The Humble Magpie

INKLINGS

One for sorrow

Two for joy

Three for a girl

Four for a boy

Five for silver

Six for gold

Seven is a secret never to be told.

Eight is a wish.

Nine is a kiss.

Ten is the bird that you must not miss.

My mother had a picture, a dull greying black and white picture, of two magpies hanging in the hall, like some sort of good luck charm. My mother was a superstitious person. This little ditty was drummed into us as children. As a child I was terrified of seeing one magpie – one for sorrow – so I would search the skies, the rooftops, the trees for another of those black and white anxiety inducing birds.

There are variations in the above verse and in some cases, it’s even counted up to 14, God help us. And of course, just to add to it, you can’t forget to salute the magpie or to say ‘Good Morning Mr Magpie’, which of course I always did, very discreetly, just in case someone saw me and the madness of it all. No wonder I was a nervous wreck as a child.

What is a magpie? It is a species of crow with strong legs, strong bills and is intelligent and social. Magpies’ flight is not graceful but direct, their song is unmusical and harsh; not particularly pleasant qualities. And they are black and white, or are they?

For hundreds of years the magpie has been a symbol of superstition. They have been hunted to near extinction due to the fear of bad luck and they have been revered as symbols of good luck and fortune.

Some Native Americans saw the bird as fearless and would wear a magpie feather. For Bacchus, the Ancient Greek god of wine, the bird was sacred. Throughout history, there are many other examples of the magpie’s good and bad luck symbolism.

However, with the rise of Christianity, negative views of the magpie escalated. They had a drop of the devil’s blood on their tongues;they sat in the rain on Noah’s Ark; they did not mourn when Jesus was crucified. It is unclear why the magpie became so vilified in the Bible, but as the centuries went on, the magpie continued to endure an unpopular reputation.

Magpies have been linked to both natural and supernatural phenomena; they have been associated with death, the theft of shiny objects and even notions they can control the weather.

But is it time to let these superstitions go?

I now have a picture and, unlike my superstitious mother, it is of two beautiful birds sitting on the branch of an unknown tree, with bright green leaves and tiny pink flowers in full bloom, standing out on a blank canvas.

Magpies are loyal to each other, mating for life. They are intelligent, and they can even be friendly. And whoever said that a magpie was black and white was so wrong. They shimmer in the sunlight, almost a black iridescence, changing to purple, green and blue, and sometimes even a hint of pink.

I never saw this as a child; everything back then was all black and white. It was my own child that, without superstition, could see these birds for the beautiful creatures that they are. He could see their true colours.

The next time you see a magpie, take a closer look.

• Sharon Mallon is a member of Inklings Writing , meet on Tuesdays at 10.30am in the Annebrook House Hotel.