The
Peacock--almost every child growing up knows this colorful and glamorous bird
by sight! The sapphire glimmering
blue body, the long green-yellow and fan-shaped tail display, and the
eyed-patterned feathers that peer into your soul…yep, most everyone knows a peacock when they see one.
A
Peacock with his feathers spread out in display. (Photo: wikipedia)
We typically
refer to this species as the peacock, since most specimens seen are those with
the brilliant blue and green fan-shaped tail display. In actuality, only the males are called peacocks. The females are peahens and the chicks
are referred to as peachicks.
Together, both males and females are called peafowl.
The blue
peafowl (Pavo cristatus) originated in the country of India. Over hundreds of years, the peafowl have been raised as pets
among the royalty in many different cultures and countries. Even today, peafowl are a popular bird
found wandering zoos and farms in the countryside.
Perhaps the
most striking feature of a peacock’s feather display is the ‘eye’ resting in
the tip of the tail feathers.
The
all-seeing ‘eye’ of the peacock. (Photo: wikipedia)
One origin
of the legend of the Peacock’s thousand eyes comes from a story concerning
Juno, Queen of the Roman gods, (or Hera of Greek Mythology) and her servant,
Argus.
Juno and the
king of the gods were famed for fooling and playing tricks on one another. So, when Juno had the fairest cow in
the land, she knew the king would try to steal the cow away from her. So, she gave the task of watching her
cow to her servant, Argus. He was
a giant with a hundred eyes and never had anyone seen all the eyes sleep at the
same time.
So, the
king, knowing this, sent the smooth talker Mercury to retrieve the cow from the field where Argus guarded over it.
The king had chosen Mercury for this task, since he was a teller of
tales and his voice could sing even a god to sleep.
When Mercury
came to visit the field, Argus knew what the king was trying to do, but he had
been alone with the cow for a long time and wished for the company and
entertainment. So what if a few of
his eyes fell asleep. The
remaining awake eyes could still watch the cow. Argus invited Mercury to tell his stories of the happenings
of the world.
As Mercury
shared his lively and sad stories, Argus’s eyes closed one by one, until only
two remained opened. Mercury
decided then to play his magical reed.
While he played, those listening could hear waves brushing on the shore,
the rush of the wind among the trees, lilies tilting their heads at dusk, and
stars flickering in the seasonal sky.
Finally,
Argus’s two remaining eyes closed in slumber and Mercury whisked away the
cream-white cow to the king of the gods.
Juno became
greatly angered, as the king had actually managed to play a trick on her and
succeeded. With severe words she
berated her servant who could not keep guard over her cow even with a hundred
eyes, “Even my peacock is far wiser, for he knows when someone is looking at
him. Every one of your eyes I
shall place in the tail of the peacock.”
Today,
whenever you look at the feathers of a peacock, you can count the hundred eyes
that once belonged to Argus.
Submitted by Jessica Bunke, World Bird Sanctuary Naturalist/Trainer
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