Description
The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
St Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
Give us a penny to bury the ‘wran’
The wren is not only a very adorable little bird, but has great cultural significance throughout history.
In Ireland, the wren is associated with the end of the old year.
The druids believed that the wren conveyed messages from the spirit realm in its little calls.
Aristotle told a story of how all the birds held a contest to see who could could fly the highest. The wren hid in the feathers of the eagle and then emerged at the highest point of the eagle’s flight. Therefore the other birds rewarded him for his cleverness and declared him “King of All the Birds”!
