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The truth is that the feather-robe is no more than a symbol of the wife's superhuman nature. From the more archaic variants it is absent; but frequently the true form of the lady is held to be that of a member of what we contemptuously call "the brute creation." Men in savagery, as we have already seen, have quite different feelings from those of contempt for brutes.
"Oh, yes, good sir, I will dance and make music, but first let me put on my feather-robe for without it I have no power of motion." "Oh, yes", said the suspicious mortal, "If I give you back your wings you'll fly straight to heaven." "What! can you not believe the word of a heavenly being, without doubting? Trust me in good faith and you'll lose nothing."
Presumably, therefore, it represents more nearly the primitive form of the story. We turn next to the central incidents. In the previous chapter I have taken pains to show the unmistakable relation between the different types of the myth, in spite of the omission of the feather-robe, or indeed of any substitute for it.
If the mermaid form be of genuine antiquity, about which I confess to a lurking suspicion, it is another bond with the Scottish stories, with Melusina and with Derceto. We have now considered the principal points of the myth. The feather-robe, or skin, we found absent from all its more archaic examples.
Even where the feather-robe is absent the taboo is not always found. Among savages the marriage-bond is often very loose: notably in the more backward races. And among these the superhuman wife's excuse for flight is simpler; and sometimes it is only an arbitrary exercise of will. The taboo grows up with the advance in civilization. Lastly, we considered the Swan-maiden as divine ancestress.
And therewith she laid on Birdalone's outstretched arms the raiment she had brought with her, and it was as if the sunbeam had thrust through the close leafage of the oak, and made its shadow nought a space about Birdalone, so gleamed and glowed in shifty brightness the broidery of the gown; and Birdalone let it fall to earth, and passed over her hands and arms the fine smock sewed in yellow and white silk, so that the web thereof seemed of mingled cream and curd; and she looked on the shoon that lay beside the gown, that were done so nicely and finely that the work was as the feather-robe of a beauteous bird, whereof one scarce can say whether it be bright or grey, thousand-hued or all simple of colour.
The incident of the recovery of the bride not found in all the stories New Zealand sagas Andrianòro Mother-right The father represented under a forbidding aspect Tasks imposed on the hero The Buddhist theory of the Grateful Animals The feather-robe a symbol of bride's superhuman character Mode of capture The Taboo Dislike of fairies for iron Utterance of name forbidden Other prohibitions Fulfilment of fate The taboo a mark of progress in civilization The divine ancestress Totems and Banshees Re-appearance of mother to her children The lady of the Van Pool an archaic deity.
She said, It hath reached me, O auspicious King, that "quoth Shaykh Nasr to Janshah, 'Hold fast the feather-robe of her thy soul desireth and give it not back to her till I return from the Parliament of the Fowls.
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