Swans, Apollo, poets - "the souls of all good poets passed into swans."
Lyra
(quote, excerpts)
One interesting link between Hermes and his more magnificent brother,
Apollo, remains to be noted. Both are musicians. The Homeric Hymn-
writer thus addresses Apollo:
"PhOEbus, to thee the swan sings shrill to the beating of his wings, as
he lights on the bank of the whirling pools of the river Peneus; and
to thee with his shrill
lyre does the sweet-voiced minstrel sing ever, both first and last."
http://www.sacred-texts.com/cla/mgr/mgr11.htm
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The palm was also sacred to Apollo because he had been born under one
in Delos. Animals sacred to Apollo included wolves, dolphins and roe,
swans and grasshoppers (symbolizing music and song),
hawks, ravens, crows and snakes (referencing Apollo's function as the
god of prophecy), mice, laurel and griffins, mythical eagle-lion
hybrids of Eastern origin.
The Muses are part of his retinue, so that music, history, dreams
poetry, dance, all belong to him. The Muses are those we call on when
we evoke creative imagination to give us helpful images
It was also said that Apollo rode on the back of a swan to the land of
the Hyperboreans during the winter months, a swan that he also lent to
his beloved Hyacinthus to ride.
Etymology
The name Apollo might have been derived from a Pre-Hellenic compound
Apo-ollon, likely related to an archaic verb Apo-ell- and literally
meaning "he who elbows off", and thus "the Dispelling One". Indeed, he
seems to have personified the power to dispel and ward off evil, which
was related to his association with the darkness-dispelling power of
the morning sun and the conceived power of reason and prophecy to
dispel doubt and ignorance.
http://upge.wn.com/?t=ancientgreece/index44.txt
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Sacred to Apollo are the swan (one legend says that Apollo flew on the
back of a swan to the land of the Hyperboreans, he would spend the
winter months among them), the wolf and the dolphin. His attributes
are the bow and arrows, on his head a laurel crown, and the cithara
(or lyre) and plectrum. But his most famous attribute is the tripod,
the symbol of his prophetic powers.
http://members.virtualtourist.com/m/ca094/1cd/
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The fable that the swan sings beautifully just before it dies is very
ancient, hence the last work or appearance of a poet, composer, actor
etc. One Greek legend has it that the soul of Apollo, the god of music
passed into a swan, hence the Pythagorean fable that the souls of all
good poets passed into swans.
[Brewers Book of Myth and Legend].
In myths, this bird of Heaven through its migrations is the link which
joins the peoples of the Mediterranean to the mysterious Hyperboreans.
Apollo, the god of poetry and prophecy, was born on Delos on a seventh
day. On that day sacred swans flew seven times round the island and
then Zeus presented the young god with a chariot drawn by white
horses, as well as his lyre. His team carried him 'first to their home
on the shores of the ocean beyond the home of the North Wind, where
the Hyperboreans lived under a sky which was always clear'.
[ The Penguin Dictionary of Symbols, 1969, Jean Chevalier and Alain
Gheerbrant" translated by John Buchanan-Brown, Penguin books].
Lyra
(quote, excerpts)
In Greek lore the swan was a bird sacred to the god Apollon. Large
flocks were believed to inhabit the mythical northern river of
Eridanos in Hyperborea, where they circled the god's holy shrine
singing hymns.
It was also believed that the Hyperborean folk, upon reaching old age,
would themselves transform into swans after bathing in the bitumen
swamp of the river.
Furthermore, the usually mute swan was said to sing a dirge as death
approached, the sweetest of all the bird-songs.
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Aelian, Historical Miscellany 1. 14 (trans. Wilson) (Greek rhetorician
C2nd to 3rd A.D.) :
"I have not heard a swan sing, nor perhaps has anyone else. There is a
belief that it sings, and people say that its voice is best and most
tuneful at the time when it is about to end its life."
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Aelian, On Animals 11. 1 (trans. Scholfield) (Greek natural history
C2nd A.D.) :
"The race of the Hyperboreans and the honours there paid to Apollon
are sung of by poets and are celebrated by historians, among whom is
Hekataios, not of Miletos but of Abdera [Greek philosopher C4th
B.C.] . . . This god [Apollon] has as priests the sons of Boreas
(North Wind) and Khione (Snow), three in number, brothers by birth,
and six cubits in height.
So when at the customary time they perform the established ritual of
the aforesaid god there swoop down from what are called the Rhipaion
mountains swans in clouds, past numbering, and after they have circled
round the temple as though they were purifying it by their flight,
they descend into the precinct of the temple, an area of immense size
and of surpassing beauty.
Now whenever the singers sing their hymns to the god and the harpers
accompany the chorus with their harmonious music, thereupon the swans
also with one accord join in the chant and never once do they sing a
discordant note or out of tune, but as though they had been given the
key by the conductor they chant in unison with the natives who are
skilled in the sacred melodies. Then when the hymn is finished the
aforesaid winged choristers, so to call them, after their customary
service in honour of the god and after singing and celebrating his
praises all through the day, depart."
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Philostratus the Elder, Imagines 1. 9 (trans. Fairbanks) (Greek
rhetorician C3rd A.D.) :
The winged youth you see is an indication that a song is being sung,
for he is the wind Zephyros (the West Wind) and he gives the swans the
keynote of their song.
http://www.theoi.com/Heros/KyknosLigurios.html
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THE LIST OF THE BIRDS OF GREECE
Scientific Name Greek Name English Name
1 Cygnus olor (Βουβός) Κύκνος Mute Swan A
2 Cygnus columbianus Νανόκυκνος Tundra Swan A
3 Cygnus cygnus Αγριόκυκνος Whooper Swan A
http://www.ornithologiki.gr/en/wob/enchecklist.htm
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Lyra
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The musicalness of swans...
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(quote, excerpts)
Tundra "Whistling" Swan
Cygnus columbianus
If you're lucky enough to see a flock of Tundra swans migrating on a
cold, clear night, their wings translucent against a full moon, you'll
not soon forget the sight. "Long Point Country" Staging, has long been
use to the spectacular spring arrival of the Tundra Swans or as they
use to be called "Whistling Swans" when they migrate North to their
breeding grounds and again as they fly South toward their wintering
place. They are an all white swan, with black feet and a black bill
that has a small yellow spot at the base of the upper mandible. This
swan holds its neck straight up, unlike the Mute Swan which bends its
neck in a graceful curve.
They have a mellow, rich bugling call. The voice of the Tundra Swan is
soft and melodious.
The species' former name "whistling swan" referred to the sound made
by the slow, powerful beating of the wings in flight, and not to the
voice of the bird.
As flocks pass overhead, the leader often utters a high note like "who-
who-who," which is immediately repeated by flock after flock,
producing a high-pitched whistling sound. The call is pitched lower
than a whistle and more closely resembles a blowing or tearing sound
and can be heard for up to six kilometres. The Tundra Swan breeds in
the Canadian North in the tundra areas of Hudson's Bay west to Alaska
and winters in the Chesapeake Bay marshes of the United States.
http://www.kwic.com/~pagodavista/schoolhouse/species/birds/tundswan.htm
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Whooper Swan
Voice :
Sound from CD 'Tous les Oiseaux d'Europe' by Jean C. Roché by courtesy
of Sittelle and CEBA.
The Whooper Swan emits a loud 'whoop-whoop' call, sounding like a
trumpet. It's the most noisy swan and his name has been given because
of its singing variations. Their soft and modulated singing resound
like the husky sound of a distant bell. Their singing melodies are
made of 6 or 7 rising and descending notes.
Cygne chanteur
The swan singing inspired numerous composers and philosophers who
often transposed it as a farewell.
http://www.oiseaux.net/birds/whooper.swan.html
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A swan mystery
Q: Recently we were sitting outside and heard a bizarre noise coming
from something flying over our heads. We realized it was a couple of
swans, and we are now trying to figure out what the noise was.
Some of us suggested it was a sort of singing or signaling, others
that it was their wings making the noise. Mimi, Copenhagen, Denmark
A: The swans that flew over you were probably mute swans, which
ornithologist Philippe Jourde of the Service Etude du Patrimoine
Naturel in France says "is the most common swan in that part of
Europe."
"When flying, their wing beats produce loud, penetrating, rhythmic
singing sounds -- resembling 'vaou-vaou-vaou...", and audible one to
two kilometers (a mile) away," emails Jourde. The loud wing sounds
may help the birds stay in touch with one another, especially during
migratory flights.
Moreover, contrary to their name, "mute swans are not mute," says
Jourde. According to the Birds of Western Palearctic: calls are "often
hoarse, explosively snorting, snoring, or grunting, usually with
little of crooning, trumpeting, or honking quality of more vocal
Cygnus [swans]." You can hear their calls by clicking here.
Unfortunately, I couldn't find a recording of their wing beats, but
are these calls the sound you heard?
On the other hand, they may have been whooper swans, migrating to
breeding grounds in Scandinavia or Siberia. These 5-feet (1.5 m)
long, 20-pound (10 kg) big birds fly laboriously but cruise at 50 mph
(75 km/h). Or perhaps they were the smaller Bewick swans, heading for
Siberia.
It's hard to say which of these three swan species flew over, but
whoopers are certainly the noisiest. Birders liken whoopers' calls to
a sound like 'gang-go-gang-go' or 'hoo-hoo-hoo.' Human imitation,
though, does not come close. Only a recording begins to capture the
bugle-like trills. Is this the sound you heard?
You no doubt also heard their wings beating. Whooper-swan "wings
produce a musical sound when flying," say French ornithologists of the
Oiseaux.net (meaning 'birds'). Moreover, their varied, modulated song
sounds like a "husky, distant bell."
They dance with their necks to the tune of "loud bursts of
trumpeting," says Birds of Britain.
Let us know who won the bet!
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Readers' answers to question of the month:
* It depends on the type of swan. There's a species called the
Trumpeter Swan with good reason. Based on your location, you might
have heard the Whooper Swan. Both vocalize, unlike the also aptly-but-
not-very-imaginatively-named Mute Swan.
Melissa T., Dayton, Nevada, USA
* I own a home on a lake where there are many swans. The noise you
heard is the flapping of their wings as they fly. Since they are very
big, they work very hard to stay aloft.
Richard, Port Washington, New York, USA
(Answered July 2, 2007)
http://www.wonderquest.com/swans.htm
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> 1 Cygnus olor (Âïõâüò) Êýêíïò Mute Swan A
>
> 2 Cygnus columbianus Íáíüêõêíïò Tundra Swan A
>
> 3 Cygnus cygnus Áãñéüêõêíïò Whooper Swan A
lackpurity
Interesting, Lyra. When the soul has thrown off the coverings over
it, namely the physical body, astral body, and causal body, then it
shines with the brilliance of twelve suns. It flies through the sky
and is white. That is why the name "hansa," means "swan." Saints are
able to go beyond the three bodies in the twinkling of an eye. A
Paramhansa is another name for "Saint."
Shaykh Kabir used the word "hansa," a lot. I'll post a couple of
examples. Kabir was Shakespeare in that life. A line of 15 Masters
came after Kabir, and various organizations in his name still exist
today. One of them is the website, from where I got the quote. The
most famous today is called the "Kabir Panth." The first and most
well-known of Kabir's successors was Dharam Das Ji. He compiled
Kabir's teachings in a book, "Anurag Sagar," meaning, "Ocean of Love."
http://www.members.shaw.ca/kabirweb/bookofPrayers.htm
hansa mat darpe kal se, kar meri
partit;
amar lok pahunchai ho, chalu so bhowjal jit;
bhowjal me bahu kag hai, koi koi hans hamar;
kahai kabir dharma dass so, kheva utaro par;
O Dear Soul! Do not fear death. You will overcome this world of
birth and death, and I will take you to the Eternal Abode. In this
mundane world, many people behave like crows, and only a few are my
swans (realized souls). Kabir instructs Dharam Dass that only the very
humble will obtain liberation.
amrit bund jhari laya, dekh doi nain lalchaya;
ajab didar ko paya, dariya sahaj me nahaya;
dariya ulat umge nir, ta bich chale chowsath chhir;
hansa an baithe tir, sahaje chuge mukta hir;
The soul finds drops of nectar flowing. It longs to see God and,
on being in His presence, it bathes in the river of tranquillity. The
flow of the river turns around and flows in sixty-four milky currents
(milk represents spiritual wisdom). The soul then sits on the river
bank of realization, and easily plucks the pearls and diamonds of
liberation.
MM:
That last one reminded me of "Sweet Swan of Avon," the RIVER
BANK. :-)
I don't have proof, but it is possible that Ben Jonson knew that
Shakespeare was the reincarnation of Kabir Sahib.
Michael Martin
> 1 � � � Cygnus olor � � (����� �� � � Mute Swan � � � A
>
> 2 � � � Cygnus columbianus � � ���������� � �Tundra Swan � � A
>
> 3 � � � Cygnus cygnus � ���������� �Whooper Swan � �A
> >http://users.winshop.com.au/annew/Cygnus.html- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -