Magpie, Rochester Bestiary, c.1230

The magpie, celebrated for its poetical call, is known for mimicking human speech with remarkable skills. Perched on tree branches, it chatters incessantly, creating an artful sound that belies its inability to speak in the true sense.

Named after Picus, the son of Saturn, the magpie held a special place in augury, the ancient practice of interpreting omens. It was believed to possess divine qualities; any tree where the magpie nests sees nails or other fixed objects fall shortly after, a phenomenon attributed to the bird’s mystical influence.

In Christian symbolism, the magpie's behaviour was sometimes used to represent human folly and worldliness. The bird’s habit of gathering shiny objects was seen as a reflection of human pursuit of vanity and material wealth and the mimicry of human speech was interpreted as a lesson about the superficial nature of appearances and the importance of true wisdom over mere imitation.

Pica quasi poetica quod verba in discrimine
vocis exprimat ut homo. Per ramos enim arborum
pendula inportuna garrulit arte sonans. et-
si nequit linguam sermone explicare; sonum
tamen humane vocis imitatur. de qua quidam
ait. Pica loquas certa dominum te voce salutat.
Si me non videas(changed from videamus) esse negabis avem. Pica
a pico saturni filio; nomen sumpsit. quod ea
in auspitiis utebatur. Nam ferunt hanc avem
quiddam habere divinum illo indicio. quod
in quacumque arbore nidificaverit; clavum vel
quicquid aliud fixum diu herere non potest;
quin statim excidat; ubi illa insederit;

The magpie’s call is regarded as poetical, for this bird utters words in a manner akin to human speech. Hanging from the branches of trees, it chatters incessantly with an artful sound. Although it cannot articulate speech with its tongue, it still mimics the sound of human voice. It is said thereof: 'The chattering magpie, firm of voice, greets you as lord. If you do not see me, you will deny that I am a bird'[1]. The magpie, pica, took its name from Picus[2], the son of Saturn, as it was used in augury. It is said that there is something divine about this bird, for any tree in which it nests, a nail or any other fixed object cannot remain long without falling; it will immediately fall wherever the magpie has perched.

Further Reading

David Badke, The Bestiary Blog: Animals in the Middle Ages, Magpie, November 6 2023, https://bestiary.ca/beasts/beast248.htm

Mynott, J, Birds in the Ancient World (New York: Oxford University Press 2018)

Josh Goldenberg (BA 2012) and Matt Shanahan (BA 2014), Logeion, November 2022, https://logeion.uchicago.edu/

Castiglioni, L. and Mariotti, S. (1996). Vocabolario della Lingua Latina: Latino-Italiano Italiano-Latino. Terza Edizione. Loescher Torino

Curley, M. J., Physiologus: A Medieval Book of Nature Lore (University of Chicago edition 2009)

Rackham, H., M.A., Pliny Natural History Volume III, Libri VIII-XI (London: William Heinemann Ltd, 1949)

Collins, A. H., M.A., Symbolism of Animals and Birds (New York: McBride, Nast & Company, 1913)

Henderson, C., The Book of Barely Imagined Beings (London: University of Chicago Press, 2013)

White, T. H., The Bestiary: A Book of Beasts (New York: G.P Putnam’s Sons, 1960)

Matthews, J. and Matthews C., The Element Encyclopedia of Magical Creatures: The Ultimate A-Z of fantastic beings from myth and magic (London: HarperElement, 2005)

Barney, S. A., Lewis, W. J., Beach A., Berghof O., The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2006)

Endnotes

[1] Martial, Epigrams, Book 10, Epigram 42: "The chattering magpie, firm of voice, greets you as lord. If you do not see me, you will deny that I am a bird."

[2] Picus, son of Saturn, was a prominent figure in Roman mythology associated with augury and transformation. His legacy as a prophetic figure and the symbolism of the woodpecker continued to be a significant part of Roman religious and cultural traditions. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Picus