Robins

‘The song of the Robin is soft and sweet and we enjoy it during Winter when the other songsters of the grove have ceased to sing’ Thomas Walshe 1901 – 1990

The Robin is a mystical bird as well as being one of the main occupants of my garden during Winter especially but also through the rest of the year. When I was growing up in the countryside in Limerick, the robin was closely associated with death and the soul’s transition to the Other Side. I learned to listen to the language of this bird through the reactions of my parents who didn’t’t necessarily welcome this particular bird inside the walls of the house. Superstition ran deep in the imprinted belief that the entry of this bird heralded the death of someone
within the family. I saw this sequence of events myself and what became ‘proof’ to me then, transformed into a more life affirming belief that the robin is ultimately a messenger from those who have passed on. The messages are more positive than negative and personally I feel that this bird demands respect and attention.