Crispy fried sparrow (Creative Commons License - istolethetv)
We tend to battle and vilify invasive species, conveniently forgetting that Homo sapiens are the king of all invasive species. Our land-use habits alter species patterns globally, generally aiding invasive species. The most abundant invasive bird, the House Sparrow, evolved adaptations to live commensally with humans everywhere, from rural farms and densely populated cities. House Sparrows have probably existed with humans since the dawn of our time: archeologists have found sparrow bones over 100,000 years old in a cave near Bethlehem. We have a wide global distribution, and so they do too. Now they are obligate commensals, that is, if we abandon and area, they do too. In the coming months, I hope to learn more about House Sparrows. Smithsonian magazine has a fun article about evolution and ecology of House Sparrows, the most common bird in the world. Also, Kim Todd, Professor of English and Creative, sums of sparrows nicely in her book Sparrow, showing the play many roles in our culture, as innocent, invader, lover, and thief. Todd is a senior fellow in the Environmental Leadership Program (she's class of 2002, I'm class of 2011), and you can catch her ELP webinar about sparrows here.
For starters, I want to appreciate house sparrows by looking at where they pop up in human history: our poems, prose, and recipes.
In 1st Century BC, the Roman poet Gaius Catallus wrote in hendecasyllable meter (11 syllables per line):
For starters, I want to appreciate house sparrows by looking at where they pop up in human history: our poems, prose, and recipes.
In 1st Century BC, the Roman poet Gaius Catallus wrote in hendecasyllable meter (11 syllables per line):
| Passer, deliciae meae puellae, Quicum ludere, guem in sinu tenere, Cui primum digitum dare appetenti Et acris solet incitare morsus, Cum desiderio meo nitenti Carum nescio quid lubet iocari Et solaciolum sui doloris, Credo ut tum grauis acquiescat ardor: Tecum ludere sicut ipsa possem Et tristis animi leuare curas! TAM gratum est mihi quam ferunt puellae Pernici aureolum fuisse malum, Quod zonam soluit diu ligatam. | Sparrow, my lady’s pet, With whom she often plays whilst she holds you in her lap, Or gives you her finger-tip to peck and Provokes you to bite sharply, Whenever she, the bright-shining lady of my love, Has a mind for some sweet pretty play, In hope, as I think, that when the sharper smart of love abates, She may find some small relief from her pain: Ah, might I but play with you as she does, And lighten the gloomy cares of my heart! This is as welcome as (they say) To the swift maiden was the golden apple, Which loosed her girdle too long tied. |
Sparrows are mentioned in the Bible. When Jesus picked his 12 disciples and assigned them their mission, he warned them that they will be hated, told them to run when chased, and compared their value to that of sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31 tells it like this: Jesus said “Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? And one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs on your head are all numbered Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.” Luke (12:6-7) tells it a little differently, Jesus says “Are not 5 sparrows sold for 2 farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God?”
Obviously people bought and sold sparrows in Biblical times and perhaps put bounties on them with the intent of protecting crops. Why? I’m not sure, but probably as food (see recipes here and English 1769 recipe here), though possibly they were used as aphrodisiacs and in love potions too (Nicholas Culpeper wrote, "the brain of sparrows when eaten provokes the lust exceedingly"). The earliest known sparrow recipe, the Baghdad sparrow omelet, is from the 10th Century. It is fairly simple: Clean the sparrows and brown them in oil with dash of salt. Beat 10 eggs with black pepper and chopped cilantro. Pour egg mixture over the sparrows and fry until done, "and serve them, God willing."
In early 1600’s, Shakespeare’s Hamlet says “There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” (meaning it is an omen of death).
In the 1700’s, who killed cock robin? A House Sparrow was the culprit.
In the 1700’s, William Blake’s The Blossom (in Songs of Innocence) contrasts sparrows and robins:
Merry, Merry Sparrow!
Under leaves so green
A happy Blossom
Sees you, swift as arrow,
Seek your cradle narrow.
Near my Bosom.
Pretty, Pretty Robin!
Under leaves so green
A happy Blossom
Hears you sobbing, sobbing,
Pretty, Pretty Robin,
Near my Bosom.
In 1800’s, The Dog and The Sparrow, a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm tells about man who tramples a dog and then is cleverly harassed by a sparrow until he loses his property and ultimately his life.
In 1800’s, Emily Dickinson wrote about sparrows and although she would have seen New World sparrows, she wrote about the biblical ones, the House Sparrows.
Her breast is fit for pearls,
But I was not a 'Diver' -
Her brow is fit for thrones
But I have not a crest.
Her heart is fit for home-
I - a Sparrow - build there
Sweet of twigs and twine
My perennial nest
I'm not one to critique poems or prose, but it sure seems many writers have used sparrows for sexual imagery. I would critique the recipes, but I'm not going to catch sparrows and try those. Well, maybe if times get really tough.
Obviously people bought and sold sparrows in Biblical times and perhaps put bounties on them with the intent of protecting crops. Why? I’m not sure, but probably as food (see recipes here and English 1769 recipe here), though possibly they were used as aphrodisiacs and in love potions too (Nicholas Culpeper wrote, "the brain of sparrows when eaten provokes the lust exceedingly"). The earliest known sparrow recipe, the Baghdad sparrow omelet, is from the 10th Century. It is fairly simple: Clean the sparrows and brown them in oil with dash of salt. Beat 10 eggs with black pepper and chopped cilantro. Pour egg mixture over the sparrows and fry until done, "and serve them, God willing."
In early 1600’s, Shakespeare’s Hamlet says “There is special providence in the fall of a sparrow.” (meaning it is an omen of death).
In the 1700’s, who killed cock robin? A House Sparrow was the culprit.
In the 1700’s, William Blake’s The Blossom (in Songs of Innocence) contrasts sparrows and robins:
Merry, Merry Sparrow!
Under leaves so green
A happy Blossom
Sees you, swift as arrow,
Seek your cradle narrow.
Near my Bosom.
Pretty, Pretty Robin!
Under leaves so green
A happy Blossom
Hears you sobbing, sobbing,
Pretty, Pretty Robin,
Near my Bosom.
In 1800’s, The Dog and The Sparrow, a fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm tells about man who tramples a dog and then is cleverly harassed by a sparrow until he loses his property and ultimately his life.
In 1800’s, Emily Dickinson wrote about sparrows and although she would have seen New World sparrows, she wrote about the biblical ones, the House Sparrows.
Her breast is fit for pearls,
But I was not a 'Diver' -
Her brow is fit for thrones
But I have not a crest.
Her heart is fit for home-
I - a Sparrow - build there
Sweet of twigs and twine
My perennial nest
I'm not one to critique poems or prose, but it sure seems many writers have used sparrows for sexual imagery. I would critique the recipes, but I'm not going to catch sparrows and try those. Well, maybe if times get really tough.
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