1John5918
Wasn't sure what to use as a title for this thread, but I was spurred by an article about the return of Zimbabwe's iconic bird statues, which were stolen during the colonial period from the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, an imposing stone complex built between the 11th and 13th centuries. Frustratingly the article does not say what bird the statues represent, but Wikipedia says they are probably a bateleur or an African fish eagle.
Zimbabwe gets back iconic bird statues stolen during colonialism (Al Jazeera)
Other cultural examples that spring to mind include the crowned (or crested) crane that is featured on Uganda's national flag, and the bald eagle, which seems to have cultural importance in the USA as a national emblem.
Storks appear in western fables bringing babies.
In Britain ravens are linked with the Tower of London, and the superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it."
There must be many other examples...
Zimbabwe gets back iconic bird statues stolen during colonialism (Al Jazeera)
Other cultural examples that spring to mind include the crowned (or crested) crane that is featured on Uganda's national flag, and the bald eagle, which seems to have cultural importance in the USA as a national emblem.
Storks appear in western fables bringing babies.
In Britain ravens are linked with the Tower of London, and the superstition holds that "if the Tower of London ravens are lost or fly away, the Crown will fall and Britain with it."
There must be many other examples...
2John5918
Now I come to think of it, the eagle was also a symbol of imperial Rome and of both imperial and modern Germany. The French carried an eagle standard into battle during the Napoleonic wars. In Sharpe's Eagle, part of Bernard Cornwell's fictional series, Sharpe captures a French eagle at the Battle of Talavera during the Peninsula war.
3Tess_W
This is a great topic, John.
In the 1950's, in the US, singer Pat Boone had a hit with "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano." In real life, these swallows came from Argentina and always nested at Mission San Juan Capistrano by the thousands. Shopkeepers and homeowners complained so much that by the early 2000's, "protectionists" removed nests and put them in the wilds to nest--it seemed to have worked. Fickle Californians! Now, the mission is void of the swallows, and they are trying to figure out ways to get them back!
Speaking of swallows, we had some birds nest in our chimney and she laid eggs and they hatched and it was a racket. We called an exterminator and they were barn swallows, a protected species, so he could not remove. He said they would leave when the babies could fly out, and they did! We quickly put a chimney cap on.
In my state, we have buzzards (turkey vultures) that return to Hinckley, Ohio, each year. No idea why they choose Hinckley, because they are found all over the midwest. It is theorized that they come to eat the dead animals that froze to death in the winter. Hinckley is about 30 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. They are protected in Hinckley.
In the 1950's, in the US, singer Pat Boone had a hit with "When the Swallows Come Back to Capistrano." In real life, these swallows came from Argentina and always nested at Mission San Juan Capistrano by the thousands. Shopkeepers and homeowners complained so much that by the early 2000's, "protectionists" removed nests and put them in the wilds to nest--it seemed to have worked. Fickle Californians! Now, the mission is void of the swallows, and they are trying to figure out ways to get them back!
Speaking of swallows, we had some birds nest in our chimney and she laid eggs and they hatched and it was a racket. We called an exterminator and they were barn swallows, a protected species, so he could not remove. He said they would leave when the babies could fly out, and they did! We quickly put a chimney cap on.
In my state, we have buzzards (turkey vultures) that return to Hinckley, Ohio, each year. No idea why they choose Hinckley, because they are found all over the midwest. It is theorized that they come to eat the dead animals that froze to death in the winter. Hinckley is about 30 miles south of Cleveland, Ohio. They are protected in Hinckley.
4genesisdiem
https://www.alaskapublic.org/2020/11/20/tlingit-artist-from-juneau-designs-stamp...
new Tlingit stamp from the USPS with the raven folklore symbol
new Tlingit stamp from the USPS with the raven folklore symbol
5Tess_W
>4 genesisdiem: beautiful stamp!
6MsMixte
>4 genesisdiem: That is a stunning stamp! I'll be loading up on those when they become available.
