On the 21st of December winter begins and here the redbreast
makes its appearance in the countryside and gardens becoming the symbol of the cold season. Its colored body stands out on the white of the snow, permitting us to note its presence. Protagonist
of legends, myths, anecdotes, poems and standard traditions, the Redbreast is a symbol full of charm and meanings.
For the peoples of the
North it symbolizes Thor, the
god of clouds and storms. For the Celts, however, it symbolized the New Year that came to dispel the previous one, delineated within the ballads
by the Scricciolo, his symbolic rival. The Wren, in conjunction with the Oak King, is the king of Summer. The Redbreast,
on the opposite hand, just like the Holly King,
symbolizes Winter. The two protagonists
fight and therefore the cheerful
bird is killed with the arrival of Spring by the Wren. With it disappears,
nature is born-again and therefore the whole forest
celebrates the burial of the Redbreast.
The Christians, on the opposite hand, believed the color of its body
symbolizes unselfishness and
generosity. It seems that
this bird was once entirely grey in
color. Being close to Calvary, his attention was drawn to a
crucified man with a crown of thorns on his head. The redbreast
approached the Redeemer to
minimize his pains, making an
attempt to free him from the crown. Because of the gesture, his chest was stained with blood and
since then the Redeemer gave
the redbreasts their characteristic color, to remind mankind of the tiny being’s act
of generosity. Also, for
Christians,
the Redbreast had the role of concomitant souls
to the realm of the dead. It looks that this belief comes from
the conviction of people regarding the commitment that redbreasts
took to bury people who died within the woods . Over time it has become the symbol of metamorphosis and rebirth within the religious sphere.
The redbreast boasts a good deal
of myths and traditions.
For the
most irrational tradition,
the stealing of a redbreast's
egg brings an extended amount of unhealthy luck. Some believe that
if you see a Redbreast you should not make it fly away otherwise, you'll not have luck for the entire following year. In
spite of this tradition, a study of the Redbreast can reveal its true worth as a totem. The redbreasts react to red, a color that
in males warns different males
to "leave the territory". Red is, of course, connected to kundalini
(quiescent divine energy in each human
being). Redbreasts are covered a lot of rust red, as if it had been diluted with different colors: this, in conjunction with the actual fact that it
covers the whole chest space, reflects its activation that
stimulates new growth in different areas
of your life.
The twittering of the Redbreast could be a joyful and close trill, that has the aim of permitting the bird to claim its territory. Two males within the same space can inflate their lungs and sing
with all the energy they need in
their body: the struggles between redbreasts to confirm dominion over the territory usually come about singing, whereas the physical clashes are solely symbolic, with
none of the contenders getting hurt.
Bold and valiant, it doesn't despise
contact with humans, particularly once they supply him with food.
The Redbreast is additionally a foreteller of the snow: once you see it wandering around, hear its sound from the
window, you can expect a decent snow or the arrival of bitter cold. This explains why
it typically appears on Christmas wish cards.
It also symbolizes hope, optimism, harmony,
support and happiness.
When a redbreast enters your life, it seems that you just can expect
new growth in different areas of your existence, not only one.
MICHELA
M.
No comments:
Post a Comment