GCGD27 Swan Maiden

Stories of the Swan-Maiden goes back for centuries and appear in both eastern and western literature. Women who turn into birds and vice versa were popular themes, and the swan was particularly favoured due to its grace in the water.

Celtic folklore brings us The Legend of the Children of Lir. When King Lir’s first wife dies, he marries a wicked woman Arife. Jealous of Lir’s children from his first wife, Arife turns them all into swans.