Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has another Folklore Friday post on Facebook today! And it's another bird - the Kingfisher. Here's what they say:
"Folklore Friday: The Belted Kingfisher can be spotted at the Sanctuary October - March. Kingfishers play a variety of roles in Native American folklore. To the Northwest Coast Indians, the Kingfisher is a messenger and a sign of good luck to come. In Makah legends, however, a human thief was punished by being transformed into the first kingfisher. In the Siouan tribes, the Kingfisher is associated with fertility. Most often, the Kingfisher appears in traditional stories as a proficient hunter. It is said the Kingfisher is the promise of abundance, prosperity and love that is about to unfold within your life. According to Greek legend, Alcyone, daughter of Aeolus (king of the winds), found her husband drowned in a storm and so great was her grief, that the Gods permitted him to live again as a Kingfisher. Alcyone was also metamorphosed into a Kingfisher. The Gods provided that every year there should be 7-14 days (the seven days before and the seven after the winter solstice), when the sea was calm so Alcyone could tend her nest. This calm period became known as Halcyone days, a time of peace and tranquility. Thus the Belted Kingfisher’s species name, alcyon. Corkscrew Sanctuary offers “Halcyone days” year round."
