The cuckoo's first call in Spring gives us annual news in the correspondence pages of the UK 'Times' newspaper. Supposedly from olden times the quantity of calls a cuckoo produced suggested different things whether you were actually a young person (the point when you would get hitched), a married couple (the birth date of the next baby) or aged folk (how much more time you had to live), and it's stated that because the poor bird was kept so busy answering these kinds of questions, it had no time to create a nest and for that reason had to offload its off spring on to foster-parents. Nonetheless, it is a lucky bird and it’s commonly thought that whatever state of health and fitness you are in when you hear the very first call, so you are likely to stay for the rest of the year. And a wish made at this point will to come true.
Tradition states it is the single bird into which the Devil is unable to change himself. Its connection with love has occured just as it was considered to be the messenger of Venus, nonetheless among miners it was thought ill-omened and no superstitious miner would go underground soon after spotting one flying close to the mine.
The Kingfisher is yet another particularly lucky bird, and to carry a few of its feathers on you is both a safeguard and also a charm for good luck. It got its wonderful coat because when Noah let go the animals from the Ark after the downpour, the kingfisher was the first bird to fly away and therefore obtained the red of the setting sun on its breast and the colour of the heavens on its back.
Owls have carried a mixed bag of folklore since time immemorial. The ancient Greeks worshipped owls and imagined them sacred to Athena. Linked with with the goddess of wisdom and understanding, the owl was considered clever and kind.
Nevertheless somewhere in time, the owl's status plummeted and listening to the hoot of an owl is at this point thought of as bad luck. To counter evil owl energy place irons in your fire. Or perhaps throw salt, hot peppers or vinegar into the fire, the owl would get a painful tongue, call no more, and no one dear to you is going to be in trouble. Whenever you hear an owl, discard your clothing, turn them inside out and pull them back on. Without a doubt not a sensible idea for anyone who is in public.
However there is another superstition which is good for women. Any man who eats roast owl is going to be obedient and a slave to his spouse.
The robin is maybe the most liked of all wild birds and dire are the omens if you kill one. The yarn that it was a robin who covered the unlucky 'Babes in the Wood' with greenery to help them remain warm and toasty has done much to attract it to young children all over the place. Tradition tells us that it obtained its unique red breast after it attempted to pull the bloody thorns from Christ's head as he hung on the cross. The bird has furthermore been regarded as sacred to the household gods since very early times, and William Blake in his poem, Auguries of Innocence, says:
'A Robin Redbreast in a Cage
Puts all Heaven in a Rage.'
A wish told to the first robin of spring will be granted.
So don't forget men, keep away from roasted owl at all costs, but, for a bit of good fortune evaluate prices on walking and hiking outdoor gear at Bruno Blackstone's outdoor clothing, gear and experiences site My Outdoor Store.
Bruno Blackstone is a freelance writer interested in all things to do with the outdoors and helping others get the most from the outdoors. Starting with a psychology degree his early career was as a social worker and family therapist working with families to help them achieve more positive and stable relationships. In his more recent career he has coached many senior executives in both small and large organisations in areas such as strategy, human resources, organisational design and performance improvement. He now continues his work in the business world but he is also co-owner of http://www.myoutdoorstore.co.uk a price comparison site for outdoor enthusiasts.