They were also thought to be lusty birds and are described as “lecherous”, both in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales and in Shakespeare. Since they are so numerous – and also “poorly dressed” – in Europe, sparrows were once associated with the peasantry. Fortunately, people no longer follow this rather macabre tradition.
In traditional European folklore, sparrows were not seen as a positive symbol – rather they were seen as a bad omen or even as foretelling death.Īccording to an old custom in the English county of Kent, if a bird flies into your home, you have to kill it – otherwise, somebody close to you will die. However, even in places where they aren’t a native species, other similar birds also exist, so sparrows and their cousins have symbolized different things in various cultures at different times around the globe, so let’s look at that now. Sparrows are now found all over the world, but they are native to the Eurasian continent and Africa. Sparrow symbolism according to different cultures This sociable aspect of sparrows’ behavior also represents community values and teamwork, and their short but busy lives remind us to make every moment count. Sparrows remind us to find joy in little things.ĭespite being small, sparrows often congregate in large flocks, and this means they are associated with the idea of safety in numbers – and also that although one sparrow might not be very strong, together they can have great power. They always seem cheerful too, despite their lack of bright colors, and for some, this is a reminder to always be happy with our lot, regardless of the cards fate has dealt us. The fact that they are happy to live off scraps and have also made their homes in our modern cities shows that they are adaptable creatures. As a result, many people associate them with hard work and productivity. They are not the prettiest bird we see, and they don’t have a particularly attractive song, but they are busy and industrious, always flitting about picking up twigs for their nests or searching for crumbs to eat. When we think of sparrows, probably the most obvious things that come to mind are that they are small, they are unremarkable to look at and they are everywhere. What does it mean if you see a sparrow?īefore we look at the symbolism of sparrows in different cultures, let’s take a moment to talk about the characteristics of sparrows and what they mean to us.Sparrow symbolism according to different cultures.
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