A wild bird flying into one's house is a portent of ill luck
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Origins: Most
superstitions came into being during a time when what made the world tick was far more of a mystery than it is now. Our ancestors were quick to assign subtexts to events as one of the ways they tried to make sense of an existence that appeared frighteningly capricious and unpredictable. All manner of occurrences, both the mundane and the unusual, were subject to scrutiny and interpretation.
Everyday things, such as the way fires burned or candles sputtered, were studied for their portents. But it was to out-of-the-ordinary events that special attention was paid, because these were believed to foretell the greatest shifts of fortune. Unusual incidents were understood as urgent messages falling directly from the lips of the gods.
Strange behavior on the part of animals was cause for concern. A hen that took to crowing, for instance, heralded a death in the owner's family, as did the sudden howling of otherwise placid dogs or the midday crowing of a rooster. Wild birds that tried to get inside houses (whether they succeeded or not) were also seen as presaging deaths. A bird that flew in through an open window, circled the room or landed on the back of someone's chair, then flew back out was saying as clearly as an omen can that someone who lived in that dwelling was about to clutch the lily. Birds that hit glass windows were likewise trying to provide the same message, as did those who sat upon sills peering into rooms or tapping on the glass. Some placed no time limit on when the death was to take place; others said it would happen within the year.
Because of this superstition, some folks will not even keep a pet bird, not so much as a budgie or canary. And there are those whose aversion to indoor avians runs so strong that they eschew pictures of our feathered friends, even representations of them on wallpaper. One of those persons was Lucille Ball, who dated her antipathy to birds to the 1915 death of her father when she was three years old — she recalled that a picture fell from the wall that fateful day, and a bird flew in the window to become trapped inside the house. Even as an adult, the comedienne would refuse to take lodgings in any hotel that displayed pictures of birds, either framed or incorporated into their wallpaper. She was no less particular about her home — in the 1950s she had Japanese silk print wallpaper that went for $90 a roll ripped out of the front hallway of her Beverly Hills home because only after the paper was up did it become apparent the shadowy images of birds were part of its pattern.
One of the older books superstition books we consulted stated that interior decorators knew better than to suggest wallpaper with little birdies on it simply because this belief was then so widespread.
Not everyone holds the opinion that having birds fly into the house is bad news. Our cats, for instance, view such incursions as having their prayers answered. -
whn i was young, i rmb a green colour bird tapping on my window... very cute.. i try to catch it.. but it flew away b4 i came with my basket..
.. it was bright green n the way it twist and turn its head was very innocent....
but no one died in my family in that year also.. or does a turtles death count???
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Woah...nvr heard of this before...
I remember some time ago when i was still a kid...a wild sparrow flew into my room....i quickly closed all the windows in an attempt to ctach it...however it was too fast for me..
After that i gave up and opened up the window for it to escape...nothing happened in my home after that leh....nothing bad anyway...
Maybe the bird has to be captured? Or just flying in will cause bad luck to befall?? -
OH NO I'M DOOMEDDDDDDDDDD!!!!
I've reared my chicken for 5 years liao!!! -
Strangely. my mom says if a bird comes in from the front door = good luck.
From back door = bad luck
Depends on the type of bird too. -
well, it was ill luck for the bird..
flew in at top speed, hit the window and died...
nothing happened to anything or anyone in the family other than putting the bird into the dustbin -
Bird flu!!!!!!!!!!!!Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:OH NO I'M DOOMEDDDDDDDDDD!!!!
I've reared my chicken for 5 years liao!!!
You're 'doomed' indeed
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Oh gosh. Ewch!Originally posted by the Bear:well, it was ill luck for the bird..
flew in at top speed, hit the window and died...
nothing happened to anything or anyone in the family other than putting the bird into the dustbin
Put into the dustbin? No bag or anything?
no dignity in death for the birdie bird
If I were you I'd put the bird nicely in a box and find a spot to bury it.
I remember twice when I was young, a bird flew into my home and got all of us into action, trying to chase it out for an hour plus before we succeeded... But there weren't any deaths those years. -
chickens r ment to be free! free to roam the desserts and fly the open skies!!!!Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:OH NO I'M DOOMEDDDDDDDDDD!!!!
I've reared my chicken for 5 years liao!!!
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desserts...Originally posted by skeujin:chickens r ment to be free! free to roam the desserts and fly the open skies!!!!
brudder, ur brothers aren't meant for desserts. -
yeah....potential Blu Flu vectors....
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Does wild fish count? I know a friend's house who had bats flying thru at night.
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Best liao! Just finished reading this thread when a pigeon came and perched on my window!!!
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all right.. i'm getting very pissed off with these 2 mynah birds...
they keep coming up and sitting on the windows and then crap all over the window sill
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wah so sweet n nice of u..cuteOriginally posted by MooKu:Oh gosh. Ewch!
Put into the dustbin? No bag or anything? no dignity in death for the birdie bird
If I were you I'd put the bird nicely in a box and find a spot to bury it.
I remember twice when I was young, a bird flew into my home and got all of us into action, trying to chase it out for an hour plus before we succeeded... But there weren't any deaths those years. -
one time i duno how this bird flew into my house.. some kind of fruit bird. dunno how it ended up in my house. think middle of the night. its a chick somemore. can't fly. at first we dunno what was that chirping sound then my mum found it. its green in colour we left it outside with the plants.. then neighbour say she know how to rear such birds then we gave her.. kinda poor thing.. cuz we dunno what to feed it and stuff. then whole day never feed it