The Language of Birds
A History on the Mystical Communications of the Divine
Jul 12, 2007 Lisbeth Cheever-Gessaman
"What unsuspected marvels we should find, if we knew how to dissect words, to strip them of their barks and liberate the spirit, the divine light, which is within." - Fulcanelli
The Language of Birds, referenced in various alchemical and mythological texts, is not as much an actual 'language' as it is a cabbalistic term which has been used over time to convey an occultic transference between that which is above to that which is below. It has been referenced as a mystical language, the language of the Gods and even 'Green Language", but rather than having a specific, intrinsic textual meaning, is more an idea of esoteric thought, a catalyst of form which spans diverse religions, and something of an enigma all its own.
As regards the language of Birds, and perhaps the truth within the truth within it, luminous obscurity is the order of the day. It is not subject to any specific mindset, belief, school of thought or dogma. There are only cryptic references and subtle nudgings in its general direction. Its closest approximation would be a 'no-language language' in which what is never said is implicitly understood. It is a paradigm of thought which draws the student into an awareness of the conscious manifestation of concept and esoteric comprehension without the sometimes limiting boundaries of language itself.
Green Language and The Language of Birds
Intentional obscurity is common in matters of the Occult (which simply means 'hidden'. Jesus often instructed his disciples in parables, and the apostles were considered to be 'Stewards of the Mysteries'. In esoteric teaching, it is common to obscure the true meaning of a lesson within a subtle context for both practical purposes (such as sentence of death to adherents) or resourceful ones (to train the novitiate to look deeper still). With a specific regard to Fulcanelli in his 'Mysteries of the Cathedrals', he referred to all of the initiates as speaking in 'cant', and after a closer inspection it becomes clear that the medium, rather than the message, was the message.
David Ovason in his work 'The Secrets of Nostradamus [Harper Books - August 6, 2002] further elaborates on the origins of how the 'Green Language" came to be:
"The original source for the term Green Language was the French Langue Vert. The Vert (Green) is almost certainly an example of arcane aphesis. In French, ouvert means open. The Langue Ouvert was the open language, the tongue of ordinary men. When ouvert became vert by this aphetic change, it meant the opposite of open, i.e. closed; the Langue Vert was therefore the closed language, the occult language, the hidden tongue."
Curious Observations of Humans and Bird Language, Mythological and Otherwise
Birds have traditionally played an important role in mythology and religion being able to travel in three of four elements: Air, Water and Earth. Nearly every religion details mythos or fable in the form of a bird in some form, as in the examples of:
- Melampus in Greek Mythology, who was given the language of Birds after two serpents licked his ears when he slept;
- Odin's birds, Hugin and Munin, that flew about the world and revealed to Odin the deeds of Mortal Men;
- Dag the Wise, Swedish King, who was rumoured to have understood the secret language of Birds, and who had a house sparrow that was said to bring news to him. When a farmer killed the bird, a terrible retribution was waged by the Swedes;
- Sigurd, who while roasting the heart of Fafnir, was given the language of Birds, and whose life was saved through overhearing birds discussing the plot of his death by Regin;
- The Talmud, which defines Solomons' proverbial wisdom as being given to him through the language of birds by God;
- Tiresias, the Greek seer who revealed to mortals the secrets of Olympus. Tiresias was taught the language of the birds by Athena, the goddess of wisdom;
- St. Francis of Assisi, who dedicated his preaching to birds, because "his words were more appreciated by them that by men, obstinate to live in ignorance.";
- Thoth, Egyptian deliverer of Wisdom unto the Earth, who was specifically depicted as having the head of a bird.
The Language of Birds in Music
In more recent times, the music of Dead Can Dance embraces this philosophy in Spirit. Vocal chanteuse Lisa Gerrard has built a large following on her mesmerising voice and often employs ethereal, unknown tongues when singing. The songs are audibly incomprehensible to the listener, but the sonic significance reaches through into a realm which conveys a distinct flavor and meaning. When referencing her unique style, she is quite vocal about reaching through into another realm beyond that of words, and refers to them simply as 'shapes' in which she surrenders thus conveying an effective emotional message and mystical tone.
Further References and Links
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