![]() This connection stands out to me because of Mary’s frequent association with grief, mourning, and compassion. ![]() I am tempted to point out a tenuous connection between the mournful nighttime song of this bird, along with the misconception that night-singing Nightingales are female, and the Virgin Mary. The Nightingale just doesn’t come up in Christian iconography very much. Shockingly, despite rampant connections between Nightingales and arts and literature, biblical connections to this bird are seemingly nonexistent. Many tribes associate mockingbirds with intelligence and protection. For Native American peoples, the most likely culprit behind a midnight birdsong would probably be a mockingbird. Nightingales are not found in the Americas. Martin Symbolism & Meaning (+Totem, Spirit, & Omens) Latest Articles:Ĭhough Symbolism & Meaning (+Totem, Spirit & Omens)īlack-Naped Pheasant-Pigeon Spotted for First Time Since 1882Ĭrows Outperform Primates in New Logic Study The Nightingale is sometimes used as a symbol of selflessness as well. In fairytales, Nightingales often act as symbols of love, sacrifice, gentleness, and friendship. Supplied via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons 3.0 Thus, the Nightingale represents love, romance, and hope. ![]() While the lark represents the hour at which they must say their goodbyes, the Nightingale represents the time in which they are safe to stay together. Upon realizing that it is a lark after all, the lovers are forced to admit that it is morning and Romeo will be discovered if he does not flee. In this passage, Romeo and Juliet argue over whether the birdsong they hear is the nighttime song of a Nightingale or the dawn chorus of a lark. I must be gone and live, or stay and die.” - Romeo and Juliet, Act III Scene 5 ( 4) Stands tiptoe on the misty mountain tops. ![]() Night’s candles are burnt out, and jocund day No nightingale: look, love, what envious streaksĭo lace the severing clouds in yonder east: Romeo: It was the lark, the herald of the morn, Nightly she sings on yon pomegranate-tree:īelieve me, love, it was the nightingale. That pierced the fearful hollow of thine ear It was the nightingale, and not the lark, “Juliet: Wilt thou be gone? it is not yet near day: Shakespeare uses the Nightingale to represent the nighttime in Romeo and Juliet. Nightingales are also often connected with themes of springtime, rejuvenation, and romance. Up the hill-side and now ’tis buried deepįled is that music:-Do I wake or sleep?” - Excerpt from “Ode to a Nightingale” by John Keats ( 3) Past the near meadows, over the still stream, To toll me back from thee to my sole self! Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home,Ĭharm’d magic casements, opening on the foam Perhaps the self-same song that found a path The voice I hear this passing night was heard “Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! Supplied via Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons 4.0 Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Nikola Veljković. John Keats’ Ode to a Nightingale is a bit too long to include here in its entirety, however the excerpts included below demonstrate how entranced Keats is with the melodious voice of this bird. The following poem is, perhaps, one of the most famous poems concerning the Nightingale. “A poet is a nightingale, who sits in darkness and sings to cheer its own solitude with sweet sounds his auditors are as men entranced by the melody of an unseen musician, who feel that they are moved and softened, yet know not whence or why.” - Excerpt from Percy Shelley’s “Defense of Poetry” ( 2) ![]() Percy Shelley even compares poets to Nightingales in his “Defense of Poetry.” Poets and musicians are often compared with Nightingales. The Nightingale is also very often connected with artistry. Perhaps because their songs break the silence of the night, Nightingales are presented in many stories as mournful birds. Nightingales are most often associated with both beauty and melancholy. In this article, we’ll look at a number of Nightingale stories as we explore the deep symbolism attached to this charming little bird! On this page Despite commonly being portrayed as female, the Nightingales which are heard singing by moonlight are actually male.įrom classic fairytales to Greek myths, Nightingale’s beautiful voice and gentle presence is a source of both admiration and inspiration. In stories and myths, the Nightingale is often portrayed as an enchanting but somewhat forlorn songstress. The song of the Nightingale is widely admired. Nowadays, however, these birds are classed as Old World flycatchers. Nightingales were once thought of as members of the thrush family. In fact, the word “Nightingale” comes from old Germanic words meaning “night” and “to sing.” Featured in many songs and poems, the diminutive Nightingale seems to have a bewitching effect on mankind. The Nightingale is a bird that is famous for its night song. ![]()
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