The Wren: Why It’s Called the King of the Birds in Irish Folklore
Here’s a brilliant Wren Day story told by a 12½-year-old in 1938 — I loved this one.
Even though the wren is one of the smallest birds in Ireland, it is also the king of all birds. I love that contradiction, and the story behind it is a lovely piece of Irish folklore.
As I delved deeper, I found a few things I didn't expect too.
Below is the story as I tell it, followed by what I found when I went digging a little deeper.
Here’s my version of it:
“Long ago, all the birds gathered to choose who should be titled ‘The King of Birds’.
Each species had different powers making it difficult for them to choose the best. So, in the end they decided that the bird who flew the highest will be crowned the King.
As soon as the birds took off into the air, the little wren hid in the feathers of the eagle, because she knew the eagle could fly the highest. The eagle flew higher and higher to a point where he was sure that no other bird could go.
Then as he came down, confident that he had won, he heard a voice from above him claiming ‘I am the king, I am the king!’. It was the little wren who had been hiding in his feathers. She flew above the eagle without tiring herself unlike the rest of the birds who tried to fly high but could not beat the eagle.
So even though the eagle might have won by using his strength, it was the clever little wren who was awarded the title ‘The King of Birds’ because of her wisdom.”
I discovered that this tale has been passed down through generations, with different versions cropping up across various cultures.
That got me curious, so I did a bit of digging and I got lost down a lovely rabbit hole. I’ve pulled out the best bits for you here…
Firstly, I thought this was an Irish story but it turns out that philosophers such as Aristotle were familiar with it.
One such philosopher, Plutarch, suggested that it teaches the power of wit and cunning over brute strength. So, from this perspective, the wren is seen in a very positive light.
I was also aware of the old tradition of Wren Day in Ireland. I found out that this custom is also kept alive on the Isle of Man, some places in Wales, the south of France and Newfoundland.
Wren Day:
In Ireland, up until the early 20th century a group of "wren boys", dressed up in masks and unusual clothes, would hunt the wren on St Stephen’s Day.
When one or more of the birds were found and killed, they were tied to a branch or put in a basket. They would then bring this from house to house singing the wren (or wran) song and asking for money "to bury the wren."
Here’s a version of the song the wren boys would sing at each house:
“The wren, the wren, the king of all birds
St Stephen’s Day was caught in the furze
Up with the kettle and down with the pan
Give us a penny to bury the ‘wran’”
The money gathered was then used to have a party for the community.
Fortunately, nowadays, stuffed toys or other fake birds are used instead of real birds.
Here are some great YouTube clips about Wren Day that Michael Fortune from Folklore.ie has collected:
This clip shows Michael’s children taking part in this tradition in 2022
This man shows the strong links between Ireland and Newfoundland in their Wren Day traditions
The wren, the king:
The wren holds great symbolism across various countries, often referred to as 'the king', 'little king', or 'prince' of birds.
Celtic languages refer to it as the 'druid bird', emphasising its importance in folklore and ancient beliefs.
So why was this kingly bird hunted by the wren boys?
There are a few theories on this and one of them is related to this very fable. Where most versions conclude that the clever wren deserved the title ‘king of birds’.
The Irish traditional story views the wren as an unworthy trickster who evidently can’t be trusted.
The Irish word for wren, Dreoilín, is linked to the word dreolán, meaning trickster, shedding light on this view of the wren's character.
If this has whetted your appetite, I recommend reading this interesting comprehensive blog post from Old European Culture.
Did you know?
This wren illustration is part of my Stories from Irish Folklore bundle, a drawing paired with the full folklore story, so you have both the image and the words together.
It's available as a print or an immediate download, which means you can have it today.
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I hope you enjoyed this blog post as much as I enjoyed researching it.
Feel free to share your thoughts or any other folklore stories you'd like me to explore!
