Magic Series: Episode 12- Birdhouses

Birdhouses have been part of Western culture for hundreds of years in both North America and Europe. Over the centuries baskets and clay pottery were used as the initial birdhouses in Europe while birch bark was used in North America. The first use of man-made birdhouses in history was around the 15th - 16th century. In Turkey, birdhouses were built for sparrows and swallows during the pre-Ottoman period.

They were made of bricks, tiles, wood, stone and mortar. Birdhouses in Turkey were often built into the façade of the building and complemented the architecture surrounding it. Native American Origins Paper birch tree trunk. Birch bark cavity which could be used to create a birdhouse Paper birch (Betula papyri era), native to North America. Birch bark cavity which could be used to create a birdhouse Birch bark was the main material used to build birdhouses by Native Americans along the east coast when English immigrants arrived in the 18th century.

The purpose of these birdhouses was to shelter the birds from harsh weather and increase the number of birds in the area. Fallen birch trees with a diameter of 5-6 inches would be cut in small sections of 6 - 8 inches. The heart wood would be removed from the bark by hitting and loosening the bark. The removed heartwood could be cut in slices and two of these slices could be pushed back into the roll of bark to be the top and bottom of the birdhouse.

A 1-2 inch hole would be created in the bark to all a bird access to the inner cavity. European Origins influencing North America While we normally think of birdhouses as a way to protect nature and increase the amount of birds in our area, that was not always the case. Birdhouses in some places in Europe were used initially as a trap to capture eggs and even birds.

These birdhouses were typically made of clay and were built like a vase; however, in most cases birdhouses have been used to protect wild birds from harsh weather and predators as well as provide a location to live. When the early colonists came to Williamsburg, Virginia there were interested in attracting birds for pest control. Bird bottles about 8.5 inches long and having an entrance hole of 4" were turned horizontally and mounted on the side of buildings.

http://www.earthdesign.ca/bihi.html....

What makes them Magical? In magick, Birch is associated with inception, fertility, and sometimes with purification. (Birch has natural antiseptic properties.) Birch is traditionally used for the Witch’s besom, Beltane fires and Maypoles, and Yule logs. “Birch into the fire goes/In sign of what the Lady knows,” goes the traditional Wiccan rhyme. Birch does well in rough, acidic soil and cold climates—places where larger deciduous trees cannot grow. Although Birch appears fragile, it is extremely strong. The spirit of Birch offers courage and protection to those who would venture outside of the safe and the normal.........

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