Bird Myths

[dellacor]

In a story I am writing, mental patients are on an island for closeness to nature. In a dream, the heroine is swooped up by a Great Blue Heron who, on a flight over ocean and islands, gives her advice about life and challenges her to help others, and flying through a boreal forest among nature spirits. Does anyone recall a myth or legend that might have parallels with this and could be tied to? Says heron to heroine: "We herons go our own way and care little about what others say or think. You have some of that too, and should use it." Thanks for suggestions.

[mono]

Hmmm, interesting story, dellacor. I cannot say I recognize any story that you describe, but you may want to look into one of Geoffrey Chaucer's lesser-known poems called The House Of Fame, which tells of a story of an eagle carrying the main character (a struggling writer) to the palace of the goddess Fame, partially adapted from Dante.
I apologize that I cannot really help more, but I wish you lots of luck!

[Sitaram]

In the Ramayan, the Hindi version by Tulsidas in the 16th. century (the original was Valmiki, in Sanskrit, something like 400 B.C.E.), there is a central story involving the crow, Kag Bushundi, who is a singer of the Ramayan story, and Garuda, then noble eagle mount of Lord Vishnu himself. Ram is an avataric incarnation of Vishnu. Garuda witnesses the scene in which Ram is totally paralyzed and helpless by serpent-like poison weapons, and Garuda's faith is shaken. The mighty Garuda must visit with the humble bard, Crow Bushundi, to have his faith restored by listening to a recitation of the Ramayan.

The other thing to look at is the famous Sufi story of the 30 birds who go on a pilgrimage in search of the mythical God of the Birds, who is called, Simurgh.

It turns out that the word Simurgh itself means 30 birds, and the great lesson which the birds learn during their pilgrimage is that what they seek is within themselves.

cais-soas.com/CAIS/Mythology/simorgh_senmurv.htm

In classical and modern Persian literature the Simorgh is frequently mentioned, particularly as a metaphor for God in Sufi mysticism. In this context the bird is probably understood as male. The most famous example is Farid-al-Din Atátáâr's MantÂeq al-táayr 'The parliament of the birds' (cf. Ritter, p. 11ff., Bürgel, pp. 5-6). The Simorgh is the king of the birds; he is close to them, but they are far from him, he lives behind the mountains called Kâf, his dwelling is inaccessible, no tongue can utter his name. Before him hang a hundred thousand veils of light and darkness. "Once, Simorgh unveiled his face like the sun and cast his shadow over the earth...Every garment covering the fields is a shadow of the beautiful Simorgh." Fauth (p. 128) sees in this a memory of the Sênmurw dispersing the seeds. Thirty birds (si morgh) that have survived the hard and perilous quest for their king reach his palace. Coming face to face with the sun of his majesty they realize that they, the thirty birds of the outer world, are one with the Simorgh of the inner world. Finally the birds lose themselves forever in the Simorgh they, the shadows, are lost in him, the sun.

Notice how, in the above, the Simurgh is close to his devotees, but his devotees are far from him.

In Euclidean space, if point A is a certain distance from point B, then point B is that exact same distance from point A. But in spiritual geometry, though God is close to each of us, yet most of us are very far from God.

[Jay]

Confused... nevermind.

I think you might find this site useful.

I find the fact that they're finding phoenix and heron somehow related... wonder why, never thought a phoenix would look like a heron, but oh well, looky here for more 'facts' (it's mythology we're talking about here )

The Benu Bird Of Heliopolis
Interesting.

Hope you could find some of the info useful. Learning new stuff everyday... phoenix, a heron...

[Aramis]

While I've always loved mythology, I have to say that the phoenix has become much more special to me ever since I read the 'Harry Potter' books. Ahem.

Anyway, for your information, the Chinese version of the Phoenix/Benu is the Feng Huang, if you're looking for more variety. Feng is the male element of the bird, and Huang is the female element. (This is based on the concept of yin and yang.) I don't recall ever hearing of these birds teaching anyone, but according to mythology, they only appear in our world as an omen of good fortune.

[Starving Buddha]

Bird psymbolism corresponds to spiritual flight. The bird is a solar psymbol representing the light of eternity that always shines and is always present in contrast to the lunar light that goes through phases (which is psymbolized by the serpent who sheds its skin like life sheds forms). Although the body will be born, live a time then die, there is an eternal aspect that is spiritual, that transcends the physical. In spiritual enlightenment, one undergoes a psycho/spiritual transformation where one no longer identifies with the body (ego), but identifies instead with the eternal light that is omnipresent. Joseph Campbell describes it as identifying with the Light instead of the lightbulb.

[ReynardtheFox]

Herons?

Nah. Use a Dodo!

You can have your heroine on its back as it waddles along. . .

[kratsayra]

I am kind of too lazy to look up the specifics right now, but there are lots of Native American myths from a variety of traditions that have birds in them.

This probably isn't what you want, but there is a Native American creator/trickster figure who is a bird (Raven)