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ARCHIVES - Wren

he wren was associated with the Celtic god Bran, and opposed to the robin, the bird of Belin. Bran was the god of the old year and Belin the god of the new year. These two gods fought a ritual battle twice a year where the one killed the other and then was reborn; the wren kills the robin as the new year wanes, and the robin kills the wren as the old year wanes. It is an archetypal battle that probably has psychological as well as anthropological significance.

The wren was also considered to be the 'King of Birds' - winning the contest of who could fly the highest by hiding himself in the eagle's wings, and then flying just a little higher when the eagle reached it's limit. It is as the king of birds that he is hunted and killed on St Stephen's Day in Ireland - a ritual that used to be common all over Europe and harkens back to a primitive time when that king was sacrificed annually to ensure the fertility of the crops. Read more here

The wren design I based my piece on was found at a hill fort in Cork.

 

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Champleve enamel Irish wren with silver cloisonne details
Colours
:Lapis Blue
Size: 1 3/4" x 1"

inspiration artifact:
Irish Wren Artifact

 

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all text and photographs © 2001 - 2009,
Catherine Crowe