Flights of Fancy: Birds in Myth, Legend and Superstition - Softcover

Tate, Peter

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0099509873 ISBN 13: 9780099509875

Publisher: Arrow, 2008

Synopsis

Did you know that Barnacle geese were once classified as fish? That both the Cherokees and the ancient Greeks were convinced that cranes regularly fought battles with pygmies? That the Swiss believed that any cuckoo that managed to survive for a year would turn into an eagle?

Throughout history, birds have fascinated and intrigued mankind, so it is hardly surprising that an astonishingly rich body of myth, legend and superstition has grown up around them. Flights of Fancy explores the stories told about 30 of the world's best-known species, from the blackbird to the wryneck, drawing on traditions from every quarter of the globe. Some of the stories included clearly arose as a result of faulty observation, such as the widely held belief that nightjars sucked milk from cows. Others stemmed from attempts to explain unusual aspects of appearance or behaviour. But the vast majority seem to have their origins in people's delight in inventing stories - whether the legend that the blackbird was originally white, or the suggestion that witches kept owls as their familiars. And, as Peter Tate points out, what is so extraordinary is that the same story often crops up in many different parts of the world: the belief that eagles and snakes are sworn enemies can be found as far apart as Iraq and Mexico; the view that the raven is the harbinger of bad luck can be found throughout Europe from Denmark to Spain.

A fascinating and wonderfully entertaining read, this is the ideal book for anyone interested in birds or myths - or both.

About this title

About the Author

Peter Tate has published several books on ornithology, including Bird, Men and Books: A Literary History of Ornithology and A Century of Bird Books. When his publisher Anthony Witherby died some years ago, he placed the manuscript of his next book quietly away on a shelf and there it remained until earlier this year.

From the Back Cover

Why were barnacle geese once classified as fish?
When were kingfisher feathers used as love charms?
Where are wren hunts an annual tradition?

Flights of Fancy is an endlessly browsable guide to the fascinating stories and bizarre superstitions that surround some of the world s best-loved birds. Ranging from a traditional Italian account of how the nightingale learned to sing to an exploration of the Welsh belief that eagles breed storms on Mount Snowdon, it s the perfect bedside companion for every birdwatcher.

Edition details

• Publisher: Arrow
• Publication date: 2008
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0099509873
• ISBN 13: 9780099509875
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192