The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #17900 Message #174821
Posted By: Sorcha
07-Feb-00 - 10:09 PM
Thread Name: Help: Who was The Wren?
Subject: RE: Help: Who was The Wren?
From: "Pagan Celtic Britain", by Ann Ross, Chapter VI, page 260 (in my edition):
"Because it is a rare account of the wren as an ominous bird also, the following is given in full translation from the Irish:
".........if it call from behind you importuning of your wife by another man in despite of you. If it be on the ground behind you, your wife will be taken from you by force. If the wren call from the east, poets are coming towards you, or tidings from them. If it call behind you from the south, you will see the heads of good clergy or hear death tidings of noble ex lay men. If it call from the south robbers and evilkinsmen are coming. If it call from the north west, a noble hero of good lineage and noble hospitallars and goodwomen are coming.
If it call from the north, bad people are coming whether warriors or clerics or bad women and wiched youths are on way"........
How much more do you want? The idea is that the wren was a bird of prophecy, much like the raven, and nobody much wanted to hear bad tidings, so they hunted the wrens.