The Elements (1)

Writing about the elements and what they mean for our survival is a bit daunting. So much has been written over the centuries, that I feel I have nothing new to add. In addition, much of what has been written has probably been discussed already. Since each contributes directly to the well-being of all, they (air, fire, earth, water, and spirit) are essential for all life. Without one or more of the basic elements, there would be no life. That is why early Greek philosophers and others focused on learning as much about the elements as they could.



Water

Without water, people plants, and animals could not live for very long. Because our bodies are made mostly of water, we need it to sustain us. Places without water are dry and lifeless for only water provides life for the barren land to become fertile. Since water is so important, animals and plants devise strategies to catch and store water in arid regions. For example, the sandgrouse has a net of filaments on his upper body. After he returns from soaking at the water hole, his chicks drink from the water stored in his net.

Earth

With its bounty, the land sustains life. The plants and trees that grow on the earth nourish us and replenish our air. The earth provides the structure by giving us a firm foundation for our lives. The rocks are the bones that we build our homes on. Moreover, we use the earth’s ores to fashion our civilizations. In addition, our bodies also contain minerals which enhance our well-being. Without them, we would sicken and die.



Fire

Heat in the form of our sun warms Earth, and allows life to flourish there. Cold tends to retard the growth of needed plants for animals to feed on. Moreover, the animals that live in the Polar region are fewer and more dependent on the seas than the land. During the summer’s thaw, only does life explode in profusion.
For humans, fire has made us what we are today. By converting raw food into cooked food expeditiously with fire enabled humans to expend little energy. People could now use their excess energy to develop language and culture. Since fire provided humans with heat, it also enabled them to move beyond hot Africa into colder regions.

SANDGROUSE: Father’s Love

Living in some of the world’s most inhospitable deserts, Sandgrouse happen to be very hardy birds. Forming large flicks, They slowly move across the desert eating thousands of seeds. In their search for food, Sandgrouse roost wherever They happen to be.

Although They are found in Africa and Eurasia, Sandgrouse have no close relations. Because of their colouring, They were often mistaken for Grouse. However after much debate, scientists believe that perhaps the closet relatives of Sandgrouse are the Wading Birds.

When Sandgrouse want to lay their eggs, They make a shallow depression in the ground. Nesting out in the open, Sandgrouse effectively prevent predators from eating their Eggs. The Parents take turns incubating and protecting their Chicks from the hot sun. After Mother’s shift in the daytime, Father takes over for the night.

Father Sandgrouse provides water for his Chicks in an extraordinary manner. During the day, He flies to a water hole and fills his crop. His breast and undersides contains a net of fine filaments. After dusting Himself off, Father Sandgrouse soaks in the water. His net becomes a sponge to soak up the water. After He flies home and lands, Father Sandgrouse lifts his body up. Racing to Him, his Chicks drink the water from the filaments. He provides water for two months until his Chicks moult.

Sandgrouse aptly demonstrates a father’s love for his children. Performing what could be referred to as “the stuff of legends”, He brings his children water from far distances. A father’s love is what Sandgrouse offers to us. Let us bask in that love.

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Science Notes:
1. Sandgrouse are Pterodidae while true Grouse are Galliforms.

RESPLENDENT QUETZAL: Meaning of Precious

TROGONS AND QUETZALS (TROGONIDAE)
Known for nibbling holes in trees, Trogons are cavity nesters. These Birds also are noted for their long elaborate tails. Trogons are the only Birds with a heterodactyl toe arrangement (the first and second toes reversed). Therefore what other Bird Family that They are related to remains a mystery.

RESPLENDENT QUETZAL: Meaning of Precious

Sacred to the Mayas and Aztecs, Quetzal means “precious” in Nahuatl. According to the Aztecs, pregnant women carried both a jade stone and quetzal feather inside of them. Together these items would create the infant’s face and status in the world. Furthermore, Quetzalcoatl, their “Feathered Serpent” was transfigured from Resplendent Quetzal.

Living in the cloud forests of Central America, Resplendent Quetzal offers a glimpse of his incandescent green tail and red breast. Although, He remains still, you can see his long tail waving in the breeze. When He wants to court a Female, Resplendent Quetzal will display Himself in flight.

In a rotting tree trunk, Resplendent Quetzal and his Mate will often nest in a cavity that They had dug out with their beaks. Afterwards, They will incubate their eggs throughout the day. The longer Resplendent Quetzal spends raising his young brood, the more frayed his magnificent tail becomes. If Mother Resplendent Quetzal deserts their nest, He will remain to raise their nestlings alone.

Resplendent Quetzal personifies the meaning of “Precious”. In the cloud forests, He reminds us of how we need to husband our planet. With his tattered tail, Resplendent Quetzal shows that we must give up what is “precious” to us in order for our next generation to flourish.

Basic Divination: Working With Various Types

When I worked with various types of basic divination, I had several problems. First was the mechanics of setting them up to do divination. Two was trying to eliminate personal bias from each method. Finally I had to cope with their lack of accuracy.

In setting up water divination, I had to find a shallow bowl to place the three pieces of paper into. Unless the slips were tiny, they overlapped in the bowl, where I poured the water in. This mattered since the one on top would float to the top first. Also this divination was messy to do repeated times.



Since it was late fall, I could not find a daisy or dandelion as required by flower divination. Therefore, I decided to use roses, which I could easily obtain. During the process of doing this type of divination, I discovered that you could mathematically predict the answer. If you have several roses to choose from, all you need to do is count the petals. So achieving an unbiased outcome was problematic.

Throwing dice was also problematic. Procuring the dice was difficult. For some reason, throwing the dice for me was also difficult. Again my bias would crop up in throwing the dice. It may seem unlikely but if you are skilled enough, you can manipulate the dice to give you the outcome you want.

Stones and coins also had their problems of bias. You could not prevent it from cropping up. If you wanted a certain answer, odds were great that you could achieve it. Along with the bias was the accuracy problem. I had to learn to ask questions of subjects I knew the most about. If divining is to ascertain an idea of the future, then these methods failed since they were inaccurate about unknown things. (I failed miserably in predicting the outcomes of various sports teams.)



Divination by stones seemed to suit me best. I could set up a Roman-style of divination. (I practice Roman bird augury.) The choices of “Yes, No, and Maybe” could be transformed into “Yes, No, The Gods don’t care”. The “Maybe” stone offered a sense of latitude that was missing in the others.

Dowsers claim that divining attunes you to your subconscious which in turn is linked to the collective universes. Since I understand that, I could view stone divination in a different light. Setting the question up allowed my subconscious to free itself of bias. I could do stone divination, and not worry about the accuracy. My rate of correct predications was seventy percent, which I considered to be accurate. Therefore I would use stones frequently as a form of basic divination.

WESTERN MEADOWLARK (PRAIRE LARK): Joy in Music

BLACKBIRDS, COWBIRDS, ORIOLES, AND ALLIES (ICTERIDAE)

New World Blackbirds, which includes Bobolinks, Grackles, and Meadowlarks, are considered to be the most recently evolved of Bird Families. These very intelligent Birds are also fast learners. For obtaining food, They have strong bills that can force open gaps in places.

WESTERN MEADOWLARK (PRAIRE LARK): Joy in Music

Famous for his song, Western Meadowlark is often associated with the American West. His flute-like notes are usually included in the sound tracks of Western movies. By this happenstance, his melodies are actually heard worldwide by many people who have never been to the American prairies.

For the Lakota/Dakota, Western Meadowlark was one of the messengers of Itokago of the South (one of the Four Winds, and son of Tate (Mystery)). For women, He offered them beauty, fertility and the promise of a happy marriage. Because Western Meadowlark could gain access anywhere, He was often associated with love

Singing in his flute-like voice, Western Meadowlark offers joy to all. Since He looks so similar to Eastern Meadowlark, only Western Meadowlark’s song could tell the two Birds apart. On a flower-studded prairie, this Musician finds a fence post, and proclaims his territory with song. (His song is his weapon of defense.) Facing the sun, whose rays catch his golden shield of feathers, Western Meadowlark opens his mouth and sings out, “Spring o’ the year!”

Western Meadowlark brings the joy of music to us. In our busy lives, we often forget how music can enthrall us. Stop and listen to Western Meadowlark singing on his fence post, in the bright sun. Allow Him help you to recapture the joy of music in your life.

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Science Notes:
1. True Larks are Alaudidae. Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) is of the Icteridae (Blackbirds and allies) family.

HORNED LARK (SHORE LARK): Flourish Where You Are

Depending on where He lives, Horned Lark is known by many names. Because He is often seen on beaches, Horned Lark is called “Shore Lark” or “Sea Lark” in Europe. Wherever He nests in the Arctic or high mountains, his name is “Snow Bird” or “Snow Flake”. Since He walks instead of hopping and looks for seeds along the roadsides, Horned Lark is called “Road Chippie” or “Road Trotter” in North America. The only Lark to live outside of the Old World, Horned Lark is famous for his black feathers that taper into a pair of tiny “horns”. Therefore in many places, people have named Him “Horned Lark”.

Wherever He lives, Horned Lark is resourceful in finding food. At the shore, He feeds on the seeds of glasswort at low tide. During high tide, Horned Lark eats the seeds found around the sand dunes. Later, He will forage for food in fields and pastures.

Courting Female Larks by strutting around with his horns “erect” is what Horned Lark does best. Singing in his tinkling and lisping manner, Horned Lark ascends to the heavens, and then glides to the ground. Between each beat of his flight, Horned Lark closes his wings, with his silhouette resembling a cross.

Faithful to his birth place, Horned Lark adapts his colour to his habitat. Be it the high mountain ranges of the Himalyas or the beaches of Europe, Horned Lark ably demonstrates his versatility and resourcefulness. Because of his willingness to adapt, He has been able to colonise a wide range of habitats. Let Horned Lark show you how to flourish where you live.
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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers

SKYLARK: Creative Muse

“Hail to thee, blithe spirit!
Bird thou never wert!”
– Percy Bysshe Shelley, “To a Skylark”

Unlike other Birds, Male Skylark is dull in his colouring. However, He makes up for his mundane appearance by his dazzling courtship displays. With his rich trilling songs, He attracts the Females, and ably defends his territory from other Males.

During his courtship flights, Skylark sings as soon as the sun comes up and continues throughout the day. Soaring vertically in the sky, He sings and then hovers. Suddenly, Skylark will dive towards the earth with folded wings. Just before landing, He spreads his wings out.

Skylark’s trilling song inspired Shelley and Shakespeare in their writing. In addition, He inspires and thrills many more poets and composers. Skylark exalts all of us to achieve greater heights of creativity. Allow Him to be your creative muse.
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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers

THE LARK FAMILY: CHEER

Because Larks sing as They rise up in flight, a group of Larks is called an “Exaltation”. Since They live in open country, rising Larks are a familiar sight in many rural areas. Although They are cryptically coloured in browns and beiges, They make up for their drabness with their elaborate songs.

Well-known for waking up at dawn, Larks sing through the day. In fact, the sound of many Larks singing at dawn is called “Larkrise” in Great Britain. In addition, “Happy as a Lark” refers to this habit of theirs.

Many legends speak of Larks’ sweetness of temperament. Because of this, They could readily gain access to the Gods. One example of their cheeriness is of course greeting the day with song, inspiring all of us. Singing through the day, Larks by their nature uplift the saddest of hearts and spread good will. Let us follow their example.

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Science Notes:
1. True Larks are Alaudidae. Meadowlark (Sturnella neglecta) of the Icteridae (Blackbirds and allies) family.

2. Magpie-lark (Grallina cyanoleuca) is actually a giant Monarch flycatcher.
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Copyright: Virginia Carper, Animal Teachers

Basic Divination (3): Differences and Similarities

Differences and Similarities

The differences between these forms lie mostly in what purpose they are used for and in the materials used. Roman augury and some forms of pyromancy were not to predict the future but to uncover the will of the Gods. Meanwhile some forms of dowsing were used to make personal decisions. Since augury and pyromancy used natural occurrences, they could be expanded into a deeper form of divination. (Pyromancy is as dependent on fire as augury is on birds.) Also, neither is based on human interventions making them less influenced by human desires.

Meanwhile, dowsing seems more limited than either augury or pyromancy. It is also more subject to the human subconscious since a person holds the pendulum while dowsing. The woman who dowsed for books may have already knew what she wanted. Dowsing seems more personal than augury or pyromancy. It is also easier to execute since the only material needed is a pendulum.

At first glance all these forms seem to differ greatly. However, they are alike in offering limited answers to questions. Also they are, in essence, artificial constructs. Each one is set in a matrix with particular meanings attached to certain events. Each possesses a “Schelling Point” which is an answer that seems to be the obvious choice. Based on the information set, you have the instrument choose for you. However, you and others have provided input (data) for each probable outcome.

In addition, the person’s unconscious desires come into play. Each method has “wiggle room” for interpretation. (For example, a black cat in the U.S. means bad luck, while in the U.K., a white one is bad luck.) Each outcome is not as fixed as it seems. The bird could be leaving North going South. (Then what is the omen now? At that point the Augur would need to make a “judgment call.”) What may seem to be black and white become shades of grey. These methods are all dependent on the interpreter.

Works Used:
Adkins, Lesley and Roy A. Adkins, "Dictionary of Roman Religion”, New York: Oxford University Press, 1996.
Carroll, Robert, “Divination”, The Skeptic’s Dictionary, http://www.skepdic.com/divinati.html, 9 June 2009, 7 Dec. 2009
Crystal, Ellie, “Divination Index”, Crystalinks, 2009, 10 Dec.. 2009, http://www.crystalinks.com/divinationindex.html
Maurice, “About Dowsing Pendulums”, The Pendulum of Pendulums, 2009, 7 Dec. 2009, http://www.pendulums.com/index.html
Nozedar, Adele, “The Secret Language of Birds”, Harper Collins, London, 2006.
Stevens, Scott, “Games People Play: Game Theory in Life, Business, and Beyond”, (DVD course) The Teaching Company, Virginia, 2008.
Zell-Revenheart, Oberon, “Companion for the Apprentice Wizard”, New Page Books, Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, 2006.

Methods of Basic Divination (2)

To understand what each has in common and how they differ, I decided to investigate three forms further. I chose Roman augury by birds, dowsing, and pyromancy. They seem to be quite varied in their intent and materials.

Roman Augury by Birds

The purpose of Roman augury was to discover the will of the Gods so that it could be carried out by the Roman Senate. The answers from the Gods were, “Yes, No, or Not Interested.” To set up the divination, the Augur would lay out boundaries and time limits for watching for the birds.

In doing the augury, he followed “Rule of Four”. He divided the sky into four parts, with the favourable directions being South and East. Then the Augur watched for certain birds to fly by (the eagle and vulture, hawk, crow, and woodpecker) or he listened for certain birds calling (raven, owl, woodpecker, and hen). Favourable birds were the eagle and vulture, while the owl was considered to be unfavourable.

Dowsing

I once witnessed a woman choosing various books for purchase by dowsing with a pendulum. Her crystal pendulum swung back and forth for “Yes”, and sideways for “No”. In further research, I found out that some people consider the pendulum swinging clockwise to be "Yes", and counterclockwise is “No.”

According to the American Society of Dowsers (ASD), dowsing connects the conscious with the subconscious mind. They explain that your subconscious picks up what your rational mind cannot. Furthermore, your subconscious governs the pendulum and how it swings. They recommend programming your pendulum for accurate and safe use. (Ouija (talking) boards which use a planchette to move across the board are considered to be an offshoot of dowsing.)

Pyromancy

Divination by fire takes many forms. From various lists, I found botanomancy (the burning of plants) capnomancy (smoke, with thin smoke trailing upwards to be a good omen), daphnomancy (the burning of laurel leaves), and sideromancy (placing straw on a hot iron), to name a few. Since fire is a sacred element, many people sought to use it for divination.

One basic form of pyromancy is candle divination (lychnomancy). In the system described in Crystalinks, you set three candles in a triangle. If one flame is higher than the others, the answer to your question is “Yes”. Sparks flying means “Caution”, and any flame that goes out is considered to be bad luck.

Methods of Basic Divination (1)

While researching various forms of basic divination, I became amazed at people’s creativity and attention to detail. It seems to me that people will use anything to divine with.

From The Skeptic’s Dictionary, I uncovered an extensive list. Here is a sampling:
• aeluromancy (dropping wheat cakes in water and interpreting the result)
• aeromancy or acromancy (divination by examining what the air does to certain things)
• alphitomancy (dropping barley cakes in water and interpreting the result)
• axinomancy (divination by the hatchet: interpreting the quiver when whacked into a table)
• belomancy (divination by arrows)
• botanomancy (divination by herbs)
• capnomancy (divination by the smoke of an altar or sacrificial incense)
• chalcomancy (by vessels of brass or other metal)
• cleidomancy (divination by interpreting the movements of a key suspended by a thread from the nail of the third finger on a young virgin's hand while one of the Psalms was recited)
• coscinomancy (divination by a balanced sieve)
• cromniomancy (divination by onions)
• daphnomancy (divination using the laurel branch: how did it crackle when burned?)
• gyromancy (divination by walking around a circle of letters until dizzy and one falls down on the letters or in the direction to take)
• kapnomancy (by smoke)
• koskinomancy (by sieves)
• krithomancy (by corn or grain)
• lampadomancy (interpreting the movements of the flame of a lamp)
• libanomancy or knissomancy (interpreting the smoke of incense)
• lecanomancy (dropping precious stones into water and listening for whistles)
• macharomancy (by knives and swords)
• myrmomancy (divination by watching ants eating)
• oinomancy (divination by wine)
• onomancy (divination by names)
• onychomancy (interpreting the reflection of sun rays off fingernails)
• ornithomancy or orniscopy (interpreting the flights of birds)
• pyromancy or pyroscopy (divination by fire)
• rhapsodmancy (divination by a line in a sacred book that strikes the eye when the book is opened after the diviner prays, meditates or invokes the help of spirits)
• sideromancy (interpreting straws thrown on a red-hot iron)
• theriomancy (divination by beasts)
• tiromancy (interpreting the holes or mold in cheese)
• tyromancy (by cheese)
• urim v'tumim (reading sacred stones attached to the breastplate of the high priest in ancient Judaism)
• uromancy (divination by reading bubbles made by urinating in a pot)
(Source: Carroll, Robert, “Divination”, The Skeptic’s Dictionary)

FAIRY WREN: Discover the Deeper Truth

Often seen in people’s gardens, Fairy Wren is usually looking for a tasty Insect. Shy in nature, Fairy Wren is however tolerant of people. Popular in Australia, people regularly see Him in parks hopping about.

Despite his brilliant blue colours, Fairy Wren is difficult to see in the undergrowth. Since Fairy Wren is more cautious than the Female Fairy Wren (who has drabber feathers), He leaves promptly when an intruder approaches. If Fairy Wren spies a flying Insect, He hops straight up to snatch it, and then dives back to safety in the nearby bushes.

Fairy Wren’s family arrangements were confusing to many scientists. They thought He was socially monogamous but sexually promiscuous. However what they mistook for Female Fairy Wrens were the non-breeding Males. In Fairy Wren’s small group, there is one breeding pair – the dominant Female and her Partner. The Rest are relatives, who will usually leave when They are about four years old.

Fairy Wren teaches that things are not always what they seem. The boldly coloured Male hides in the underbrush. When with his small family, He can be mistaken for a Female if He is not breeding. His family being ruled by a Female is unusual as well. Fairy Wren insists that you look beyond the surface to discover the deeper truths. However, he does caution that the deeper truth maybe staring you in the face, without any probing.

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Science Notes:
1. The Wrens of Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand (antwrens, emu-wrens, fairy wrens, grasswrens and wren-babblers,) are not related and are not wrens. They belong to their own families. Fairy Wrens belong to a family of small insect eating birds in Australia and New Guinea called Maluridae.

WINTER WREN: Sacred Mysteries

The “Wren” of Europe, Winter Wren is the only Wren that lives in both the Old and New Worlds. Known as Bran’s Sparrow to the Celts, Wren foretold the future with his songs. The Celts called their sacred Wren “Drui”, (meaning “The Druid among Birds”). Under the protection of Taranis, the Celtic God of Thunder, Wren often nested in his oaks. Killing a Wren brought the wrath of the Gods upon unwary people.

During the winter, this tiny Bird lives in a communal roost with other Winter Wrens. To keep from freezing, They share their warmth. Just before dusk, Winter Wren calls to the Others. They answer and then enter their roost one by one. Many as sixty Winter Wrens will share an abandoned nest site.

In British folklore (Winter) Wren ruled the winter and (European) Robin ruled the summer. As the representative of the Old Year, Wren was sacrificed to bring in the New Year (as represented by Robin). This ritual killing of Wren ended winter.

Later Christians associated Winter Wren with the Virgin Mary. Now the ritual killing of the Wren by the Wren Boys happened on the day after Christmas, which was St. Stephen’s Day. One theory to this ritual occurrence was that people celebrated the ending of Paganism and the coming of Christianity.

The smallest and shiest of the Wrens, Winter Wren sings the loudest. Except to end winter, His killing brings misfortune. With these examples, Winter Wren demonstrates the paradoxes of life. A sacred Bird, Wren sings when He unwraps the sacred mysteries of the universe. Spend time with Winter Wren to understand life’s prophecies.


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Copyright: Virginia Carper, 2009, Animal Teachers

WREN FAMILY: The Mysteries of Happiness

Wrens, a family of little brown Birds, are well-known for their high energy and trilling songs. Friendly and active, House Wren is called “Jenny Wren” in children’s storybooks. Meanwhile Carolina Wren, one of the largest Wrens, flits from perch to perch looking for tasty bugs, delighting gardeners.

Voracious in their nesting, Wrens build nests in boots, mailboxes, and even car radiators. Quick and agile, Cactus Wren builds his nest amongst the sharp spines of a cactus. Meanwhile to impress the female Wrens, Marsh Wren frantically builds as many dummy nests that He can in the wetlands.

Best known for their bubbly songs, Wrens often have as many as 130 different songs in their repertoire. Although They do sing all year round, Wrens are most famous for being the joyful harbingers of spring with their trilling melodies. And, Winter Wren, a shy Bird, has the loudest songs of all the Wren Family.

In addition, Wrens’ songs have a magical quality to them. In some Native American stories, Wrens can bring the dead back to life with their powerful singing. Called the Snow Bird, Black-headed Wren is said to summon the snow. However, He does know the direction and time of the storm.

Wrens are legendary for their spiritedness. Whether defending their territory or building nests Wrens conduct themselves great zest. Let these little brown Birds induct you into the mysterious of happiness. Lose yourself in their songs, and be enriched beyond your dreams.

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Science Notes:
1. Members of the Wren Family called the Troglodytidae. The Wrens of Australia, New Guinea and New Zealand (antwrens, emu-wrens, fairy wrens, grasswrens and wren-babblers,) are not related and are not wrens. They belong to their own families.

2. Firecrested wren is the firecrest (Regulus ignicapillus), while golden-crested wren is the goldcrest (Regulus regulus). They belong to the Kinglet Family and are not wrens.
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Copyright: Virginia Carper, 2009, Animal Teachers

Basic Divination: Coins

To work with a type of Basic Divination, I decided upon coins. Since the physics and mass of most coins make it more likely that “heads” will appear more often than “tails”, I did not want to do the usual coin toss. Therefore, I decided on the Odd-Even method of coin divination. I counted out twenty pennies and prepared them and their bag for divination. Then I began to divine.

The hardest part of this type of divination for me was in forming the question. Since I was restricted to “yes” (even number of coins) and “no” (odd), I was stumped. What I finally did was to ask whether certain sports teams would win a particular game. I also asked questions such as “Will my friend ring me up today?”
After asking the question and grabbing a fist full of pennies out of the bag, I recorded my answer. My accuracy in predicting winning sports teams was dismal. It was only twenty percent correct. I suppose that if this method was truly accurate, everyone would be doing it. Instead, people usually collect team and individual statistics and base their predictions on that. (They use a form of mathematical modeling combined with intuition.)

Perhaps I asked the wrong question such as “Is Team Y going to defeat Team X” instead of “Is Team X going to defeat Team Y.” It may not seem to make a difference at first but it did make a difference in intent. (The focus on Team Y winning instead of Team X subtly changes the outcome.)

In predicting what people would do, I was more accurate. With that topic, I was right eighty percent of the time. I think it was because I knew the person’s behavior, and could phrase the question correctly.

Of course, the unconscious desire for a certain outcome played out in my divination. I wanted certain teams to win, so I pulled out the number of coins that I wanted. Furthermore, I knew certain people would act in particular ways. Since I desired a specific outcome, I would unconsciously produce that answer. Bias in this form of divination needs to be looked at before offering a final answer on its accuracy. (I do need to figure out how to remove any bias if it is possible to do so.)

Quail: Quiet Valour

QUAIL (OLD WORLD): Quiet Valour

Thought of as stout little Birds, Quails are remarkable for their hardiness. When Quail are cold, They form star-shaped Bevies (flocks) to receive warmth from each other. In addition, these short legged Birds with round heads, will often post sentries to watch for intruders. Their plumage provides such excellent camouflage that rarely does anyone notice Them until They call “wet-my-lips” or “whit-whit’tit”. (Because Quails’ calls are so distinctive, some cuckoo clocks have Them sound on the quarter hours.)

Surprisingly, Quails are well-regarded in many cultures. For the Chinese, Quails were the Fire Phoenix of Spring and Summer. Among the Hindus, these Birds represented the returning Sun. Furthermore, these unassuming Birds were also the emblem of the Russian Tsars.

Few would regard Quails as charismatic Birds. However, people do notice Quail’s ways of protecting each other. Some Quails post sentries while other Quails direct the Predator away from the Bevy. In their own way, Quails demonstrate valour. Without much fuss and attention, They do what they need to do. Remember as Quails teach: “Just do it!”

Science Note:

1. Old World Quails are Phasianidae while New World Quails are Odontophoridae. They both belong to the Superfamily of Phasianoidea, but are not close relatives of each other. Meanwhile, Button Quails, which are Turnicidae, are members of the Rail and Crane Family, and are not relatives of either Quail groups.

Copywrite: Virginia Carper, 2009, animalteachers @ gmail.com

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Hen and Rooster

Hen

Since She lays so many eggs, Hen represents fertility in many cultures. Because She gathers her chicks under her wings for protection, Hen has also come to symbolize maternal care. In addition, the Bantu regarded Her to be the Conductor of Souls to the After Life.

Rooster (Cockerel, Cock)

Since Rooster crows at dawn, many cultures viewed Him as a representative of the Sun. In Japan and China, Rooster warded off evil spirits. For the Celts, He drove away the hidden powers of the night. In Rome, Rooster, as the Bird of Mercury (God of merchants), called people to open their businesses for the new day. Living in the Underworld, Fjalarr, the Red Cock, will wake the Norse Heroes for their last great battle (Ragnarok).

Only the Tibetans did not see Rooster in a positive light. For them, He represented materialism. As One of the Three Animals on their Wheel of Life, He enticed people with greed.