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[thelittlebudgie]

I'm looking for stories about involving characters shapeshifting from humans to birds (or the other way around) either willingly or otherwise. The only two I can think of are Swan Lake and The Six Swans, but there must be others.

Thank you in advance!

Comments

[malike]

I'm reminded of Jorinde and Joringel, which is a story about a brother and sister. There's a witch there who turns beautiful maidens into (song?)birds and puts them in cages. I don't have that storybook anymore, and it's been a decade since I last read it, so I can't say more :s

[thelittlebudgie]

I found a copy of it online. :) Thank you!

[musesong]

The Children of Lir, an Irish tale of transformation into swans.

[evrythgcnhapn]

i don't know if this is the same one, or the Six Swans one the poster mentioned, but there's a celtic legend about a sorcoress turniong 7 borthers into swans, and their sister has to make them all nettle (i think) shirts within a certain time, without ever speaking again, for them to turn back. I don't know exactly what it's called, but Juliet Marillier wrote a really good trilogy about it that starts with Daughter of the Forest. you cna probably find shorter versions too.

[sidhe1]

I think The Children of Lir is the same as The Six Swans. And that trilogy by Juliet Marillier is freaking AWESOME!! I recommend it (and everything else she's written, in fact) to any and all. :)

[joyshine]

"The Crane Wife," an Asian tale about a woman-crane (also a wonderful album by the Decemberists!)
"The Juniper Tree" - the murdered child's soul becomes a bird
"The Six Ravens" - Grimms' tale
"Yonec" by Marie de France about a bird-knight

[thelittlebudgie]

Thank you very much. I really loved that album, too.

[atalanta_nyx]

The Blue Bird, by Madame d'Aulnoy - a prince is transformed into a blue bird because he refuses to marry the ugly stepsister.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blue_Bird_%28fairy_tale%29

also, in Greek mytholgy, Zeus transforms into a swan to rape Leda, mother of Helen of Troy - so Leda gives birth to 2 eggs from which Helen and her siblings hatch

[thelittlebudgie]

I'd never read the first one before. Thanks!

[atalanta_nyx]

I've never heard of this story before, but found it while browsing Wikipedia: The Canary Prince http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Canary_Prince