Magpie: Folklore and Symbols:
Garrulity, mischievousness, noisiness. An oracular bird. A bishop; so called from his black and white robes. Dream significance: bad omen. Chinese bird of good omen, bringer of joy. Love bird; magpies build the bridge on which Ch'ien Niu meets Chih Nu each year. In Europe of teh middle ages, its chatter in a tree indicated the visit of a stranger. In Greek antiquity, a bird of Bacchus. In Iran, enemy of the locust, which it destroys. Four magpies: Chinese emblem of the four great delights: many-colored wedding-night candles; rain after drought; success in imperial examinations; unexpected meeting with an old friend. — Gertrude Jobes (Ed.), Dictionary of Mythology and Symbols, Scarecrow Press, NY, 1962, p. 1041 [GR35.J6v2]

Magpie Folklore
A bird (genus Pica) having a very long, graduated tail. The European magpie (P. pica or caudata), the common magpie of folklore, has iridescent black plumage with white scapulars, belly, sides. It has often been tamed and taught to say a few words; it is famous for its love of small bright objects which it will steal and put to its own devices. The American magpie is closely related to the European. In Greek mythology the nine daughters of Peirus (the Peirides) were transformed into nine magpies because they disputed the prize for singing with the Muses.

Quite generally in western Europe and the British Isles the magpie is regarded as a bird of ill omen. It is unlucky to see one, especially one. to break the charm and escape the presaged evil one must take off his hat, or make the sign of the cross, or cross his thumbs (Yorkshire) or lay two straws across each other on the ground (Lincolnshire). A popular saying in regard to seeing magpies goes: One for sorrow / Two for mirth /Three for a wedding / Four for death. In Lancashire and Yorkshire, however, a witful optimism has changed the fourth line to: Four for a birth.

A magpie lighting on the ridgepole of a house is a sure sign that the house will not fall down or be demolished by storm. This belief may spring from the Eastern story that the magpie would not go into the Ark but spent the whole deluge time perched on the ridgepole. A magpie on the house also means, however, the death of one of the inmates. A magpie on the roof in Macedonia means that guests are coming. The sound of magpies chattering around a house quite generally presages either death— or coming guests. In Ireland the magpie is called cabaire breac, speckled prattler.

In France and Germany it was unlucky to kill a magpie. Magpies were said to warn their human neighbors of the presence of foxes, wolves, or armed men; hence in Poitou formerly little bunches of heath or laurel wre tied up in the trees in honor of them. In Norway it was unlucky to kill a magpie, yet their eggs were hunted on May Day. In Bengal and other parts of India also it is unlucky to kill a magpie.

In China a magpie nesting near a house means gook luck for the people of the house. Especially is it good luck to hear the magpie just as one sets out on some undertaking. The chattering of the house magpie, in China as elsewhere, announces a coming guest.

Among North American Mandan-Hidatsa Indians, members of the Old Women's or Grandmothers' Society wore two magpie feathers in their hair. This was their symbol of fearlessness: the magpie does not fear heat or cold but stays around all year. The Jicarilla Apache Indians leave offerings of hoofs, offal, and other waste parts from their kill for Magpie in thanks for success in hunting.

The magpie plays numerous roles in folktale. Magpie once exchanged her two eggs for dove's seven with the result that the numbers remained reversed forever. There are many etiological stories of the origin of the magpie, why magpie is bald, why magpie is colored as he is, how he got his long tail, etc. There is a Chinese tale of a helpful magpie, also a Mandan-Hidatsa story of a magpie raised from a nestling by an Indian boy, which helped his young master in war and hunt, and a German tale of magpie as bird-soul.

Magpie in Native American Tradition:
A myth character in several North American Indian tales; a clan animal among the Hopi and other Southwestern tribes. Relationship of human beings to Magpie and other clan animals is slight, however, among the Hopi. Magpie is said to have been taken into the clan in early days when the Hopi were wandering and chanced to meet him. In the Keres pueblo emergence myth, Magpie figures as the character whom Spider Man sends to cover the rising sun with his wings so that the sun will shine on one of two sisters who are engaged in a contest, before it shines on the other one. Among some of the Plateau tribes, Magpie is one of the many birds who act like human beings during the Mythical age. In Taos pueblo mythology one character is Magpie-Tail Boy, who performs marvelous deeds; in many of the pueblos, East direction is associated with Magpie, gray wolf, and the color white. In the Tewa pueblo emergence myth, the people cross a river on Magpie's tail which serves as a bridge. Compared to other birds, however, such as Raven or Bluejay, Eagle and Falcon, Owl, Roadrunner, Turkey, Crow, or even Grouse or Chickadee, Magpie does not play too important a role in American Indian myths. Magpie feathers were used for ceremonial costumes by many tribes; the Yokuts of south central California, for instance, used a tall dance headdress made of magpie tail plumes encircled at the base with crow feathers.
— Maria Leach (Ed.), Dictionary of Folklore Mythology and Legend, Funk & Wagnalls Co., NY, 1950, pp. 663-664 [GR35.F8v2]

Magpie in Britain
From Mag, a diminutive of Margaret, and Fr. , a Magpie. Found in Barlow's plates (1655) as "Magpye". Occurs in Merrett and also Willughby as Magpie; Albin spells it "Magpy", and Rutty "Magpye". The folk-lore of our islands is tolerably rich in allusions to the Magpie, as are also the still, or recently, existing evidences of totemism or animal-worship. Keary's Outlines of Primitive Belief says that in Ireland a Magpie tapping at the window is taken as a death-warning; also that it is unlucky to kill one of these birds; the latter belief is also met with in north-east Scotland (Gregor). Gray mentions a Dunbar bailie who was in the habit of turning back home if he encountered a pair of Magpies on setting out. Harland and Wilkinson (Lacashire Folk Lore) record the belief that it is unlucky to meet a Magpie, and when it is seen the hat is raised in salutation and the cross signed on the breast or made by crossing the thumbs and then spitting over them. Brand (Popular Antiquities) makes it accounted unlucky in Lancashire to see two Magpies together. In Devonshire, according to Dyer, the peasant, on seeing a single Magpie, spits over his right shoulder three times to avert ill-luck, repeating the following words:—

A belief in the power of the Magpie to transform itself into human form is recorded as among the superstitions of Clunie, Perthshire, until the end of the 18th century (Gomme). The first Magpies that migrated to Ireland are said to have landed in south-east Wexford, where the first English settlement also took place, and whence the Magpies have since spread over the island. Smith (History of Cork) says it was not known in Ireland seventy years before the time at which he wrote, about 1746. An old Irish saying in this connection is that— "Ireland will never be rid of the English while the Magpie remains." Barrett Hamilton (Zoologist, 1891, p. 247) thinks Magpies were first seen in Ireland about 1676 when "a parcel" landed in Wexford. Moryson in 1617 states that "Ireland hath neither singing nightingall, nor chattering pye, nor undermining moule." I have heard a quaint old saying that: