. The birds of Shakespeare; critically examined, explained, and illustrated. Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616; Birds. CHAPTER III. THE OWL AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. A S Jove assumed the shape of an Eagle, so Juno selected that of an Owl, for, as Aldrovandus tells us, it was not decorous that the queen of heaven should take on herself the likeness of any small or vulgar bird, but rather that she should be embodied in one whose reign by night was equal with that of the eagle by day. The owl has usually been regarded as a bird of ill omen, and superstitiously considered a messenger of woe. The Athenia
. The birds of Shakespeare; critically examined, explained, and illustrated. Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616; Birds. CHAPTER III. THE OWL AND ITS ASSOCIATIONS. A S Jove assumed the shape of an Eagle, so Juno selected that of an Owl, for, as Aldrovandus tells us, it was not decorous that the queen of heaven should take on herself the likeness of any small or vulgar bird, but rather that she should be embodied in one whose reign by night was equal with that of the eagle by day. The owl has usually been regarded as a bird of ill omen, and superstitiously considered a messenger of woe. The Athenians alone among the ancients seem to have been free from this popular prejudice, and to have regarded the owl with veneration rather than abhorrence, considering it as the favourite of Minerva, and the image of wisdom. The Romans viewed the owl with detestation and dread. By them it was held sacred to Proserpine: its appearance foreboded unfortunate events, and, according to Pliny, the city of Rome underwent a solemn lustration in conse- quence of an owl having accidentally strayed into the Please note that these images are extracted from scanned page images that may have been digitally enhanced for readability - coloration and appearance of these illustrations may not perfectly resemble the original Harting, James Edmund, 1841-1928. London, John Van Voorst
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1870, booksubjectbirds, booksubjectsha
