"Art thou the Bird whom Man loves best,
The pious Bird with the scarlet breast,
Our little English Robin;
The Bird that comes about our doors
When Autumn winds are sobbing?"
From 'The Redbreast and the Butterfly' by William Wordsworth
(European) Robin Erithacus rubecula (20/12/2009)
No apologies for the shameless sentimentality of this seasonal picture! I came across this particularly friendly Robin taken near Tringford Reservoir and it got me me thinking about why the Robin Erithacus rubecula has become a symbol of Christmas and traditionally appears on cards and decorations. The first card depicting a Robin appeared in the 1860's, the bird pictured delivering an envelope and Postmen at the time wore red tunics and were nicknamed 'Robin Redbreasts'. I assumed that there would be an interesting folk tale or myth that explained this close association with the Christmas season, but the truth is much simpler. With food scarcer, Robins are at their most tame and visible in the winter and their bright red breast, often puffed up to help retain warmth brings colour to dull wintry surroundings. Male Robins often sing in the winter to establish territory and their sweet song undoubtedly would have filled people with the promise of Spring and better weather to come to. Perhaps, as the familiar birds of summer slowly melted away people felt they could rely on the Robin to stay with them and brave the winter, to keep them company and cheer them up through the long dark days. So the Robin has long been a part of the festive season and when cards became popular in Victorian times they soon became a popular subject and in 1960 officially became Britain's national bird. Of course, what people didn't realise is that the Robin in their garden may well have come from Northern Europe to spend the winter here!There is however a wealth of Folklore surrounding the Robin with perhaps the strangest tale being that if one finds a dead body it will cover it with leaves and moss. In the ancient tale of the Babes in the Wood a Robin carefully covers the dead bodies of the two lost children with leaves. It seems a bizarre idea but perhaps it stems from observations of Robins throwing leaves around as they search for food on the forest floor.
"Can this be the Bird, to man so good,
Our consecrated Robin!
That, after their bewildering,
Did cover with leaves the little children,
So painfully in the wood?"
From 'The Redbreast and the Butterfly' by William Wordsworth
An old superstition says that it is very bad luck to kill a Robin and according to one story if you do your hands will never stop shaking. At least this has meant that the Robin has always been revered and treated well by man. As a gardener I am well used to Robins pottering around my feet, perching on Spades and Wheel Barrows and very occasionally taking a worm from my hand, but this is a sign of how well we have treated these iconic birds for centuries. Sadly this is not the case in some parts of Southern Europe where Robins along with many other small birds are still trapped and eaten in huge numbers. This persecution has meant Robins are very shy and wary and often hard to see. A few years ago we spent a cheap and cheerful week in Tenerife and it took me until the end of the holiday before I eventually found a Robin (since split as Tenerife Robin), skulking deep in the undergrowth of a montane pine forest.
There are several tales explaining the origin of the red breast which centre around acts of kindness by the "pious" and "consecrated" Robin. Its was believed that a Robin pulled a thorn from the crown that had pierced the head of Jesus Christ as he made his way to the cross and was splattered with blood. In another story the birds breast was burnt while carrying water to sinners in hell. It is ironic that such an aggressive and occasionally murderous bird has gained such a kind and holy reputation!
