Birds in the Ancient World: Winged Words

by Jeremy Mynott

Birds pervaded the ancient world, impressing their physical presence on the daily experience and imaginations of ordinary people and figuring prominently in literature and art. They provided a fertile source of symbols and stories in myths and folklore and were central to the ancient rituals of augury and divination.

Jeremy Mynott's Birds in the Ancient World illustrates the many different roles birds played in culture: as indicators of time, weather and the seasons; as a resource for hunting, eating, medicine and farming; as domestic pets and entertainments; and as omens and intermediaries between the gods and humankind.

We learn how birds were perceived - through quotations from well over a hundred classical Greek and Roman authors, all of them translated freshly into English, through nearly 100 illustrations from ancient wall-paintings, pottery and mosaics, and through selections from early scientific writings, and many anecdotes and descriptions from works of history, geography and travel.

Jeremy Mynott acts as a stimulating guide to this rich and fascinating material, using birds as a prism through which to explore both the similarities and the often surprising differences between ancient conceptions of the natural world and our own. His book is an original contribution to the flourishing interest in the cultural history of birds and to our understanding of the ancient cultures in which birds played such a prominent part.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Nature, Science, Animals, Birds, Folklore

480 pages, Hardcover

First published May 11, 2018

About the author

Jeremy Mynott is Emeritus Fellow of Wolfson College, Cambridge. He has contributed to the Cambridge Dictionary of Political Thought and Cambridge Reader in the History of Political Thought and is also the author of several publications in natural history and ornithology.

Reviews

[Mary Catelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

What ancient Greeks and Romans thought about birds. Arranged by topics.

For instance, time. Cranes and other migratory birds were used by farmers to time activities -- some were to be done before the cranes flew south, or before the sparrow arrived -- and of course the various birds that would call at different times of day. Birds as predictors of weather, and the effect of birdsong in the soundscape. The use of birds, hunted or raised, for food or as pets, or as wonders to be exhibited or taught to speak. Birds as omens -- in fact, in Greek, "omen" and "bird" are the same word.

The difficulty of working out species comes up several times, since the words don't map, they may not give enough for us to work out, and the range of species has changed.

Lots of interesting bits. Storks were omens of childbirth. Crows were thought to be faithful mates, and so there was a crow song at weddings, but a single crow being heard at a wedding was a bad omen. Ostriches were the only bird to be regarded as worthy game. A Carthaginian who tried to advance himself by teaching birds to say, "Hanno is a god" except that as soon as they were released, they flew back to their haunts and never repeated it where humans could hear.

[Gregory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting examination of the place of birds in the ancient world, mostly Greece and Rome. It was a different world. The barrier between humanity and nature was minimal; they shared the same sphere. The chapter on soundscape (which was one of the most interesting to me) shows how in the era of limited mechanical noise, bird noise was very prominent, for example. Mynott was particularly interested in the question of why was falconry not practiced in ancient Greece, even though it was enjoyed in other contemporary civilizations. Each chapter examines a different aspect of birds. Some of the chapters are better and more in-depth, while others seem to be more collections of ancient statements on birds. If you are interested in birds, animals, or the ancient world, this is a book you will want to check out.

[Juliana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has been a very helpful source while writing my thesis. My only real complaint is that the index doesn't include all bird species mentioned for some reason, so it was difficult to find the specific species that were relevant to my own writing. Other than that, this book is interesting and well-organized.

[Kawakoala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty comprehensive, but pretty brisk at times. (Mile wide, inch deep.) The chapter on Mother Earth wasn’t very birdy. But a great read, clearly a product of tremendous research, with an admirable range of primary sources consulted.

[Brynn Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written but not my style of book

[Kate]

Wolfson History Prize shortlist 2019

[Liz Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little dry but fascinating

[Bradley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Useful, well-researched reference guide examining and contextualizing source material from Ancient Greece and Rome relating to birds. Even a bit funny at times.

[Gisele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned about the impact of birds on culture, history and literature.

[VG · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this comprehensive book, Jeremy Mynott considers the role of birds across the classical role, exploring their impact in the realms of divination, folklore and mythology, as pets, as food, in nature - essentially, wherever the world of humans and our feathered friends collide. Drawing from a myriad of ancient sources, Mynott’s writing is thorough, but never dry. For anyone interested in the natural world, this would be a great addition to your shelves.