Bird Auspices

Bird Auspices

Lammas by Anna Franklin & Paul Mason

 

If you are on top of a hill at Lammas, this is a good time to practice the ancient art of bird augury, though it can be performed anywhere in the open air. In ancient Rome, special augers were employed to interpret the future from the behavior of birds: their appearance in unexpected places, their flight and their calls.

 

Generally speaking, birds flying straight towards you indicate good luck, while birds flying in from the left indicate delays or bad luck, but it may depend on the type of bird. Here are some examples:

 

Blackbird – this bird indicates a message from the higher powers. Note the direction of the bird’s flight: from the left you are being warned to behave better, from the right and you will receive a blessing.

 

Corncrake – As the fields are cleared at the harvest, the corncrake is flushed out, and its screech is a cry of omen. If it makes a frequent rasping note, rain is due. If it is heard calling in a nearby field, it heralds bad fortune.

 

Crane – In Ireland, the unexpected appearance of a crane was thought to herald the cessation of hostilities in a war. If you suddenly see a crane, it means a disagreement will be resolved. A flight of cranes in a triangular formation means that business matters will be profitably handled.

 

Crow – A cawing crow flying about a house indicates a death. A flock of crows flying from the woods indicates bad times ahead. In some parts of England, the rhymes relating to the magpie (one for sorrow, two for joy, etc.) are applied to the crow and to see a single crow is very unlucky.

 

Curlew – Sailors used to think that the cry of the curlew was a warning from a drowned comrade, and that when a curlew flies overhead calling, a storm is brewing at sea and it is unwise to sail. It is a sinister omen for anyone who hears it calling at night.

 

Dove – If a dove appears from the right, this indicates luck in love and perhaps a marriage. In mediaeval times, the dove was a good omen or friendly warning. Miners would not go down a pit if a dove was seen near it. Doves were thought to be death omens if they circled someone’s head.

 

Duck – It is lucky to see one before embarking on a journey. A duck and drake seen together announce the union of lovers and mutual happiness.

 

Gull – If a gull touches you as it flies by, it is a bad omen for someone close to you.

 

Hawk – If the hawk appears from the left, beware of the activities of your enemies.

 

Hen – A crowing hen heralds evil, since she is expropriating the functions of the rooster. If one crows near the house or roosts at an unusual time, it presages the death of the farmer; on the day of his demise, they will roost at midday instead of the usual time. Hens also predict the weather; if they gather on a mound and preen their feathers, rain is on the way.

 

Kingfisher – If it appears from the left, scandal threatens; from the right, a magickal experience.

 

Magpie – Magpies are considered to be important birds of omen, hence the old fortunetelling rhyme:

 

One for sorrow

Two for joy

Three for a girl

Four for a boy

Five for silver

Six for gold

Seven for a secret, never to be told

Eight’s a wish

And nine’s a kiss!

 

It is unlucky to see a magpie when setting off on a journey. The bad luck presaged by the appearance of a single magpie may be averted by greeting it with the cry “Good day lord magpie!”

 

Owl – If an owl hoots three times near you, this is an omen of bad luck or illness. If one appears during the daylight, disaster looms.

 

Nightjar – In parts of England, the nightjar is known as the “Corpse Fowl” and is regarded as a bird of misfortune. To hear its cry at night is a bad omen.

 

Raven – If ravens are seen flying towards each other, it is an omen of quarrels. In Wales, it is thought that if a raven perches on the roof, it means prosperity for the family. If a girl sees a raven at Lammas, she can tell the direction of her future husband’s home from its flight; it will come from his point of the compass. It was especially favorable to see a raven with white on its wings, flying on one’s right hand and croaking simultaneously. If you hear a raven before setting out on a journey, you will achieve all you want from the trip.

 

Robin – It is an omen of death if a robin flies into a house through a window. If one should tap on the windowpane of an ill person, they will get worse. If you see one sheltering in a tree or hedge, rain is on the way. If it sits on an open branch chirping, good weather is coming.

 

Rook – It means good luck if rooks settle on your land. They are said to be able to predict the future; they know when the tree in which they are nesting is about to fall and will move. If rooks leave an area where they have been settled, it is a bad omen for the landowners – it means that no heir will be born. If they build high, the summer will be fine, if low, the weather will be wet and cold. If they perch together, facing the wind, a storm is on the way.

 

Rooster – You might not be able to see a rooster from the top of your hill, but there is a wealth of lore surrounding the calls of roosters. A crowing rooster as you go off to work signals a good day. If a rooster crows early in the evening, it means bad weather. If it crows late at night, it means a death in the family. If a rooster crows facing the door of a house, a stranger will arrive. If it stays on its perch, rain is imminent.

 

Stork – Its German name adebar means “luck bringer,” and a stork perching on your home indicates very good fortune.

 

Sparrow – If two sparrows appear from the right, this is good luck for lovers.

 

Swallow – They generally mean good fortune. If a swallow flies into a house, it brings joy with it. It is bad luck if the swallow deserts its nest. If a swallow is disturbed, it means a bad harvest. To see swallows fighting is a bad portent.

 

Wagtail – It is good luck when it approaches from the right.