The Etymologies of Isidore of Seville - Pot-pourri

‘entire’ is called . Thecycnus (i.e. cygnus, another
word for swan, borrowed,infact,from the Greek
just cited) is named for singing (canere)because it pours
out a sweetness of song with its modulated voice. It is
thought to sing sweetly because it has a long curved neck,
and a voice forcing its way by a long and winding path
necessarily renders varied modulations. 19. People say
that in the Hyperborean regions, when musicians are
singing to citharas, swans come flocking in large numbers,
and sing with them quite harmoniously. Olor is the
Latin name, for in Greek they are called . Sailors
say that this bird makes a good omen for them, just as
Aemilius (Macer) says (fr. 4):
The swan is always the most fortunate bird in omens.
Sailors prefer this one, because it does not immerse itself
in the waves. 23
20.Theostrich(struthio)isnamedwithaGreekterm;
this animal is seen to have feathers like a bird, but it does
not rise above the ground. It neglects to incubate its eggs,
but the abandoned eggs are brought to life by the warmth
the earth alone. 21.Theheron(ardea)isnamed as if the
word were ardua (i.e. “steep”) – this is on account of its
lofty flight. Lucan (Civil War 5.553)says:
And that the heron dared to fly.
It is afraid of rainstorms, and flies above the clouds so
that it cannot feel the storms in the clouds, and whenever
it flies higher, this indicates a storm. Many people call it
the tantulus. 22.Thephoenix(phoenix)isabirdofArabia,
so called because it possesses a scarlet (phoeniceus)
color, or because it is singular and unique in the entire
world, for the Arabs say phoenix for ‘singular.’ This bird
lives more than five hundred years, and when it sees that
it has grown old it constructs a funeral pile for itself of
aromatic twigs it has collected, and, turned to the rays
23 Isidore’s source for Macer’s lines, Servius’s commentary on
Aen. 1.393,originally read “is never immersed” for “does not immerse
itself.” Because swans are never overwhelmed by waves, they are an
omen of good weather.
24 Lindsay emended the early manuscript readings, strophalides,
etc., and strophades,etc.The Strophalides are legendary bird-women,
the Harpies, who lived on the Strophades, islands off the coast
of Messinia. The stymphalides are the loathsome raptors slain by
Hercules.
25 AGreek king and warrior in the Trojan War who emigrated to
Apulia.
The Etymologies XII.vii.19–vii.28 265
of the sun, with a beating of its wings it deliberately kindles
a fire for itself, and thus it rises again from its own
ashes.
23. Thecinnamolgus is also a bird of Arabia, called
thus because in tall trees it constructs nests out of cinnamon
(cinnamum) shrubs, and since humans are unable
to climb up there due to the height and fragility of the
branches, they go after the nests using lead-weighted
missiles. Thus they dislodge these cinnamon nests and
sell them at very high prices, for merchants value cinnamon
more than other spices. 24. Theparrot (psittacus)
comes from the shores of India. It is green in color, with a
scarlet collar and a large tongue, wider than that of other
birds. Hence it pronounces articulate words so that if
you did not see the bird you would think a human was
speaking. It makes a greeting naturally, saying “Have!”
(i.e. Ave,aLatin greeting) or “!” (i.e. a Greek greeting).
Other words it learns by being taught. Hence it is
spoken of (Martial, Epigrams 14.73):
I, a parrot, would learn from you the names of others,
but on my own I have learned to say this:
“Hail (Have), Caesar!”
25.Thealcyon (i.e. “halcyon,” in classical Latin, “kingfisher”),
a sea bird, is named as if the word were ales
oceana (ocean bird), because in winter it makes its nest
and raises its young on still waters in the Ocean. It is said
that when they are brooding on its expansive surface,
the sea grows calm with the winds silent in continuous
tranquillity for seven days, and nature herself cooperates
in the rearing of their young. 26.Thepelican (pelicanus)
is an Egyptian bird inhabiting the solitary places of the
river Nile, whence it takes its name, for Egypt is called
Canopos. Itisreported, if it may be true, that this bird
kills its offspring, mourns them for three days, and finally
wounds itself and revives its children by sprinkling them
with its own blood.
27.Thestymphalis is a bird named from the islands of
Stymphades (cf. Stymphales, a lake in Arcadia), where
they are abundant; Hercules used arrows against them. 24
They are sea birds living on islands. 28. Diomediae are
birds named from the companions of Diomedes; 25 fables
say that his companions were transformed into these
very birds. They are similar to coots in shape, the size
of a swan, white in color, with large hard beaks. They
are found near Apulia on the island Diomedia, flying
between the crags of the shore and the rocks. They