74
THE ESSEX NATURALIST.
its back; a matron in mourning, the symbol of religion, was seen
to issue from the castle and, deploring her oppression, accused
her champions of being slow. The principal herald of the
Golden Fleece then advanced bearing on his fist a live pheasant,
which was presented to the Duke. Philip, having taken the
oath, was followed by the barons and knights: "they swore
"to God, the Virgin, the ladies and the Pheasant."
Birds played their part in that aspect of folk lore which dealt
with religion. In the first instance of this the association of
ideas, prima facie, would seem to be clear that the construction
of the bill influenced the story, but we are told that it was a
question of colour. The red shade of parts of the plumage of
the Crossbill is said to have been produced by the drops of
Christ's blood which fell on it when the Crossbill was trying to
relieve His agony on the Cross. There is another belief, however,
especially on the Continent, that the crossed bill was produced
by the efforts of the bird to remove the nails, which pierced the
Saviour's hands and feet. The Robin figures in several religious
legends. As an example of these I introduce one, which accounts
for the colour of the bird's breast: When Christ was on the Cross
two birds perched on it. One was a Magpie, at that time the
bird with the most brilliant plumage, which was only equalled
by the wickedness of the bird, which insulted the Redeemer.
The other was a tiny bird of modest hue, which humbly came
to the Cross, dried with her wings the Saviour's tears, while she
used her bill to pull but the thorns in His brow. During these
attentions a drop of blood fell from His forehead on to the
breast of the bird and so the drab colour was relieved by the
patch of colour, which gives the bird its name. The bird was
blest and its eggs were to be as blue as heaven. The Magpie
on the other hand was cursed and lost its gay plumage.
The Grey Plover and the Snipe are instances of birds which
have been made the subject of proverbs. To indicate how dis-
satisfied a person was it was said: "A Grey Plover cannot
"please him," so it would appear that this bird must have been
of interest to the gourmet. The significance of the proverb
introducing the Snipe and the Woodcock is not quite so clear;
the saying runs: "There is winter enough for the Snipe and the
"Woodcock too." It may mean that longer or more severe
winters are not wanted.