A swan died on a railway in Germany - causing 23 trains to stop. They waited for the bird's partner, who refused to fly away on his own, to be removed from the tracks. Swan fidelity is widely known, but in fact, such affection is characteristic of many birds. And she's not as romantic as she might seem.
Swan in legends and myths
Since ancient times, the swan has served as a symbol of purity, wisdom, love, music and poetry, fidelity and chastity. A special attitude towards birds can be traced not only in Ancient Rus', but also in Greece, India, and China. The reason for this reverence is the beauty and grace of the bird, as well as the fact that the partners are faithful to each other throughout their lives.
Swans in Greek mythology
Snow-white birds in Greek mythology are the faithful companions of Apollo, Aphrodite, Orpheus and Eros. Even Zeus himself once turned into a white swan to appear in all his glory before Leda. And it was the swan that was present during the birth of Apollo - the gift of clairvoyance of the Olympian god is associated with this.
Swans in the myths of Ancient India
In the myths of Ancient India, it was from a swan egg that fell into the abyss of Chaos that our Universe was born. Birds in India were also a symbol of the duality of existence: breath and spirit. And snow-white, sparkling plumage is a symbol of the purity of the human soul. The supreme deity of the Hindus, Brahma, is often depicted riding a swan.
Myths of the Slavs and Celts
In the myths of the ancient Slavs, the swan is associated with the feminine principle and is a holy bird. In the legends and tales of the northern peoples of Rus', it is in the image of a snow-white swan that a wise and beautiful maiden appears, possessing various secrets, knowledge and miracles. There is exactly the same image in Celtic myths. This is how in “The Song of the Nibelungs” girls turn into snow-white birds. Also among the Celts, birds had magical powers and were associated with the sun, purity, and generosity. The Celts believed that the bird could not only heal all diseases, but also bring love, wealth, peace and quiet to the home. Apparently, this is why people born in the month of the Swan, according to the Celtic calendar, were considered the luckiest and happiest.
Swans in Chinese mythology
In China, birds are associated with the sun and masculinity. In some regions they are still revered as sacred.
Positive signs about swans
Images of people and swans in folk legends and mythology are very often intertwined. There is a Slavic swan princess, twelve enchanted European princes, and a Chinese celestial maiden flying on white wings to console lonely old people. And a flock of swans, which carries the golden chariot of Apollo across the sky, accompanies Brahma and the Scandinavian goddess Freya on their travels.
People have always seen in swans those traits that seemed most attractive to them: nobility, wisdom, loyalty, the ability to love and compassion. Hence the positive signs.
- Swans fly to the shore of a river or lake, sit on the water - they promise the fulfillment of a cherished desire.
- A flock flew over the travelers - promising an easy road.
- Birds are circling above the house - you can expect good news.
- In general, seeing swans flying in the sky is a bright omen; it speaks of harmony, of peaceful resolution of conflicts.
Swan as a symbol of the country
Not only in the past, but also in the present, the attitude towards birds is special. So in Finland the bird is a national symbol. The numerous lakes of this European country are home to one of the largest populations of whooper swans in the world. The swan in Finland also symbolizes the high quality of manufactured products. The quality mark is placed only on goods produced in Finland and from Finnish raw materials.
The attitude towards birds is so respectful that even a pair of these beautiful birds is engraved on the one euro coin.
In large cities of Finland, birds remain for the winter. Local residents consider it their duty to feed them, and bring all kinds of treats to the shores of the lakes. And in places where these beauties just nest, various holidays and celebrations are held during the spring migration.
For the Finnish peoples, since ancient times, the snow-white bird has been a symbol of purity and purity. And killing a swan was considered a sin. People believed that whoever killed the bird would face inevitable death.
Even today, some peoples of Finland believe that the world was created from a swan's egg: it fell and split into pieces. The sky and earth were formed from the shell, and the entire animal and plant world was formed from the white and yolk.
Legends of Loyalty
Over the years, news has appeared about exactly how swans experience separation from their partner. In November 2021, a female mute swan named Mrs. Newby found a mate in London. This happened four years after breaking up with her previous partner, the swan Mr. Newby. The birds got together in 2010, and in 2016, Mister crashed into an apartment building and fell to his death in front of his partner.
In 2015, the swan Gvidon died in Nizhny Novgorod. Then his partner Tsarevna died at the Limpopo Zoo - she was killed by visitors to the zoo. Someone gave her bread that had a sewing needle in it. Guidon began to feel depressed, which is why zoo staff started watching him closely. But a month later he died, unable to cope with melancholy.
Why do swans dream?
Different dream books interpret differently what white swans mean in dreams. There are several most popular dream books:
- Tsvetkova,
- Female,
- Children's,
- Aesop,
- Freud,
- Miller,
- Numerological,
- Meneghetti.
To see white swans in a dream, according to the women’s dream book, means impending positive changes, pleasant excitement, and meetings. Several swans swimming on clean and smooth water - to goodness and success.
According to Aesop's dream book, seeing swans in a dream is a symbol of greatness, grace and innocence. The dream book says that the person who saw the dream met a person with all the listed qualities, and he will play an important role in fate. Flying swans indicate a change in weather. In winter - cold weather and snowfall, and in summer - rain and cool weather. Seeing one white swan floating on the water in a dream means a long-awaited meeting. For single people - to a meeting promising marriage. Feeding birds from your hands or seeing them eat is a great success.
A children's dream book says that a dream about a swan promises an interesting meeting, new prospects and opportunities. According to Tsvetkov’s dream book, a swan seen in a dream foreshadows separation, moving, parting, or loss of a friend.
Seeing swans in a dream, according to Freud’s dream book, means harmonious development, balance, pleasure and harmony in your personal life.
And according to Miller’s dream book, dreaming about white swans means pleasant experiences, new prospects and opportunities, interesting and useful meetings. If the bird has black plumage, this means doubts and unpleasant news. And seeing dead birds in a dream is a sign of disappointment.
According to the numerological dream book:
- Seeing a swan couple in a dream means goodness, happiness, happy changes,
- Flying birds seen in a dream - to a truce (if you are in a quarrel with someone), to new meetings, promotion,
- If you dreamed of one swan - to betrayal,
- And if you dream about a bird for several nights in a row, you should be more attentive to what is happening in life.
But according to Meneghetti’s dream book, seeing these snow-white birds in a dream means a quick result from the efforts spent, getting what you want, fulfilling a dream. For a man, the meaning is slightly different: a dream about a swan indicates that a powerful woman has a strong influence on life.
Nature abhors a vacuum
Ornithologist Vadim Mishin explained to 360 that swans are selective and monogamous birds. They really don’t immediately look for a new mate after the death of the previous one. However, it cannot be said that the swan will now never find a partner. It is known for sure that he will not connect with anyone this season. But a year or two will pass, and then the bird will create a new pair, because “nature abhors a vacuum.”
It's the same chemistry that you and I have. We are not that far away from each other <…>. In matters of relationships, we are very similar. A person differs from a swan in the multivariate nature of their relationships. There are no types of attachments that a human individual has not experienced. In this regard, animals are more stable
Vadim Mishin.
Monogamy is observed in most birds. Swans, storks, eagles, and vultures pair up for several years. In some cases - for life. But there are cases when relationships last only one season, and separation occurs after hatching and feeding the chicks. For example, this is what geese do.
But people's attention is more focused on swans because they are beautiful and bright. It is unlikely that anyone would talk about monogamy in ducks if the partner of one individual died on the railway tracks.
Mishin also explained why some birds stay together for a season, while others stay together for life. According to him, this is due to life expectancy. Songbirds “have no time to think for the rest of their lives.” After all, only half of their population survives in different winter seasons. Swans, for example, have a life expectancy of 30 years. They have time to think about long-term relationships.
Swans in art
The image of a bird is beautiful, which is why it is so widely reflected in art. Images of these noble and graceful creatures can be found on the canvases of Leonardo da Vinci, Moro, and Salvador Dali. There are references to birds in Russian folk tales, as well as in many poems by Yesenin, stories by Mamin-Sibiryak, Bazhov. The Strugatsky brothers created the story “Ugly Swans”, and David Mitchell wrote the novel “Meadow of the Black Swan”.
The image of this bird was no less used in music. The whole world knows Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky’s ballet “Swan Lake”. Saint-Saens' musical fantasy of the same name is also dedicated to the bird.
Meals: menu
Mute mutes feed on fruits, coastal and aquatic greenery, and plant roots. Swans are also not averse to eating insects, mollusks, small crustaceans and worms. This food is especially useful for young swans; they need animal protein for normal growth and full development. In summer, birds can peck grain in wheat fields.
Swans can't dive. To get food, they plunge their head and neck into the water. The mute mute is able to get food from a depth of 70-90 cm.
You should not feed mute swans bread; it often makes them sick and die.
Why do swans fly like a wedge?
During flights, swans create a wedge, at the head of which flies the strongest bird. The remaining members of the pack use the aerodynamic currents created by the leader and spend less energy. When the leader gets tired, another bird replaces him.
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Due to their large body mass, it is difficult for swans to take off; they flap their wings for a long time and move their paws while gaining height. For the same reason, a swan never lands on the ground, but only on the water; during landing, it clumsily brakes with its paws on the water.
Reproduction
Swans live in married couples and raise their offspring together. Each pair occupies a certain area and protects it from the invasion of neighbors and other birds.
The nest is made in deep reed thickets. It is very large, 2-3 m wide and up to 80 cm high. Swans use the same nest for several years in a row and repair it if necessary. They make it from cattails, reeds and other plants, and line the bottom with their down.
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The clutch most often contains 5-7 eggs, sometimes more. Young birds have 3-4 eggs in the nest. There is one brood per year. The female sits on the nest for about 35 days.
When the female incubates the eggs, the male guards her and sometimes even warms the eggs instead of her when the expectant mother urgently needs to leave.
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The swan is a caring and brave father; he is constantly near the nest and actively protects it in case of danger. Swans are hunted by eagles, kites and other birds of prey. With its powerful beak, a swan can, if necessary, seriously injure an enemy, and with its hissing it can frighten anyone. With one blow of its wing, a swan can kill a fox or a small dog. People can also be harmed if they inadvertently get too close to the brood. In general, these large, strong birds can be very aggressive when it comes to protecting eggs or offspring from enemies.
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Gray ugly ducklings are born in early summer. They immediately know how to swim and are ready to feed themselves. After 3-4 months they begin to fly.
The chicks are always close to their parents. Adult birds protect them from dangers and keep them warm in cold weather. Very often, young swans do not leave their parents and the whole family flies south.
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Young swans have a gray-purple beak and gray plumage that lasts up to three years. Before the flight, the swans have two molts. During the first moult (in summer), swans lose all their flight feathers and temporarily lose the ability to fly. This is very dangerous as they become easy prey for enemies.
By the end of summer, the feathers grow back and the birds are ready to fly. During the second (autumn) molt, the contour and tail feathers are replaced. With the onset of the first cold weather, the swans fly south.
