April 26: Spring Month

Little Anthus grew up in a family that possessed a herd of mares. His elder brother would normally watch over them, but one time, Anthus was asked to drive them out of the meadow. The horses didn’t take that well and burst into a stampede. Anthus’ cries alarmed his father, who froze in fear and failed to get his son out of harm’s way. The mother came running, screaming her lungs out, but she lacked the strength to rein them in. After trampeling the son, the mares turned against the father, and the mother too fell under their hoofs. The unexpected outburst of violence alarmed the gods, and they took pity on the family. They turned the boy Anthus into an “anthus”, or pipit. (The Greeks had observed – or invented – that this bird hates horses and mockingly imitates their neighing.) The father, who had lacked the courage to jump in, became an insignificant quail. While the mother, who had faced the danger head on, was turned into a high rising skylark. As one of the rare myths that actually pays tribute to a woman, let’s cherish it. And larks too!

Woman statuette, Antikensammlung Berlin, Germany

Birdman, Statuette, Antikensammlung Berlin, Germany