Celtic Ornithomancy (Bird Divination)

Ornithomancy is the practice of divination through the observation of birds. This includes the simple appearance of specific birds, bird flights, and/or the listening of bird song. There are many different aspects to how this works, which we will explore here. I will also give my own personal ornithomancy method, which is based in Gaelic (mostly Irish, of course) mythology and folklore. Even if my method doesn't connect with you, hopefully you can glean enough information to perhaps craft your own method, or at least feel that you understand the Gaelic view of ornithomancy better than before.

Druidic Knowledge?

We unfortunately don't know much from ancient sources on how exactly the Druids practiced ornithomancy, we only know that they did. It does seem that it was a deeply significant practice for them, as St. Columncille wrote: "I do not hold to the voice of birds, or any luck on the earthly world, or chance or son or woman. Christ the son of God is my Druid."(3). This shows that the voice of birds were so significant to the Druids, it was one of the key things St. Columncille thought of when writing this line to denounce them (ironically Columcille means "dove of the church" (4)). In mythology, some Druids have the ability to transform into birds and fly, and the Druids who don't have this power have great reverence for their fore-bears who did (2). There is also at least one reference to birds being the "ancestors of the druids" (2).

There is some evidence particularly pertaining to ravens and wrens, as both are recorded in a medieval tract (6)(8). Though this is after the Druid's time, it could show some lingering ideas or beliefs from them.

There is also an absolute wealth of bird motifs and symbolism in the mythology, which certainly tells us something about how important birds were in a spiritual sense to the ancient Celts. In Celtic mythology, birds are often portrayed as symbols of divinity and messengers or servants of the Gods (5), sometimes deities even transform into birds themselves. This gives birds a strong association with the Otherworld in general (7), especially water-birds, who are connected to all three realms: Land, Sea, and Sky.

Originally, I was going to include a list of relevant birds and their associations here, but the dearth of information on the subject justifies its own post (or posts, even). Think of that eventual post as a sister-post to this one. There is some information regarding divination for a few birds though, which I will explore, it is just by no means comprehensive.

Attested Bird Divination

Since there is so much Gaelic bird folklore, I'm only going to explore what I feel is relevant for this post. There is quite a lot of bird divination regarding birds coming into the house, for example, which I will mostly exclude here. I want to focus on divining birds outside in nature, mostly.

Raven

The raven (and crow) has an incredible amount of relevance in both mythology and folklore. They are often perceived as death omens, along with crows (hooded crows especially) (1)(4), particularly in relation to battles or confrontation. In folklore, hearing a raven or crow squawk near the house signals the death of a relative. There is also the "curse of crows", an omen of bad luck, which occurs when crows who typically nest in trees near the house every year suddenly do not return for a year (4).

There was an Irish type of divination called fiachairecht "raven-lore", which was, at least in part, recorded in a medieval tract (6)(8). Within this tract it's heavily implied that ravens were kept in the house, maybe even domesticated specifically for divinatory purposes (6), and it goes into quite some detail on what certain calls and flights mean within the house. There is also information on divining from ravens outside:

"If it call from a stone, it is death-tidings of an aitheci (peasant). If it call from a high tree, then it is death-tidings of a young lord. If from the top of a tree, death-tidings of a king or a youth of a noble lineage. If it go with thee on a journey or in front of thee, and if it be joyful, thy journey will prosper and fresh meat will be given to thee. If thou come left-hand-wise and it calls before thee, he is a doomed man on whom it calls thus, or it is the wounding of some one of the company. If it be before thee when going to an assembly, there will be an up rising therein. If it be left-hand-wise it has come, some one is slain in that uprising."(8)

The theme of being a death omen is clear here, but also note that if the raven willingly and happily travels with you, then that's a positive sign. Also note that it calling from the left-hand-side is always a bad thing, as this motif will keep showing up with other birds as well.

Associated deities: The Morrígan, Macha, Badb Catha (5), Lugh (1)  

Robin

In folklore, the robin is considered a blessed bird that should never be harmed in any way (4). Sometimes, it's thought to console the sick or dying, and will apparently sit on a windowsill and sing to sooth a dying person within the home (4). I don't personally think this means that a robin is an omen of sickness or death, rather that it shows up when these things are already underway.

In Munster folklore, the robin is sometimes described as a "supporter and encourager of heroes in mortal combat" (4). Here, the robin is particularly associated with the O'Sullivan family. Quote: "thus these stories refer to the helpful bird as 'spideog mhuintir Shúlleabháin' (the robin of the O'Sullivans). Its particular association with that family is puzzling, but it may have arisen from the pseudo-tradition that the family's ancestor Súildubhán mac Maolughra gave away his eye through his generosity. In that case, the appearance of a helpful robin to stanch the blood from Súildubhán's face would have been a natural improvisation." (4).

So, if you are an O'Sullivan or are related to the O'Sullivans, the robin could be a particularly special bird to you.

Associated deities: None

Wren

In modern folklore, the wren can be seen as both blessed and unlucky depending on the circumstance. For example, in County Cork a wren (or any small bird like it really) coming into the house meant someone in that house would die. Similarly, in County Donegal it was said that a wren tapping on the window meant someone in the house would die (1). However, beyond this it was generally seen as a blessed bird that should only be disturbed on St. Stephen's day, when it was customary to hunt the wren. (1).

Curiously, this doesn't prevent the wren from having an overall negative reputation, known as the "King of the Birds", yet also seen as a trickster in Ireland (4). O hOgáin suggests that this contempt for the wren could be from it being seen as a symbol of harsh winter, and/or medieval ecclesiastics attempting to erase the druidic associations with the bird (4). There are indeed druidic associations tied to the wren, Cormac's Glossary claims that the old Irish word for wren, drean, comes from draoi-éan (druid-bird) (1)(4). Mac Coitir claims that this name is specifically derived from an association with prophecy: "Famously, the ninth-century text Cormac’s Glossary defined the old Irish word for wren – dreann – as being derived from ‘druid bird’. What is less often stated is that this name derives from its supposed powers of prophecy, with no mention of any ritual killing: ‘Dreann wren – from der “small” én “bird” or druién “druid-bird” i.e. a bird that makes prophecy.’" (1). 

This association with divination is supported in a medieval tract (the very same one that recorded fiachairecht - raven-lore) that records Dreanacht "wren-lore"(1)(8). Like the raven-lore, the tract is quite detailed in it's reading of the wren's actions and movements, as follows:

"If the little white-headed one call to thee from the east, pious men are journeying towards thee, with discourtesy for thee (?). If the wren call from the south-east, it is proud jesters that are coming. If from the south-west, ex-freeman(?) are coming to you. If it call from the north-east, folk with a bedfellow or women are coming. If it be from the north, dear to thee is he that is coming. If it come from the north-west, pious folk are on the way. If it call from the south side of thee, provided it be not between thee and the sun, a fond visitation is coming to you. If it be between thee and the sun, it is the slaying of a man that is dear to thee, or a horn on thyself. If it be at thy left ear, union with a young man from afar, or sleeping with a young woman. If it call from behind thee, importuning of thy wife by another man in despite of thee. If it be on the ground behind thee, thy wife will be taken by force. If the wren call from the east, poets are coming towards thee. If it be from the west, wicked kinsmen are coming. If it call from the north-west, a noble hero of good lineage and noble hospitallers and good women are coming. If it call from the north, bad people are coming, whether warriors or clerics or bad women, and wicked youths are on the way. If it call from the south, sickness or wolves among thy herds. If it be from the ground or from a stone or from a cross it calls, death-tidings of a great man it relates to thee. If it call from many crosses, it is a slaughter of men, and the number of times it alights on the ground is the number of dead it announces, and the quarter towards which its face is, from thence are the dead it announces." (8).

Interestingly, unlike the raven-lore, there is no mention of the wren being kept in the house at all. There is a theme towards the end of the quote of the wren also being a death-messenger, which connects to modern folklore.

Associated deities: Clíodhna 

Water-Birds

There is a lot of weather divination related to the flight of various water-bird species, and so I've decided to condense them into one section. Of course, I cannot cover them all in detail here, so I'll point out some common themes I've noticed.

Generally, water-birds flying high was seen as a sign of good weather, and flying low a sign of bad (especially rainy) weather (1). In Ireland, mostly anything a duck did was a sign of rain (1). Herons flying south meant cold weather was incoming, and if they flew north warm weather was coming. If they flew upriver the weather would be dry, and if they flew downriver the weather would be wet (1).

Seagulls, ducks, and especially swans were bad luck to hunt (at least at night), because it was believed they were the souls of the dead traveling (1). Cranes, herons, and swans in particular were associated with otherworldly women (though sometimes men too) who were either bewitched into a bird form, or willingly shape-shifted into one (1). Often in mythology, flocks of Otherworldly women in the shape of water-birds would be joined together by chains of silver, with chains of gold linking the two women of the highest station.

As mentioned earlier, all birds are associated with the Otherworld, but water-birds especially strongly associated with the Otherworld and this can be seen in myth and folklore. 

Associated deities:

Crane/heron: Manannán mac Lir, Midir

Swan: Óengus Óg, Midir, Étain

Sea-birds generally: Fand, Lí Ban

Attested Divination Methods

While it is true that there are no sources that give detail on how the Druids practiced ornithomancy, there are other, more general methods of divination that are easily applicable to the reading of birdsong or bird flight, even if it wasn't traditionally used for ornithomancy.

Frìth

Frìth is a Scottish method of divination, a bit more formal than some other methods. It involves doing a ritual (perhaps a prayer or statement of intent), then standing on a threshold where the diviner then makes a telescope with their hands. The idea is that the diviner will see whatever they need to see through this limited scope of vision. Typical things to take note of would be the hair color of a person, their gender, the direction they're going in, etc. (7).

While not traditionally used as a method of ornithomancy specifically, this method seems quite easy to adapt for such a thing and I see no reason not to. An easy replacement would be to take notice of the color of a bird, its species or gender if you're able to identify that, and the direction it's flying.

Wind Directions

There's some information on wind directions and their divinatory meanings, which I think could be easily adapted to ornithomancy. For example, one could consider the direction the bird flew in view from, flew out of view towards, the direction the bird's call is coming from, etc. using these meanings as a base, perhaps combined with above direction-specific information already given, especially if the bird being divined is either the raven or the wren.

Author Sharon Paice MacLeod quotes a poem edited by Kuno Meyer, who dates this poem to the 10th-century, in her book Celtic Cosmology and The Otherworld. These wind associations are apparently from a form of weather divination meant to take place on the New Year, but I see no reason we can't adapt them for everyday use. Quote:"

• East: it is fruitful though productive of plague; it rejects chiefs only; many are its diseases.

• South-east: Not bad; it signifies especially good fruit, fish and corn, while it lasts; it is unique in its excellences.

• South: It signifies a rich harvest; a great quantity of full fruit; marvelous huge fish.

• South-west: Goods will be destroyed; a track not narrow; it signifies every crop laid low; battles and scant harvests.

• West: It denotes death of a king; great bloodshed, slaying of men; and plague on sinners.

• North-west: Death and slaughters.

• North: There will be noise of red-sworded battle; death of the sinful; plague and heat; drought and heavy distress.

• North-east: A fair multitude of fish, but a petty commemoration, as there are sicknesses in it; battle with venom; "many fruits it brings to us." (2)

Now, personally, I'm not too good at directions and applying all eight can feel really intimidating. Luckily, MacLeod made her own simplified/summarized list of wind associations:

• East: Prosperity, dawn/spring/birth and infancy

• South: Music, noon/summer/youth to adulthood

• West: Knowledge, sunset/autumn/maturity

• North: Battle, midnight/winter/old age (2)

The additions of time, season, and life-stage are MacLeod's own, but I think are reasonable interpretations and could be useful.

You might have noticed that the directions are not listed in the order most people would list them in (N,E,S,W), this is because listing them from east to north follows sunwise (clockwise) direction (2). Sunwise direction is very important in Gaelic polytheism, so this is important (maybe even key) to keep in mind when applying any of this to divination. Sunwise direction is seen as sacred, while anti-sunwise direction is seen as negative/dangerous.

Ogham

Ogham is an ancient Irish alphabet that was used for both mundane and (probably) magical reasons. Many modern pagans often use it as a method of divination, and I think it could be useful in ornithomancy. With ogham, every letter has multiple associations with multiple different things, including birds. Because ogham is a very dense topic and could take up multiple posts on its own, I'm just going to list each letter, a very simplified description of it's divinatory associations, and the bird that is associated with that letter. I absolutely recommend Marrisa Hegarty's book A Guide to Ogham Divination should the reader want to learn more about ogham.

• Beithe: New beginnings, purification, blessing
• Bird: Pheasant (maybe)
• Luis: Inspiration, magic, protection
• Bird: Duck
• Fern: Protection, sustenance, containment
• Bird: Seagull
• Sail: Liminality, communication, ancestors
• Bird: Hawk
• Nin: Comfort, connection, support
• Bird: Snipe
• hÚath: Terror, misfortune, upheaval
• Bird: Night Raven
• Dair: Strength, wisdom, sovereignty
• Bird: Wren
• Tinne: Creation, transformation, force
• Bird: Starling
• Coll: Wisdom, learning, poetic inspiration
• Bird: None, but crane/heron is a popular personal choice
• Cert: Trauma, healing, comfort
• Bird: Hen
• Muin: Trickery, communication, finding your voice
• Bird: Titmouse
• Gort: Fertility, abundance, safety
• Bird: Swan
• nGétal: Healing, wounding, health
• Bird: Goose
• Straif: Transformation, spiritual work, magical mysteries
• Bird: Thrush
• Rúis: Anger, embarrassment, passion
• Bird: Small Rook
• Ailm: Birth, beginnings, initiation
• Bird: Lapwing
• Onn: Movement, renewal, new direction
• Bird: Scrat
• Úr: Death, burial, rest
• Bird: Lark
• Edad: Divination, dreams, truth
• Bird: Swan
• Idad: Ancestors, experience, age
• Bird: Eaglet

How I Read Bird Flight

How I personally read bird flight is relatively simple. Sometimes I do it more elaborately, and other times more casually, but I always ask for a sign. I firmly believe that all animals are their own autonomous beings, and thus do not only exist to deliver messages from the Gods. Therefore, it's important to specify that I'm asking for a message or omen. I usually do this by at least giving a small offering and praying (asking) for a message. When I do more serious rituals, I usually employ frìth, and the first bird I see fly in/out my restricted view, I interpret based on the bird itself, any associations it may have, and consider the direction it flew in from. In a more casual way, maybe just for fun or practice, or even just a less serious question, I ask for a sign, and then either the first bird that sings or the first bird that flies past my vision is taken into consideration.

While sunwise direction is sacred in Gaelic polytheism, the material is clear that hearing a bird in your left ear is usually a bad sign. The raven-lore mentioned above shows this, but it is also seen in folklore for other birds like cuckoos (1). Though, at least according to the wren-lore, hearing a wren from the left doesn't seem so terrible. However, seeing a bird fly in from the left doesn't seem to be an inherently bad thing, it seems pretty specific to hearing a bird from the left. So, in my practice, seeing a bird fly in from the left-hand side is a perfectly good omen so long as it doesn't also sing. A bird coming in from the right-hand side is negative to me, whether it sings or not. The specifics of the message I interpret from the bird's associations.

Now, I live in the USA, so there are birds here that don't have any associations in Gaelic polytheism. Making my own bird-ogham helps with this, as it helps keep me rooted in a GaelPol mindset while also being realistic about my surroundings. It also makes the birds that do have Gaelic associations feel all the more special when they show up during ornithomancy.

Sources

1. Ireland's Birds by Niall Mac Coitir, 2015 Kindle edition.
2. Celtic Cosmology and The Otherworld: Mythic Origins, Sovereignty and Liminality by Sharon Paice MacLeod, 2018 print.
3. Saints and Wonders - Book 2: Columncille, The Friend of The Angels of God by Lady Gregory, 1906. Accessed from: Sacred Texts
4. The Lore of Ireland - An Encyclopedia of Myth, Legend and Romance by Dáithí O hOgáin, 2006 print.
5. Dictionary of Celtic Mythology by James MacKillop, 1998 print.
6. The Magic of The Otherworld: Modern Sorcery from the Wellspring of Celtic Traditions by Morpheus Ravenna, 2023 print.
7. An Introduction to Gaelic Polytheism by Marissa Hegarty, 2022 print.
8. Best, R. I. “Prognostications from the Raven and the Wren.” Ériu, vol. 8, 1916, pp. 120–26. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30005405.
9. A Guide to Ogham Divination by Marrisa Hegarty, 2022 print.