The Much Maligned Magpie II

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

Several weeks ago I wrote a Piece about the Magpie, the Bird which now adorns the Club Badge of our Favourite Football Club Notts County. That topic touched on the Famous Rhyme about the Magpie, the Birds habits and it's life in General. In this second part I'm going to delve deeper in the Rhyme.

One for Sorrow the title of the rhyme was originally much shorter and in areas where Magpie numbers were scarcer the Rhyme was said of other birds, such as Crows,( the Bird family which the Magpie is apart of) there were only seven and not 10 ten parts of the Rhyme. In a supplement by written by Samuel Johnson and George Stephens about the plays of William Shakespeare in1778  the  One for Sorrow was even shorter, being One for Sorrow, Two for Mirth, Three for a Wedding, Four for Death.

Interestingly there have been similar  Rhymes such as Once a Wish Twice a Kiss, Threes a letter Four is something better, however this Rhyme was based on how many times a Person Sneezed. The One for Sorrow Rhyme didn't appear in print until the 18th Century. In the 16th and 17th Centuries the Rhyme came more to the fore during the Witch hunts of that Era. This was because the Magpie who is an highly Intelligent Bird and people believed the Magpie was thought to be Witches or their Familiar in Disguise.

The Plumage of the Magpie was also a problem. With the White being for Purity and Holiness, while the Black marking stood for Evil  and the Devil which Corrupted the Good White markings. It as also been stated the Magpie never entered Noah's Ark instead in sat on it's roof laughing at the World as it Drowned. In Scottish Folk Law every Magpie is considered Evil and it was Declared every Magpie carried a Drop of the Devil's Blood under it's Tongue. Finally when the Magpie Rhyme came into print in the 1800's  along with the first 7 parts, 8, 9 and 10 were added. Eight for Heaven, Nine for Hell and Ten for the Devil's Own Self.

Yet another shorter version read One for Anger, Two for Mirth, Three for a Wedding, Four for a Birth, Five for Rich, Six for Poor, Seven for a Witch I can tell you No More. To counter the curse of a Single Magpie (I stated this in my first piece0 Is to Spit on the ground or say Good Morning Mr Magpie how are the wife and kids, thus giving the impression of more than one Magpie and his Bad Luck. The Final way to end a Single Magpie's Bad Luck Curse, is to make the sign of the Cross and say I Cross the Magpie, the Magpie Crosses Me, Bad Luck to the Magpie, Good Luck to Me.

Well there you have it part Two of the Much Maligned Magpie. Still Going To Follow Notts With Their Evil Bird Badge?

[Chris]

I have heard that magpies are supposed to be evil, though I find crows to be more a pest.

That said, I once noticed a magpie killing a very large crow, to which it pecked at its neck whilst both birds were flying, the crow dropped to the ground and the magpie pecked out the crow's eyes and then started pecking at the head's inners.

At no time before this, have I ever seen a magpie(s) fight over anything.

I have seen dumb pigeons fight, I have seen various birds picking fights with ducks and grey geese but never a magpie.

One for sorrow, two for joy, three for a girl, four for a boy, five for silver, six for gold, seven for a secret never to be told. eight for a wish, nine for a kiss.
Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss, eleven for health, twelve for wealth, and thirteen beware it’s the devil himself.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@Chris

Well there's something New. I've never heard  Eleven Twelve and Thirteen points you 've mentioned, the only Rhyme  I have heard about Magpies has only gone up to the Maximum of Ten. Well you learn something New Every Day. Whatever anyone's feeling about a Magpie  you have to admit it's an Interesting Bird to Study.

[Joshua]

Magpies are stunning birds, though it makes me laugh how often I’ve seen them pinching things, and not always ‘shiny’ ones. I haven’t heard what you mentioned before, @Wheelbarrow repair man. I find it very interesting. I didn’t know about the devil part; I would have thought crows were more like that with their creepy watching as a flock.

[Chris]

11 minutes ago, Wheelbarrow repair man said:

@Chris

Well there's something New. I've never heard  Eleven Twelve and Thirteen points you 've mentioned, the only Rhyme  I have heard about Magpies has only gone up to the Maximum of Ten. Well you learn something New Every Day. Whatever anyone's feeling about a Magpie  you have to admit it's an Interesting Bird to Study.

My grandfather only knew up to 7, it was my English teacher Mr Sherrif who taught me the full words. He also mentioned some of the other versions, one of which you touched upon.

Yet I didn't know about the devil part.

[Robbie]

I've heard that Magpies remember a human face, so it is a good idea to get eye contact with a magpie and they will remember you.

They are very intelligent birds but can get aggressive if they are nesting, & they will kill other birds & even their chicks.

But they are very beautiful birds and it's a shame that they have a bad reputation.

Magpies in Australia are even more aggressive than they are here. They are a different species of bird though.

I found this cute story about a magpie befriending a girl.

 

[liampie]

asutralian magpies look horrible, they seem taller and the red eyes just have something creepy about them. ours are beautiful and such a nice thing to see on your travels.

[Robbie]

@liampie

The Australian Magpies look bigger and their markings are different. Whether it's a friend or not, I wouldn't put my face close to that big beak of his.

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

It would seem many types of Bird are associated with Bad Omens and Death. Even the humble Pigeon. It's said in some Cultures that if a Pigeon lands on the Roof of your dwelling and starts it's Ruh-ruh-ruh call it's the sign of ill luck or Death approaching. Owls have also been tared with the Death Brush, but this is mainly due to their Hunting at Dusk and towards Night time. Some Owls also Roost in the Trees of Cemeteries and their calls are said to call up the Spirits of the Dead. 

In Medieval Europe Crows and Ravens were omens of Death and were believed to be Messengers between the Living and the Dead. And yet in Norse Mythology the All Father Odin Chief amongst the Norse Gods had two Ravens Huginn (Thought) and Muninn (Memory) who flew round the World of Man and listened to his talk and told Odin of Man's worries and with this information the God could help Man to Learn and Grow.

It's also been Stated that should you find a Dead Bird in your Garden that is also a Sign of Bad Luck or Death. Thankfully we now live in a more informed World and these Superstitions  are put aside by Most People.

[liampie]

i remember hearing that crows were meant to steal souls. i dont know much else, never really looked into it but i have heard many people claim it.

this is different, but its the only thing i can find. i have heard this version to, but i do remember reading a story in a book of horror tales where it said not to trust them with your soul.

https://www.reddit.com/r/WhiteWolfRPG/comments/h97b2k/people_once_believed_that_when_someone_dies_a/

[Wheelbarrow repair man]

@liampie

The Crow is also a Bird associated with Death and in some cultures it accompanies their Death Icons. Charon the Boatman who ferries the Souls of the Dead across the River Styx has a Crow. As does the Morrigu an heavily Vailed Old Woman (to cover her Rotting Flesh), who Grants wishes, but be careful what you wish for, because it is said she Grants wishes but takes the words literally. For example it is said a young wife lost her Loving husband in an accident, heart broken she asked the Morrigu to return her husband to her as he was before he died. This the Morrigu granted however when the Husband came back to life, it was just before he died, and he spent his time Screaming and Crying out in Agony from the pain of his injuries which caused his Death.

There was of course the Film the Crow, where Brandon Lee (Son of Martial Arts Expert and Film Star Bruce Lee) was accidently Killed on the Film's set. And there is a Native American Tribe Called the Crow People, who's name when Translated from their Language means, the People of the Big Beaked Bird.