elicitation of names from pictorial representations of birds. It is organized here to facilitate analysis of various aspects of folk taxonomy in relation to scientific taxonomy. Folklore about birds collected in natural contexts is also included to indicate the role of birds and their names in symbolic processes that exceed the limits of literal reference.

Abstract This article shows how language materiality is conceptualized through an ethnolinguistic analysis of the representation of the owl as an indication of human-bird relationships. This approach enables addressing the multiple relations between birds and speakers and their perception of the environment as these are reflected in language, folklore and rituals. This research is related to such discourses as “language”, “materiality” and “environment” and is based on a case study of the Mari, a Finno-Ugric people who live in central Russia and still adhere to their folk religion. First, it sets out the Mari names which are used for birds of the owl family, then it shows how the terminology has changed due to the emotional side of humanity, and how terms express things in metaphorical way. Next, the article focuses on how the bird (owl) can be a source of positive or negative information with regard to auguring the future and how the symbolic use of birds in rituals and magical actions contributes to co-creating landscapes between human and non-human agencies. This study is based on extensive linguistic, folklore and ethnographic material, including my own field material.

In spite of its evident presence in Southern Africa’s rich cultural heritage, the bird metaphor has received surprisingly little attention. The cultural materials analysed in this article include children’s stories, songs, heroic poetry and ethnographic accounts of rites of passage. At first the data seems to suggest that bird symbolism could be interpreted in terms of a simple dual conception of gender identity. Some magical birds signify the prowess and authority of men. Others could be linked symbolically to the procreative powers of women. On further reflection, however, we identified a third category of more ambiguously gendered birds. It is contended that this additional bird type can be explained in terms of the female-male dialectic that shaped gender relations in small-scale societies. It is further proposed tentatively that the bird metaphor could have provided women with a symbolic means to negotiate their identity.

This study, based on ethnographic, linguistic, and folk materials, describes and interprets Buryat ideas of birds. The analysis of lexical data reveals the principal groups of birds according to the Buryat folk classification. The bat’s status is indistinct, since bats are not subordinate to the kings of the animal world. Diagnostic criteria underlying the classification of birds are outlined. The main criterion was whether a bird was beneficial or harmful. Ornithomorphic images in Buryat mythology, folklore, and ritual are described. Cult birds and bird totems are listed, and relics of local bird cults (those relating to swan, goose, duck, pigeon, and eagle) are revealed. Birds with positive connotations are the swan, crane, swallow, pigeon, eagle, and eagle-owl. Those with negative connotation are the kite, raven, crow, quail, cuckoo, and hoopoe). The attitude toward ducks, hawks, magpies, and jackdaws is ambivalent. Certain birds (ducks and ravens) were related to cosmogonic ideas; others (swan, goose, eagle, etc.) were endowed with a werewolf capability. The raven, the cuckoo, and the hoopoe symbolized natural cycles, whereas the magpie and the quail were associated with the soul. The role of bird images in the mytho-ritual practices is discussed. The Buryat mythological ideas reflected not only specific ethnic views of certain birds, but also universal ones.

Kalittokai is a classical Tamil poetic work. In this text the basic beliefs about life have been discussed. These beliefs are strong among the people. Beliefs on nature, birds, trees, astronomy and rain are very common among the people. Belief in blinking the eyes, belief over God, belief related to dreams, lizards horoscope, belief in fasting, belief in crescent prayer, and belief in fanaticism are very common among people. These are followed in their day to day life. Humans from birth to death are tied up in a knot called belief. This article is about the folklore elements in Kalittokai.

Folklore elements based on superstition will forever remain in the memory of the people and will not lose their value. Birds that are part of nature, especially owls, are the most resilient in the myth of the world. The article comprehensively explores the nature of the owl, collected and compared legends, proverbs, beliefs, songs and traditions of the peoples of the world about the owl. In the legends of the peoples of the world, there are positive and negative opinions about the owl. The fact that today the emphasis on the history of the formation of ideas about the owl is due to the fact that this bird is found in different ways in the folklore of many countries. The article is based on myths, proverbs, sayings and sayings of popular beliefs, as well as examples of folk poetry.

The article describes the adaptation of the apocryphal Gospels motif—the revival of clay birds by Jesus—in the folk traditions of Eastern and Western Slavs. The texts of folk legends demonstrate not only the active inclusion of apocryphal motifs in oral narratives, but they also incorporate the motifs’ biblical contexts and they emphasize themes that are close to everyday life and that reflect local history. The folklore texts analyzed here are from different regions of the Slavic world (Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Poland); they allow us to conclude that the oral tradition has retained, with great stability, these fragments from medieval sources up to the present day. Moreover, it is interesting to note the different interpretations of the same motif in monuments of Christian and Jewish literature (apocryphal Gospels and the pamphlet Toledot Yeshu). The fairly large group of folk legends with apocryphal motifs, occurring in different Slavic traditions from the 19th to the 21st centuries, thus testifies not only to the continued relevance of the biblical plots for oral culture, but also to the importance of the Apocrypha for the broadcasting and preservation of biblical stories in the folk tradition.

The world-view system of Ukrainians is one of the richest and symbolically-filled models of knowledge of the surrounding world, which fully represented itself in various forms of art and, above all, in folklore. It is the oral folk art that most fully preserved the representation of the ancient Ukrainians about the establishment of the world, the appearance of the first plants and animals, the emergence of elements, human, etc. At that time, when there was no written language yet (prehistoric period), our ancestors broadcasted their understanding of life processes by means of verbal literature, encrypting it in a figurative system. The article examines the history of the study of zoomorphic images in Ukrainian folklore from the 1930s to the present, points to the diversity of interpretation of animal symbols in different genres of oral folk poetry, and focuses on the symbols of demiurgeous birds. It is in the poetry of the winter calendar ritual cycle, as the oldest stratum of Ukrainian folklore, that we find the image of the birds-founders of our world, which forms a coherent picture of the mythological notions of our ancestors about its beginning. In carols and shcherdivkas, in particular cosmogonic, ornithopes are a prominent place. The connection between the image of the bird and the two most ancient ideas-symbols – the true and the world tree-the most archaic models of the world order – is analyzed. At a time when in folk poetry of other genres, ornithomorphic images carry a diverse semantic load, then in cosmogonic carols they symbolize only the process of creation, where the act of diving, immersion in the right is a symbol of the «conception» of the world, the penetration and degeneration of one life-giving energy into another (the idea of fertility).It was in the images of the falcon and the pigeon, pure and good beings, that our ancestors saw the founders of all living things, they considered their primary source and life-giving energy.

The article scientifically generalizes the issues of reflection of folklore motives in the types of applied arts of Uzbekistan in the XX century. The most general considerations regarding the nature of the symbolic image of animals, birds, poultries, insects and underground creatures in the decor of household items are presented.

xi, 124 p. : col. ill. and map.
The Arcata Marsh and Wildlife Sanctuary (AMWS), located on the Humboldt Bay of northwestern California in the town of Arcata, is an excellent example of reciprocity between humans and the natural environment. The AMWS is a constructed wetland ecosystem that works in conjunction with the town's wastewater treatment plant, providing a healthy habitat for birds and other wildlife and a context for the folkloric activity of birding. Interviews with seven local birders at the AMWS and an analysis of the material, economic, biological, social, and spiritual implications of the activity in context serve to support the assertion that reciprocity is an important factor in the sustainability of folkloric interactions between humans and the natural environment.
Committee in charge: Sharon Sherman, Chairperson; Kathryn Lynch, Member; Jill Harrison, Member

Cette étude se propose de dégager les variations du thème des oiseaux de nuit dans la Grèce ancienne, médiévale et moderne et de présenter une explication de ces différences en fonction du contexte historique, socioculturel et religieux. Pour la période ancienne, un inventaire des oiseaux de nuit a été établi et les occurrences concernant ces oiseaux dans la littérature, l’histoire, la mythologie et l’art ont été relevées. L’étude des oiseaux de nuit a été reprise à l’époque médiévale suivant la même approche en nous intéressant à la manière dont les principales caractéristiques des oiseaux de nuit ont été revues à la lumière de la conception judéo-chrétienne du monde, ainsi que dans d’autres textes comme le Physiologos, les nombreux Bestiaires, les Cyranides et le Poulologos.Enfin, pour la période moderne, notre attention s’est portée sur la place qu’occupent les oiseaux de nuit dans les chansons populaires, proverbes, fables, contes, poèmes et la littérature de jeunesse ainsi que dans les représentations qui leur sont associées dans l’art, l’artisanat, les emblèmes, timbres poste et monnaies. Cette étude diachronique vise à recenser les différentes espèces d’oiseaux et à évaluer le rôle qu’elles ont joué dans la pensée grecque au fil des siècles. Elle vise à établir -ou non- la continuité de leur symbolisme en fonction des conditions propres à la période envisagée
This study has distinguished variations in the theme of nocturnal birds in Ancient, Medieval and Modern Greece, as well as presented an explanation within the historical, socio-cultural, and religious contexts. For the Ancient Greek timeframe, in an effort to outline symbolism, an inventory of nocturnal birds mentioned in zoological texts was created whereby the mention of such birds in literature, history, mythology, and art was also accounted for. The same approach was employed for the Medieval Greek timeframe. The study first focused on the revisions made to the main characteristics of these birds within the Judeo-Christian mindset, as opposed to Ancient Greece. These changes were not only adopted, but reinforced by other texts such as the Physiologos and many Bestiaries. The study then focused on the medico-magical traits of these nocturnal birds as outlined in the Cyranides, which contrasts with the Poulologos’ satire of Byzantine society by the intermediary of the birds’ behavior and biting remarks. Lastly, for the Modern Greek timeframe, the study explored the importance of nocturnal birds in folk songs, proverbs, fables, short stories, poems and youth literature. Further, the study outlined the birds’ privileged place in art, artisanal work, signs and emblems, postage stamps, and money. This diachronic study aimed to catalog the different bird species and to evaluate the role that they played in the development of the Greek line of thought through the centuries. It was also the study’s goal to ultimately establish—or not—the continuity of the symbolism as it relates to the time-specific conditions of each era

Recognizable by their cunning exploits and gray morality, tricksters can be found in mythology, folklore, and religions throughout the world. Two tricksters were familiar to the Yoruba people in West Africa, Ajapa and Eshu, and their stories and abilities provide insight to the functions fulfilled by trickster characters. Upon the introduction of Regla de Ocha (or Santeria) to Cuba following the transatlantic slave trade, a new figure emerges, known for his tricks and adaptability. Due to the West African influence in Santeria religious practices, the original roles and traits of Eshu and Ajapa are analyzed for comparison, but Eleggua, the Santeria trickster, has become his own entity. Through ethnographic observations, personal conversations, and a collection of various sources and manuals, this project explores Eleggua and the trickster presence in Cuba. Although his role as a trickster has changed throughout the past few centuries, Eleggua and the trickster identity persists in modern Cuba, visible in religious practices and secular exchanges.

MAAS (Xitsonga)
Ehansi ka Sentara ya M. E. R. Mathivha ya Tindzimi ta Afrika, Vutshila na Ndhavuko
This research describes and discusses the superstitions which are on the verge of dying out in Zimbabwe. The aim of this study is to explore various animals and birds superstitions predominantly among Machangana. The researcher shall use a qualitative method and data shall be attained through the use of interviews and the researcher will listen to and sometimes converse with the participants in a conducive manner. The researcher shall gather birds and animals superstitions from old people who are fifty years and above because they are experienced and well versed in that area. This research targets the people of N’wanedzi District that is located in the South Eastern part of Zimbabwe. Furthermore, the total number of participants shall be fifteen and shall be randomly sampled to attain authentic information and the method of the data analysis which shall be used is thematic qualitative analysis where the researcher shall use his own discretions. The study shall be of great use to the schools, higher and tertiary institutions and the entire society.

Selected animal- and bird- proverbs as reflectors of Indigenous Knowledge Systems and social mores: a study from Zulu language and culture is a research that focuses on the human-animal and bird interface to explore the role animals and birds play in the manifestation of a composite picture of Zulu society. This research also proposes to investigate various concepts related to animal and bird metaphors as manifested in the images of proverbial metaphors with an objective of examining the philosophical thought, moral values and attitudes ofZulu society. The primary objective ofthis research is to contribute to an understanding of the ways in which humans use animal and bird behaviour in constructing healthy social relationships as well as meaningful social coexistence. This research is conceptually based on the nature of language as a symbolic representation of reality. It attempts to do a critical interpretation of images reflected in proverbial metaphors with the help of international theories which might be applicable to a Zulu situation as well as oral testimonies of local informants as the research is based on local concepts. Language is the expression of human communication through which knowledge, belief, and behaviour can be experienced, explained and shared. This makes language the most efficient means of transmitting culture, and it is the owners of that culture that lose the most when a language dies. Every culture has adapted to unique circumstances, and the language expresses those circumstances. Identity is closely associated with language. What we talk about, think, and believe is closely bound up with the words and symbols we have, so the history of a culture can be traced in its language which is a major form of human communication and interaction. Recognition of Indigenous Knowledge Systems is being encouraged in most parts of the world as it enriches and enhances indigenous peoples' self esteem. In Mrica for instance, the recognition of indigenous peoples together with their Indigenous Knowledge Systems seems to have given rise to a concept called 'African Renaissance' which implies the renewal or the regeneration ofthe African continent. Indigenous Knowledge Systems are vital in teaching us different ways of thinking about life, of approaching our day-to-day existence on the environment. Recognising and developing these traditional knowledge systems might help indigenous peoples all over the world preserve their traditional knowledge about the environment as well as their cultural identities ofwhich language is a major component. Language and human identity are inherently linked and inseparable. For many people, like the Zulu, the loss of language may bring loss of identity, dignity, sense of community and traditional religion or spirituality, When language is lost, people of that particular language also lose the knowledge contained in that language's words, symbols, grammar and expressive elements such as proverbial metaphors and indigenous aphorisms that can never be recovered if the language has not been studied or recorded. Selected animal and bird species form the basis ofthis research on account of their direct link on Zulu people's culture, indigenous medicine and language reflected through proverbs and idioms. For example, images of the big four of the wild which are: the lion, leopard, buffalo and elephant, and are commonly known as the favourites of the Zulu royal house are used in the presentation ofthe symbolic figure ofKing Shaka. A society is formed by a common culture and language, and is moulded by acceptance of rules, customs, ways of life and moral responsibility that promote ideas and ideals that secure the survival of society. The understanding of such a background context about a society helps for a better analysis of its literature, particularly proverbs. Proverbs are the most valuable source for the understanding of a society because they are the reflection of a society from which they originate. Proverbs, as the product of an entire society, need to be studied in society and society through them. Proverbs are concerned with people's behaviour an~ attitudes as they relate to the treatment of persons through the use of moral principles and by giving a device for providing guidance for people's lives. Proverbs are also an oral thread that permeates throughout both tradition and culture in order to manifest the golden heritage invested in these genres. They also serve as a code for establishing standard in ethical and moral behaviour. Ethical behaviour is a normative principle that ensures ease of life lived in common as it acknowledges both the rights and the responsibilities of every citizen in promoting individual and societal well-being. There are several proverbs directed primarily at instilling basic values of honesty, sharing, gratitude and respect to children. Adult members of society seem to have a binding duty of instilling good habits of behaviour, guidelines and boundaries in life towards self-discipline to the young generation and this prepares them to be responsible and considerate citizens in future. Communal responsibility in raising children is an African practice. A framework against which to examine the social manifestations of the phenomenon of food and eating together in Zulu proverbs is set out. Eating is one ofthe most basic of our human activities. Either we eat, or we die. Because food is so basic to life, it also takes on a rich symbolic importance. Different societies have developed rituals around food and it plays a prominent role in various different religions. We do not simply eat to satisfy a physical need to stay alive. Our eating together of meals goes beyond our physical actions. Food enriches our enjoyment of life and is central to the development ofany human culture and social relationships. Responsible behaviour is the epitome of this research. The Zulu place a high value on responsible behaviour in building an individual's reputation. Responsible behaviour makes social relationships healthy and successful in a holistic manner. The goal ofthis research is to assist in the development of moral, compassionate and fairminded persons who can make positive contributions to society as individuals and as members of society who honour good conduct as an intrinsic value. Every society desires individuals whose actions reflect their integrity and a deep sense of social responsibility. Chronically irresponsible individuals who are inconsiderate seem to become targets of proverbs. Several proverbs referring to animals and birds admonish irresponsible behaviour. For instance, an image of a dog is often used to characterise deceitful and irresponsible behaviour while an image of a bird figures in several proverbs that implicate interpersonal decoru Social life in Zulu culture is based on reciprocal or communal sharing, principles dealing with proper disposition of valuables such as ritualised meat and food. Several of the corpora of this study give guidelines and etiquette of sharing such food. Rituals to link the living community with the community of the dead reflect the inextricable bond between the two communities. Proverbs are therefore, considered an essential catalyst or a common vehicle through which a society can renew and reinforce its values, and restore a sense of pride, dignity and respect amongst its members as they stress the task of nation building in the context of joint action towards the eradication of antisocial practices which do not promote sustainable social relationships as well as survival of society. This research concentrates on the regeneration and re-norming of society through the formulation, propagation and restoration of values reflected by selected animal and bird proverbs. Facilitating the realisation of the moral society through the regeneration of moral values is possible through the realisation ofthe essence ofresponsible behaviour in the minds and hearts of people. This means that reconstructing an environment permeated by a regenerated ethical behaviour which encapsulates credibility, respectability, responsibility, loyalty, cooperation and communal sharing of values provides a paradigm shift to give society a new direction towards a communal dedication to helping each other do our best.
Thesis (Ph.D.) - University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2003.

In myth and folklore, birds (and cranes in particular) have traditionally been symbols of transcendence and rebirth. The Sufi mystic Farid ud-Din Attar, in his The Conference of the Birds, offered a parable of birds going on pilgrimage to find the divine king of their dreams, openly to discover in the end that they were the mystery they had sought all along. The author reads this text on a trip to see sandhill cranes along the Platte River in Nebraska. These cranes fly 10,000 miles between Mexico and northern Alaska (and back) each year, stopping in March to feed for a few weeks. In the history of symbols, birds are routinely portrayed as omens of death, embodiments of departed spirits, or symbols of transcendent mystery. But of all birds, the crane—by the majesty of its size alone—inspires admiration. The huge white bird with a bright red crown is a symbol of longevity and good luck. It was believed to have a life span of a thousand years or more.

In the present article, the ethnolinguistic perspective on the interpretation of one of the most widespread birds in Lithuania and in the Slavic countries, namely, an owl, is studied. In the cultural tradition, both positive and negative aspects are associated with birds, and, as a rule, only negative ones are associated with birds of prey. The connection of an owl with negative aspects of life is analyzed on three levels: on the linguistic level (metaphors, fixed comparisons, phraseological units, etc.); on the level of folklore texts (songs, fairy tales, legends, etc.); and on the level of traditional concepts. The material for the study has been collected from the explanatory dictionaries of the Lithuanian and various Slavic languages, the phraseological dictionaries, folklore collections, etc. On the linguistic level, the analysis shows that in the Lithuanian and Slavic languages, an owl is usually associated with an ugly woman, with large bulging eyes, in Lithuanian it is also associated with an ugly sitting person (which is also found in Polish); in Slavic languages, there is a comparison between an owl and a person who has not slept at night for a long time. What is common in the Lithuanian and some Slavic languages is the love of an owl for its ugly children. In the Lithuanian song material, an owl is depicted as a comic character showing off its “beauty”. In the songs, there is an image of an owl as a rich woman (in Lithuanian and Belarusian folklore); the wedding motif of an owl married to a sparrow is popular in Lithuanian and some Slavic folklore traditions. The motif of widowhood, single motherhood is vividly represented in the Slavic languages. In Lithuanian and Slavic folklore, an owl is widely represented in marriage songs where this bird usually parodies the bride or another participant in the wedding ceremony. The nocturnal lifestyle is explained in Lithuanian and Slavic folklore by its fear of other birds chasing an owl during the day. An owl is demonized in the Lithuanian and Slavic folk tradition. For instance, Lithuanian folklore mentions that a witch can turn into an owl, while in Slavic folklore, an owl is often associated with other birds that are servants of the devil. In both Lithuanian and Slavic traditions, owls are able to foretell the future: either future misfortunes or a birth of a child. This is associated with the acoustic impression of owl’s cry, and with an idea of its connection with the other world. The above-mentioned general interpretations of an owl in the traditional culture of Lithuanians and Slavs, primarily Belarusians, Ukrainians, Poles, and to a lesser extent – the southern Slavs, Czechs and Slovaks, prove the close ties between Lithuanians’ and Slavs’ beliefs.

This legend concerns the folklore of birds and natural history. An eagle swoops down and takes a baby back to its eyrie. The baby is then sometimes rescued by a villager or eaten by the eagle and its chicks. In Britain the story is particularly associated with Scotland.

This chapter explores Gillian Whitehead’s Awa Herea. A personal and deeply felt response to the nature and folklore of New Zealand is always present in Whitehead’s music. The chapter illustrates how this is shown strongly in this cycle, for which she has composed her own text. Intimate spiritual identification with her heritage (she is one-eighth Maori) manifests itself, both in a special sensitivity to the sights and sounds of birds, beasts, plants, landscapes, and climate, and their significance in Maori culture, and in a fierce resistance to the commercial interests that threaten to destroy them. The work is divided into seven movements, some overlapping, making an exceptionally well-balanced whole.

The eight chapter discusses life for a common Naga having to live under the jurisdiction of draconian state acts like the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 amended in 1972. I narrate the story of the village of Oinam that still continues to suffer from the scars of a military combing operation called Operation Blue Bird in 1987. The excesses committed by Assam Rifles on that fatal day are now recounted in Naga folklore and sung in such deep sadness of people being shot dead with no concrete evidence that it sends shivers down you even now; that a democratic country like India could be that brutal in its remote parts away from media focus.

WHY SO FEW BIRDS This paper consideres the petroglyphs of birds in the inner part of the Alta fjord in northern Norway. During the time 5000 to BC/AD, when the petroglyphs were made, the focus was on water birds, although extremely few in relation to the total number of figures. No bird figures appear to have been made later than 2700 BC. The lack of birds among the late rock art in Alta does not mean that they no longer had a place within human animal relationships, beliefs and rituals, myths, narratives and subsistence, but only that they no longer were depicted in rock art. Ethno-historic information indicates that beliefs associated with birds were important in among Finno-Ugric myths and folklore in late historic times, with roots in prehistory. There might be a link between prehistoric images and ethno-historic information, but to draw a direct connection through four thousand years between prehistoric and historic populations in the region of Alta need more information than I can provide. Статья посвящена изображениям птиц в наскальном искусстве внутренней части фьорда Альта на севере Норвегии. Петроглифы создавались здесь с V тыс. до н. э. до начала н. э. В основном изображались водоплавающие птицы, но их крайне мало по сравнению с общим числом фигур. Судя по всему, птицы не изображались вообще в период после 2700 л. до н. э. Отсутствие этого образа в позднем наскальном искусстве Альты вовсе не означает, что птицы перестали занимать свое место в отношениях человека с животными, в верованиях и ритуалах, мифах и сказаниях, а также в пропитании. Это значит лишь то, что они больше не изображались в наскальном искусстве. Этно-исторические данные свидетельствуют, что верования, связанные с птицами, занимали важное место в финно-угорских мифах и фольклоре в поздние исторические времена, уходя корнями в первобытность. Возможно, существует связь между доисторическими изображениями и этно-историческими данными, но чтобы установить эту связь, протянув ее через четыре тысячелетия, которые разделяют доисторические и исторические племена в районе Альты, требуется гораздо больше информации, чем есть сейчас в нашем распоряжении.