Little Robin Redbreast.

Now for some superstitions and stories about the little robin redbreast.

Robin.

If you harm a robin's nest, you will be struck by lightning. There is also an old saying "Kill a robin or a wren, never prosper, boy or man.".  If a robin stays close to the house in autumn, a harsh winter can be expected. Robins are thought to be helpful to humans, occasionally granting favours. They are a sure sign of spring and if you make a wish on the first robin of spring before it flies off, you'll have luck throughout the following year.

Robins with their cheery red breasts adorn many of our Christmas cards and decorations, and there are several stories as to how the robin acquired its red breast feathers. In the Christian tradition, it is thought that a robin tried to remove the thorns from Jesus’ head during the Crucifixion, and that drops of his blood fell onto the bird and stained his breast feathers red forever. In another myth, the robin gained his red breast from flying into the fiery wastes of hell to carry water to the stricken sinners who were suffering there for all eternity. It’s enough to give you nightmares.

The robin is one of those birds where it is believed that if they are seen tapping on the window or flying into a room that a member of the household will soon be dead. However, we often have Robins flying into our cottage and we look on them as our friends not as harbingers of death.

If you break a robin’s eggs expect something important of yours to be broken very soon.

 If you see a robin singing in the open then good weather is on its way, but if the robin is seen sheltering among the branches of a tree then it will soon rain. Also, if the first bird that you see on St Valentine’s Day is a robin, it means that you are destined to marry a sailor!

It is said to be extremely unlucky to kill this bird. The hand that does so will continue to shake thereafter. In Irish folklore it was believed that a large lump would appear on the right hand if you kill one.  It was also said that whatever you did to a robin you will suffer the same tragedy. Some believe that the robin will not be chased by a cat.

It was widely believed that if a robin came across a dead body it would carefully cover the body with leaves and vegetation until it was completely hidden. This was illustrated in the traditional children’s story Babes in the woods, it was published in 1595 and told the story of two children who were abandoned in the woods by their cruel and wicked Uncle. They die there and are covered with leaves by the robins.

Robins were believed to provide a cure for depression. The remedy suggests a robin must be killed and its heart removed. The heart should then be stitched into a sachet and worn around the neck on a cord. I think that would give me depression rather than cure it.

In the south east of Ireland they believed that if a robin entered a house it was a sign of snow or frost.

A robin singing indicated a coming storm.

I’ve mentioned a couple of suggestions on how the Robin got its redbreast according to the Christian tradition but I think they are a little harsh so I’ll tell you a few other stories that also suggest how the Robin got its red breast.

How Robin got his Red Breast

One winter, a long time ago, Jack Frost was feeling very cruel. He made the snow fall thickly upon the ground, and he put ice on the ponds and frost on the window panes. The birds found it very hard to get food and soon they began to get hungry. One day, the birds were sitting in a ring under a hedge, trying to think what was to be done. After a while a little brown, bird, called Robin, got up to speak.

"I have an idea," he said. "I will go into the gardens and try to get people to give us a lot more crumbs, at least that way we’ll have something to eat".

Now Robin had a way all of his own of making friends.

He went along to the houses where people lived and in one of the gardens he saw a man clearing away the snow from a path, so he hopped up very close to the man. Most birds are afraid of people, but the Robin was brave. He had to be, if he was to help the other birds.

When the man saw how friendly Robin was, and how hungry he seemed to be, he went into his house and fetched a tray full of crumbs. The Robin was very happy and he flew off to fetch the other birds, soon there were crowds of them in the man's garden.

The best way they could say "Thank you" to the kind man was to eat the crumbs out of his hand. The Robin then flew away into other gardens, and wherever he went he made friends.

So, while the snow stayed on the ground the birds were able to feed after all. At last the sun came out and chased Jack Frost and the snow away. The happy birds wanted to thank Robin so they made him a little red waistcoat, which he still wears. That is why he is now called Robin Redbreast.    

OR

Once upon a time long, long ago on a cold and wintery night a father and his son were travelling along a lonely country road on their way home when a fierce wind began to blow. They were still many miles from home so they began to look for somewhere to take shelter, a cottage, a barn, even a group of trees. However, there was nothing to be found, nothing that is except for a bush.  The father built a little fire and told his son they would have to take turns to make sure the fire didn’t go out.

“Try to get some sleep and I’ll wake you when it’s your turn” he told his son.

When the father's eyes began to droop he woke his son and told him to watch the fire.

Well how the boy tried to stay awake! He hadn't really slept while lying on the frozen ground and he was still exhausted from the walk. His eyes got lower. His head got lower.  The fire got lower. So low in fact that a starving wolf began to inch nearer the sleeping pair.

However, there was one who was awake. There was one who saw everything from the middle of the bush; a little bird who was hidden in its branches. The bird hopped down and began fanning the flickering embers until the flames began to lick out hungrily.  The little bird was so close to the fire that it felt the heat of its flames but it didn’t stop, despite the pain on his breast, until the flames were burning brightly and they chased away that hungry wolf. It was because of this heat that the robins breast feathers changed colour and became as red as the flame and from that day onwards the robin has proudly worn his little red waistcoat.