BlueRavenBirders

“The Secret Language of Birds: A Treasury of Myths, Folklore and Inspirational True Stories”
By Adele Nozedar
Hardcover: 544 pages
Publisher: HarperElement 2006
ISBN-10: 0007219040
ISBN-13: 978-0007219049

I found this book to be a fascinating collection of facts, stories, myths, and tales. There is an emphasis on the magical and mystical and as long as you are aware of this it will be a delightful treasury.  – Jenny

From Amazon:
“The book is arranged thematically, each section explores a different aspect — e.g. Birds of Myth and Legend, Divination and Auguries, Birds and Astrology, Symbolism of Eggs and Feathers, Alchemy and Birds; plus sections on birds in the Celtic Tradition, in Ancient Latin America, in India, and the New World. Find out how to find your Spirit Bird, and in another section discover an A-Z of the history and folklore of individual birds, and how their symbolism is often shared in many cultures and myths.

One of the key themes in the book is the concept of the winged creature carrying messages, as well as the history of bird-as-augur from Greek and Roman times where they studied birds’ flight patterns and entrails to make critical decisions. Many people will love the many wonderful true stories of ordinary people in the present day too, who have encountered the miraculous, or healing qualities of birds in their own lives.

This book is an enormous treasure trove of information that is spiritually uplifting and historically fascinating. It contains many general tip bits for bird-lovers to be enchanted by, such as: – baby robins eat 14 feet of earthworms a day – condors can fly for 10 miles without flapping their wings – a bird flying into a house foretells an important message – hummingbirds weigh less than a penny – a jay is said to spend Fridays with the devil, telling tales!”

Contents:

• The secrets of the birds
• The messages of the birds: A little bird told me…’
• Bird brain?
• One world, one tribe, one bird: Birds of myth and legend
• Feathers and forecasts: Divination of birds
• Of ravens and rainbows: The modern augur
• Communications from birds: Some examples of augury
• Starlings and star signs, parrots and planets: Birds and astrology
• Charms, murders, exaltations: The collective nouns of birds
• Which came first? The mythology and symbolism of the egg
• Downy plumes: The story of feathers
• Birds as international symbols
• Early birds: A global alarm-clock
• Bards and blackbirds: Birds in the Celtic traditions
• Birds of the New World: New Zealand
• Birds of the New World: Australia
• Peacocks and palaces: Birds in India
• Essential weatherbirds: Birds of Africa
• Pharaoh and phoenix: Birds in ancient Egypt
• The winged gods: Birds in ancient Greece
• Messengers from the fourth dimension: Birds in ancient Latin America
• Thunderbirds and rain dances: Birds of the Native American peoples
• A parallel universe of magic: Birds and shamanism
• The wings of desire: The alchemical nature of birds
• Elemental birds: Earthbirds, waterbirds, airbirds, firebirds
• A whistling woman, a crowing hen: Bird superstition
• Birds as symbols: An at-a-glance guide
• Birds of the gods: Divinities and their birds
• Birds in our world today

Additional material includes a directory of bird organizations, a bibliography, and an index. All illustrations are black and white.