Passer
domesticus = Spatz
[Misha Norland]
The Sparrow is one of
the best known and ubiquitous of birds. Not only is it found all over the world
but it is an urban bird that chooses to live
in close contact with man.
Sparrows are one of the
most sociable birds. They like to nest close together and do not like nesting
sites where only one nest can be constructed. They also congregate together and
play together. Form
large gangs in winter
that will go off to
maraude newly harvested or seeded fields. Not only do they like the company of
their own kind but they seem to really like the company of humans. They like
their nests to be as close as possible to human
habitations, even though
this does not seem to be necessary to their feeding habits. It is possible that
they feel some sort of protection from the presence of humans, that many of
their predators are afraid of man and so it is
safer to be near human
habitation.
As in almost all the
bird remedies there is a calmness and peacefulness and an ability to remove
oneself from the world and its turbulence. In this proving there was a
particular sense of growing old which contradicts the
youthful exuberance of
the bird.
Sexuality was an
important issue for many provers. The sparrow has always been regarded as a
bird of love and was associated in classical
mythology with Aphrodite, the goddess of love.
In the famous poem of
Catallus Lesbia's sparrow is a symbol of true love and spiritual connection and
not just of lust. Though sparrows are often regarded as one of the most lustful
and sexually active birds.
The male sparrow builds
a nest and the female then chooses her mate on the quality of the home he has
to offer. However, in recent times when there has been a severe stress on food
supplies and nesting sites in Britain, it has
been suggested that the
female will go and also mate with the strongest or most attractive male around
and then return to her nice home.
There was also a strong
feminine and nurturing element to the proving. Provers desired to look more
feminine and attractive. The desire for family and the safety of the familial
environment was strong. Particularly important
was the desire to cook
and to provide food for friends and family.
interloper who supplants more popular native birds and
there are some fairly violent attempts to eradicate it. A sense of being
threatened and of being the victim of violence was experienced by many provers,
but equally important was swearing and violent behaviour.
An interesting
aspect of this was the importance of cats in the proving. The school cat spent
almost all of the proving weekends firmly ensconced on the lap of one the
provers which was definitely unusual. Many provers
found that their
relationships with their cats was emphasized or altered during the proving and
many provers had dreams of cats and dogs, but particularly cats. The close
connection between the predator and the prey seems
to be very important in
the bird remedies: the Falcon and the Dove are surprisingly similar remedies.
So it was revealing that provers had such a strong sense of identification with
the cat which is the sparrow's most ruthless predator.
Perhaps the most
important symbolic aspect of the Sparrow is the way it has been regarded as of
such little value that it has become a symbol of value. This is found best
expressed in the Gospels where Jesus says: "Are not
five sparrows sold for
two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very
hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value
than many sparrows." Saint Francis expressed
his love for all God's
creatures by preaching his sermons to the sparrows. The idea of both demanding
to be honoured and respected, to be valued and of being hampered by not being honoured,
respected or valued was important
for many provers and was
also found in their dreams. It seems that this might be one of the most
important issues for the remedy.
Why
prove Sparrow?
House Sparrows have long
adapted to human habitations, the records of which are lost in mists of time.
They are descendants of Old World Weaver Finches, a family of birds
distinguished for their resourceful nest-building
ability.
House Sparrows are
mentioned in Classical Greek mythology where they are associated with
Aphrodite. In a famous poem by Catallus, Lesbia's Sparrow is a symbol of divine
and enduring love. Another later story tells of
how it was the only bird
present throughout the crucifixion of Christ, making it a symbol of fidelity
and spiritual connection and echoing its classical Greek association with the
beloved. For Christians, the enduring beloved
is the saviour, Jesus
Christ.
Sparrows
Sparrows are a noisy
rabble inhabiting barns, chattering under eaves. They have a reputation for being
rude as rats, common thieves. Drab of feather, breeding fast, flying in
flurries, leaves in draft,
they chirp but cannot
sing, just a common thing that working folk have an affinity for. Sparrows
provide fast-food for cat, target practice for brat, not much more.
But sparrows are scarce
now, while our population expands. We are fully fed, newly rich, oh-so-proper,
in a ditch, caught in our own snare: we have crowded our environment with
tarmac and concrete, and sparrows are no
longer there!
Disrespected, that is a
key-note of this bird, alongside a habit of living close, as if humans were
their pride. Do you think Saint Francis taught them about humility?
Perhaps they are mirrors
in which we see things we do not wish to view. We go shopping, make small talk,
but when do we feel beautiful and true? When do we chirp in simplicity and
ease, “You see me, I see you?”
The Sparrow has its fair
share of folk lore, as do so many birds. The common theme being that of victory
over injustice. It was a household deity in the UK. Indeed, in mediaeval times,
it was a an emblem of peasants and the
lower classes throughout
Europe. Peasants, at this time, were invariably beholden to their overlords and
downtrodden by them. To help them compensate, they made up stories of how the
insignificant Sparrow succeeded
over such potent enemies
as wolves, bears, and eagles, the traditional symbols of nobility and those who
subjugated the peasants.
After moving to London
from Wales when I was a small child, and going to school there, I became
increasingly aware of the social structure which had up until then, cemented
society together. As a refugee’s child, I was
both an outsider and
well aware of issues of racial persecution. I should mention, as a relevant
aside, that I passionately held to the views of my parents, who had long
cherished ideals of common rights and equality of
opportunities amongst
peoples of all races, creeds and social position. Given this inclination, as
well as my need to feel included, I was delighted to learn that the Cockney
folk (London's indigenous working class population) considered the common house
Sparrow to be their emblem. It had been explained to me that this was on
account of their gregarious natures, their love of chattering and their
extended families which allowed for squabbling
and reconciliation.
Working class kids were always in and out of each other’s homes, ganging up
and, of course, fighting off rivals. This behavior is seen in Sparrows also,
for they are amongst the most social birds who will,
however, relentlessly
defend their nesting sites. Identifying myself with these themes, I happily
adopted the Sparrow as a kindred spirit.
Recently, upon learning
of the general decline, and in many major cities the total disappearance of
House Sparrows, most of us in the UK felt shocked and saddened by the demise of
our once familiar friends. But here at Yondercott, around our old house in
rural Devon, with its ivy clad North wall, providing ample nesting sites, and
duck and chicken food to pilfer, Sparrows abound. That is until the Sparrow
Hawk takes up residence in our
garden to raise its
young. Then ‘our’ Sparrows are temporarily decimated, only to multiply again,
so that by Christmas, they are full throated and chirping to celebrate their
and our annual family reunion.
I have long cherished
the desire to carry out a proving of this noisy little bird, so ubiquitous as
to be taken for granted in our disenchanted modern times, so successfully
adapted to our human environment and so honored in
past ages when the
significance of totem and symbol was regarded.
How wonderful that a
bird should voluntarily decide to take up an environmental niche provided by us
without being trained for it, as are hawks and falcons, without being
encouraged by providing special sites as are doves
or set bird tables and
feeders to entice them, without being domesticated as are cats and dogs. In
fact, “how wonderful” sums up what many of us feel about this cheeky and chirpy
familiar. And how different this is to our
attitude towards other
creatures who live amongst us as pests as do rats and cockroaches. Perhaps our
love affair with "a common bird of the people" is turning sour as we
wrestle to climb out of working class status, aspiring, upwardly mobile, towards
being closer to the ruler rather than the ruled. In many environments, House
Sparrows are becoming an endangered species.
It is easy to access
Sparrow sites on the internet. Such a search furnishes a plethora of
information about culling Sparrows, about killing the pests. For that is what
they have become in many countries where they have been inadvertently or
foolishly introduced. In the USA and in NZ for instance, they have become a
threat because they push out indigenous species.