The belief that bird droppings bring good luck has been around for centuries across many cultures. Though it may seem strange to consider feces fortuitous, this superstition persists even today. So where did this idea that bird excrement can somehow bestow good fortune originate? There are a few theories on how this superstition came to be.
Theories on the Origin of the Bird Poop Superstition
Ancient Beliefs About Birds
In many ancient cultures, birds were considered sacred creatures or representations of the divine. For example, in Ancient Egypt, the falcon was seen as a symbol of the god Horus. Many Native American tribes revered birds like eagles and ravens for their strength and wisdom. Ancient Greeks believed birds were messengers from the gods.
Due to this divine association, ancient people may have viewed bird droppings as a blessing or message from the gods rather than just waste. If birds were holy creatures who could communicate with the divine, then their excrement may have been interpreted as a gift or sign from the heavens. Any mark from a revered animal like a bird could be viewed as a positive omen.
Scarcity of Fertilizer
In antiquity, droppings from birds and other animals were sometimes collected and used like fertilizer to help crops grow. Animal dung provided nutrients to the soil.
Before the development of industrial fertilizers, animal excrement served an important purpose. Without it, growing robust crops was difficult. Any time bird poop landed near plants or farms, it may have been seen as fortuitous because people were eager to collect droppings to fertilize their vegetables and grains. The scarcity of fertilizer at the time likely contributed to positive perceptions around bird feces.
Divine Markings
Some scholars link the superstition to early beliefs that markings on a person had divine purpose. In some cultures, birthmarks were considered signs from a deity. Similarly, moles were interpreted as omens.
Bird droppings randomly falling on someone may have been viewed as a type of sign from above. Just as people looked for meaning in birthmarks and moles, an accidental marking from bird poop could have been interpreted as having a divine message. The unexpectedness of bird droppings landing on someone made it easy to assign spiritual significance.
Rarity of Being Pooped On
Finally, the low probability of being defecated on by a bird may have added to the perception of it being an auspicious event. Since most people did not have bird droppings land on them very often, on the rare occasions it did happen it seemed fortunate. Any uncommon event could take on superstitious meaning.
Something as random and unlikely as being marked by bird poop was given supernatural importance. The rarity of the occurrence amplified the superstition. If it was a common occurrence, being pooped on by a bird would likely not have become a good luck sign.
Origins in Ancient Cultures
Roman Civilization
One of the early written records connecting birds to good luck comes from the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder. In his natural history writings from the first century AD, he stated that it was fortunate for a person to be pooped on by a bird.
Pliny wrote that spinturnices, an Italian word meaning “lucky birds”, brought prosperity to those upon whom their droppings fell. Though Pliny did not provide an explanation for this belief, it indicates Romans considered bird excrement a positive omen 2000 years ago.
Ancient China
In Chinese culture, the phoenix was a mythological sacred bird that symbolized rebirth and prosperity. Phoenix depictions from ancient China sometimes showed the birds holding a pearl or stone in their beak, representing a gift from the heavens.
As belief in the phoenix spread to Japan, the gift from the phoenix’s mouth became bird droppings. Bird poop moving from the mouth to the rear may represent a lighthearted joking take on the mythical phoenix motif. But it maintained the idea of bird waste as a blessing.
India
Hindu teachings have long held cows as sacred creatures. So in India, cow dung has been used for spiritual rituals and cleansing. Due to this cultural reverence for cow droppings, other types of animal excrement including bird poop took on a positive meaning.
Hindus also associated birds like peacocks and parrots with the gods. As in China, the spiritual value placed on these birds elevated their droppings to have divine meaning as well in Indian culture.
Persistence of the Superstition
Lingering Folk Beliefs
While the practical reasons driving the bird poop superstition faded away with advances in fertilizers and less divine associations with animals, folk beliefs tend to persist even without their original rationale. Once certain customs take root in culture, they can become ingrained traditions passed down through generations.
The bird poop legend survived as quirky folklore in part because parents and elders continued to teach it. The idea of lucky bird droppings became its own self-perpetuating myth.
Confirmation Bias
Individuals are susceptible to confirmation bias, seeing examples that reinforce held beliefs while dismissing contradicting evidence. When someone believes bird droppings bring good luck and then receives a raise at work after being pooped on by a bird, they see it as confirmation.
But people get pooped on by birds and then have neutral or bad fortune all the time without encoding those memories. The superstition survives through selective examples that seem to confirm it.
Whimsical Optimism
For some optimists, bird droppings bring a bit of whimsical magic to the world. In a culture where omens and divination have largely faded away, quirky superstitions like bird poop good luck provide a minor sense of otherworldly possibilities.
Belief in lucky bird droppings persists in part because some people are attracted to the notion. It adds a touch of optimism and meaning to random happenings in life.
Conclusion
The idea that bird excrement brings good luck may seem bizarre at first glance. But this superstition has endured for centuries across cultures. It likely grew out of ancient reverence for birds as divine messengers and scarcity of fertilizer. Though the rationale has faded over time, the superstition persists through folk tradition, confirmation bias, and whimsical optimism. So remember to look on the bright side next time a bird leaves its mark above you.