Long time no see! Any types of birds/animals heavily related to mythology?

[Celtic_]

Are there any types of birds heavily related to mythology and in ancient epics

In response to this http://paganforum.com/showthread.php...r-care-of-them
(I'm sorry I haven't been active thanks so much for the responses was really helpful), i'd be interested in getting breeds of birds with rich histories, specifically themed pagan obviously.

Posting here instead of pets as this has to do with mythology the past ancient epics etc lol.

I am up for taking care of exotic/wild birds, so any breed is up for discussion.

Also, what other animals are commonly themed in ancient epics and brought up in mythology often? Creatures we can easily see daily but are brought up and associated with ancient stories, myths, and legends, am quite interested if anyone here is knowledgeable and has the time to share,

thanks <3

[Sollomyn]

The only type of mythological bird I'm aware of is the Phoenix; I don't think Phoenix's are real though. At least I've never seen any evidence to support their existence.

[faye_cat]

Crows and Ravens are the first ones that come to mind. Also birds of prey were often used in greek and egyptian mythology. Owls are associated with many greek gods.
https://www.thespruce.com/popular-bird-gods-385529
https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/...ut-wild-birds/

[Celtic_]

Thanks! Any suggestions on owls to get/the licenses I'd need to keep and take care of them? Also I assume it'd be a bad idea to domesticate a lot of these such as the Peregine Falcon which would most-likely obviously be most happy in nature.

I know cats are extremely common in mythology, especially Egyptian Mythology, so that's a good idea.

Would be neat to have an exotic wild animal though- only if ethical and practical obviously

[Sollomyn]

I know how you could do it without licenses. Simply leave a little food outside. You'll have all sorts of exotic animals lining up for you hahaha.

In all seriousness though, that is one of the more basic ideas; feed an animal enough, and it'll keep coming back to you for food, and thus start seeing you in a positive light. From there you can start building a relationship. People are pretty much the same way too haha.

No piece of paper in my opinion has any authority to say two creatures aren't allowed to form bonds like that.

PS: Worms and grubs might be a good idea if you're looking to attract owls.

[faye_cat]

You could look into become a falconer, or an owl rehabilitator and work for an organization. http://www.ftwl.org/node/106

https://www.mdwfp.com/wildlife-hunti...conry-program/

In some states in the US it's legal to own foxes, so you can check to see your state's laws. You could also look into zoos or sanctuaries near you that you could volunteer or learn from.

[iris]

Crows and ravens are heavily related to the Norse mythology. Both are wonderful birds, but I would under no circumstances recommend keeping them as pets. Both because they're difficult to keep, and because they deserve to live in the wild. I think the second is true for most of the suggestions that will come up here. Unless you make it your mission to foster sick and orphaned ones, preferably releasing them when they're ready, you're gonna be taking a wild bird out of it's natural environment.
It is entirely possible to befriend wild crows, it's something I've been doing for years. They make great company when they want to be near me, and I prefer it that way; they come to me when they want to and stay as long as they care.

As for cats, it's not just Egyptian. Freya had two cats that pulled her chariot.
Other than that you've got wolves, deer, squirrel, goats, boars and lots of horses that have some significance (I'm sure there are more, that's just off the top of my head). Pretty sure swans are a symbol for the valkyries, but don't try to keep one of those as a pet. I have tamed one. They're individuals, some are mean and some are sweet. They're also generally stubborn and awfully BIG when they suddenly decide to follow you around.

[Rae'ya]

Are there any types of birds heavily related to mythology and in ancient epics

In response to this http://paganforum.com/showthread.php...r-care-of-them
(I'm sorry I haven't been active thanks so much for the responses was really helpful), i'd be interested in getting breeds of birds with rich histories, specifically themed pagan obviously.

Posting here instead of pets as this has to do with mythology the past ancient epics etc lol.

I am up for taking care of exotic/wild birds, so any breed is up for discussion.

Also, what other animals are commonly themed in ancient epics and brought up in mythology often? Creatures we can easily see daily but are brought up and associated with ancient stories, myths, and legends, am quite interested if anyone here is knowledgeable and has the time to share,

thanks <3

So to clarify... you're looking for a list of birds and animals that are referenced in mythology, which you can keep as a pet?

That depends entirely on your country, region and level of experience. I 100% am NOT in support of the average person owning a non-domesticated pet or a pet that requires special licensure. Most people can't even meet the needs of a dog or a cat, let along a bird or exotic species (and most birds are NOT domesticated species, just so everyone knows... not a single parrot species is considered 'domesticated', just a few species of fowl, waterfowl and canaries).

So honestly, I actually don't care much how good someone's intentions are or what their spiritual motivations are... I care about their lifestyle, their level of experience and the research that they have done to ensure that they can provide for the needs of any living creature they wish to bring into their home. Owning an animal is a HUGE responsibility, whether it's a dog, cat, mouse, parrot or fox. You can't just pick a pet up at the store and hope for the best. There are a lot of things to consider, not least of all whether you have access to appropriate food and healthcare for your pet (because the average veterianarian is not actually experienced enough or properly trained enough to treat parakeets and rabbits let alone reptiles, exotic birds and big cats... that's why we have separate avian, small mammal and zoological specialists). If you are set on a bird, then you need to try a canary or a parakeet or a few chickens first. I can not condone a new-to-bird-keeping person starting with anything else without personally knowing their situation. It's true that people have affinities for different types of animals, and so I don't think that a natural 'bird-person' should get a dog or that a 'dog-person' should get goldfish. But it's a very rare person that can jump straight into an exotic or non-domestic species. Pets are hard work and if you think keeping a pet is easy then you simply haven't been doing it properly (and I'm NOT sorry if that ruffles anyone's feathers... but if your dog lives in the backyard and all you do is feed it and send the kids out to play with it a few times a week... you simply aren't doing it properly). Most domestic species are fairly resilient and can adapt to a surprisingly high level of neglect (which does not make it okay). Non-domesticated species have far less ability to cope artificial environments that don't meet their needs.

As for a list of the animals themselves... most animals are referenced in the mythology if you include the entire world's mythology. Everything from dogs, wolves, coyotes etc to bears to snakes to chickens, goats, cows and pigs. Some species are more widespread in mythology, but there are plenty of 'mundane' pets in mythology. Norse mythology alone has a rich appreciation for cats, dogs, wolves, deer, goats, chickens/roosters, crows, ravens, pigs, horses, cattle, oxen, fish, wales, seals, snakes, bears, hawks, falcons, eagles, owls, doves, swans, songbirds, squirrels, foxes, rabbits, hares... pretty much any animal that existed in their physical world made it into the mythology (plus a few extras, like dragons, eight legged horses and giant wyrms).

[monsno_leedra]

In addition to what Rae'ya has added which I fully agree with I'd add that putting food out to attract animals is not exactly that great of an idea in the long run either. In the short term it might seem to benefit the creature that turns up but in the long run it doesn't. Any feral animals that come along it really doesn't add to their situation and actually makes them easy targets for human exploitation and harming. That increases in more urban and developed area's. In many instances it reduces their ability to naturally survive in their natural environment on natural food resources. Especially when the substitutes that are put out are not natural items for your area.

Sure a creature might become used to "YOU" but that doesn't mean your neighbors or other's will treat it the same or want it there. Seen far to many creature's killed because person A feed them but person B killed them because they ate their flowers or invaded their gardens.

Will add one thing for consideration though regarding pets, that is the idea of substitutes. I've seen people who want "Mythological" pets but realize they can not obtain the true mythological pet and also can not take care of traditional pets. So they've gotten substitute pets that fill the role. For instance "Dragons" can be sometimes filled with the idea of certain types of fish. Certain types of eels or algie eaters that resemble eels or dragons. Turtles fill many roles in mythology and some small turtles can be used that do not require a lot of effort to take care of yet represent "Turtle Island" for instance.

But I advise any pet you select you take the responsibility for it's care and life in the selecting of that pet. So its no minor chore and task to be decided upon in passing for you've taken the task of caring for another's life. If your going to do it then do it right and properly or don't do it at all.

[Sollomyn]

So to clarify... you're looking for a list of birds and animals that are referenced in mythology, which you can keep as a pet?

That depends entirely on your country, region and level of experience. I 100% am NOT in support of the average person owning a non-domesticated pet or a pet that requires special licensure. Most people can't even meet the needs of a dog or a cat, let along a bird or exotic species (and most birds are NOT domesticated species, just so everyone knows... not a single parrot species is considered 'domesticated', just a few species of fowl, waterfowl and canaries).

So honestly, I actually don't care much how good someone's intentions are or what their spiritual motivations are... I care about their lifestyle, their level of experience and the research that they have done to ensure that they can provide for the needs of any living creature they wish to bring into their home. Owning an animal is a HUGE responsibility, whether it's a dog, cat, mouse, parrot or fox. You can't just pick a pet up at the store and hope for the best. There are a lot of things to consider, not least of all whether you have access to appropriate food and healthcare for your pet (because the average veterianarian is not actually experienced enough or properly trained enough to treat parakeets and rabbits let alone reptiles, exotic birds and big cats... that's why we have separate avian, small mammal and zoological specialists). If you are set on a bird, then you need to try a canary or a parakeet or a few chickens first. I can not condone a new-to-bird-keeping person starting with anything else without personally knowing their situation. It's true that people have affinities for different types of animals, and so I don't think that a natural 'bird-person' should get a dog or that a 'dog-person' should get goldfish. But it's a very rare person that can jump straight into an exotic or non-domestic species. Pets are hard work and if you think keeping a pet is easy then you simply haven't been doing it properly (and I'm NOT sorry if that ruffles anyone's feathers... but if your dog lives in the backyard and all you do is feed it and send the kids out to play with it a few times a week... you simply aren't doing it properly). Most domestic species are fairly resilient and can adapt to a surprisingly high level of neglect (which does not make it okay). Non-domesticated species have far less ability to cope artificial environments that don't meet their needs.

As for a list of the animals themselves... most animals are referenced in the mythology if you include the entire world's mythology. Everything from dogs, wolves, coyotes etc to bears to snakes to chickens, goats, cows and pigs. Some species are more widespread in mythology, but there are plenty of 'mundane' pets in mythology. Norse mythology alone has a rich appreciation for cats, dogs, wolves, deer, goats, chickens/roosters, crows, ravens, pigs, horses, cattle, oxen, fish, wales, seals, snakes, bears, hawks, falcons, eagles, owls, doves, swans, songbirds, squirrels, foxes, rabbits, hares... pretty much any animal that existed in their physical world made it into the mythology (plus a few extras, like dragons, eight legged horses and giant wyrms).

I agree 100% with this...well, maybe 99.99999% because I have a jenday conure in my possession; probably a female, but it's almost impossible to determine it's gender without a blood test, and I could never bring myself to subject her to the pain of a needle, especially for nothing else but to determine gender; that's just cruel in my mind.

The story of how I got her is a tragic one indeed. My father owned a freight business back in Alaska, and I was often his assistant truck driver; the roads were icy and I was the one who wrote down notes for him and answered his cell phone for him while he was driving, among other things like making sure his coffee didn't spill on him and that none of his cigarette butts started a fire in the truck. We'd always stop at all the dump sites along our route; or "The Country Store" as we jokingly referred to it as; we've always lived in poverty and thus did most of our shopping in dumpsters; refurbishing other people's trash into our new treasures. One cold evening on our way back him during a blizzard, we made our routine stop at the dump, and seeing as dad's joints were too worn out from old age, I'd have the job of climbing up into all of the dumpsters, rummaging through them to find anything worth salvaging. During my search I came across a white shoe box, and since we had three new additions to our family, I saw an opportunity to have shoes for my nieces and nephew when they grew older. Upon picking up the box though I realized to my dismay it was far too light to contain shoes in it, but opened it up anyway hoping maybe there were jewels or a stack of blood soaked hundred dollar bills, (happened once hahaha).

All of a sudden there was a flash of green and orange and red and yellow and feathers flying everywhere, and the shrillest, loudest squawking I've ever heard in my life. I quickly realized it was a parrot, and I was absolutely stunned, amazed, and APPALLED by it; some twisted soul decided to shove this exotic creature into a SHOE BOX and just left her to freeze to death in this dumpster. Dad had never seen me so angry before walking back to the truck from that dumpster clutching the shoebox, making sure the lid was on snug to protect the bird; she'd never have survived if she'd flown off into the storm in a panic; we were over a hundred miles away from the nearest town too; there'd be no chance of her being able to find shelter or getting picked up by anyone else, so I did what I felt was right; convinced my father that we had to nurse her back to health, so we turned the truck around back the way we came to go to the pet store to find out what we needed to buy for her to eat; the Pet Smart people were very helpful; they even showed us some of the other Jenday Conures they had for sale in their store: Over $300 dollars for a lot of them. It was hard for me to keep from scowling constantly, which made my dad uncomfortable; I think he was just kind of "annoyed" by the whole situation and how big of a deal I was making this.

I obsessively studied jenday conures and set up a nice habitat for her; found out she loves raisins and can be lured back into her cage for the night with them fairly easily haha; (relax; it's a large cage, with toys and food and water and perches; kept really clean!) Usually the door is left open during the day when either mom or I are at home so that she has the option of flying around if she wants. She's real skittish though; easily startled; shows a lot of signs of being abused by her former owners, such as freaking out whenever I'm sweeping the floor or fluffing out a plastic bag after taking out the trash, or sharpening one of my knives, (or have pretty much any small shiny object in my hand). Me and mom are the only ones she'll ever fly to, and she bites pretty much everyone else. You need to spend a lot of time with jenday conures before they'll start seeing you as one of their flock; they can be awfully possessive too. They're a lot like three year olds haha.

We've had her for a few years now, and she's been doing a lot better ever since we moved to Montana and ditched the rest of my chaotic family in the arctic haha. Mom and I have always been on the same wavelength emotionally and spiritually.

I feel kind of bad for Rio; (I named her Rio because that's my niece's favorite movie about parrots and because it sounded like a unisexual name, and because it looks like where her ancestry lies haha). I'd rather her be in a rain forest with her own kind living the life nature intended for her instead of the tragic life fate had given her instead. Sadly though I don't think she'dbe able to survive in the wild; she's better off with us, and she knows that as well, and she loves us and we love her; she doesn't belong to us; she's a part of the family.

In addition to what Rae'ya has added which I fully agree with I'd add that putting food out to attract animals is not exactly that great of an idea in the long run either. In the short term it might seem to benefit the creature that turns up but in the long run it doesn't. Any feral animals that come along it really doesn't add to their situation and actually makes them easy targets for human exploitation and harming. That increases in more urban and developed area's. In many instances it reduces their ability to naturally survive in their natural environment on natural food resources. Especially when the substitutes that are put out are not natural items for your area.

Sure a creature might become used to "YOU" but that doesn't mean your neighbors or other's will treat it the same or want it there. Seen far to many creature's killed because person A feed them but person B killed them because they ate their flowers or invaded their gardens.

Indeed; you'd have to have a good reason for trying to attract a certain animal, and you'd have to know what you're doing, and how to attract that specific animal, and not lure a ton of other animals as well, making a recreation of a scene from the story of Noah's Ark.

I'm thinking more in terms of a survival situation; not an "I'm-lonely-and-I-want-a-pet" kind of situation hahaha.


--Sollomyn