Flights of Fancy

A beguiling collection of myths, legends and superstitions attached to birds.

Throughout history, birds have fascinated and intrigued mankind, so it isn’t surprising that a rich body of myth, legend and superstition has grown around them. Flights of Fancy explores the stories surrounding approximately thirty of the world’s best-known species, from the blackbird to the wryneck, drawing on traditions from every quarter of the globe. The vast majority of these stories seem to have their origin in people’s delight in inventing stories — whether the legend that the blackbird was originally white, or the suggestion that witches kept owls as their familiars.

As Peter Tate points out, what is so extraordinary is that the same story often crops up in many different parts of the world: the belief that eagles and snakes are sworn enemies can be found as far apart as Iraq and Mexico; the view that the raven is the harbinger of bad luck can be found throughout Europe from Denmark to Spain.

Flights of Fancy is a fascinating and entertaining read, the ideal book for anyone interested in birds or myths — or both.

Peter Tate has published several books on ornithology, including Bird, Men and Books: A Literary History of Ornithology and A Century of Bird Books.