Caladrius
Encyclopedia
According to the Roman mythology, the Caladrius is a snow-white bird that lives in kings' houses. Supposedly, the bird refuses to look at any patient that is not going to make a full recovery. Caladrius existed in the Greek mythology under the name Dhalion.
It is said to also be able to take the sickness into itself and then fly away, dispersing the sickness and healing both itself and the sick person.
This is said to be analogous to Jesus Christ, whose crucifixion is said to have drawn out "the sickness" (sin, see Biblical sin-sickness analogy) and, through his "flight" from the grave, saved the sin
ner.
Another is that the Caladrius is based on a real bird. According to the descriptions of its being completely white with no black on it, it is possible that it was based on the dove
, or possibly some sort of water bird such as the heron
. Louis Reau believes it was most likely a white plover.
; e.g. as the crest of Keith William James.
sketch Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber
, the title character (played by Steve Martin
), uses a Caladrius bird (portrayed by a live bird, most likely some form of dove or pigeon) in an attempt to diagnose a patient. The difficulties of using live animals on live television provided most of the humor for the few seconds of the bird's appearance.
In Age of Mythology: The Titans
, a myth unit available to the Atlanteans was the "Caladria," which served as a flying scout and a healer, though it more closely resembled an angel than a bird.
It is said to also be able to take the sickness into itself and then fly away, dispersing the sickness and healing both itself and the sick person.
This is said to be analogous to Jesus Christ, whose crucifixion is said to have drawn out "the sickness" (sin, see Biblical sin-sickness analogy) and, through his "flight" from the grave, saved the sin
Sin
In religion, sin is the violation or deviation of an eternal divine law or standard. The term sin may also refer to the state of having committed such a violation. Christians believe the moral code of conduct is decreed by God In religion, sin (also called peccancy) is the violation or deviation...
ner.
Basis of Origination
There are numerous theories as to where the myth of the Caladrius was started. One of them would be that it is merely the product of some overactive imaginations or that it was created purely as an analogy.Another is that the Caladrius is based on a real bird. According to the descriptions of its being completely white with no black on it, it is possible that it was based on the dove
Dove
Pigeons and doves constitute the bird family Columbidae within the order Columbiformes, which include some 300 species of near passerines. In general terms "dove" and "pigeon" are used somewhat interchangeably...
, or possibly some sort of water bird such as the heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
. Louis Reau believes it was most likely a white plover.
Heraldry
The caladrius sometimes appears in heraldryHeraldry
Heraldry is the profession, study, or art of creating, granting, and blazoning arms and ruling on questions of rank or protocol, as exercised by an officer of arms. Heraldry comes from Anglo-Norman herald, from the Germanic compound harja-waldaz, "army commander"...
; e.g. as the crest of Keith William James.
Use in popular culture
In the Saturday Night LiveSaturday Night Live
Saturday Night Live is a live American late-night television sketch comedy and variety show developed by Lorne Michaels and Dick Ebersol. The show premiered on NBC on October 11, 1975, under the original title of NBC's Saturday Night.The show's sketches often parody contemporary American culture...
sketch Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber
Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber
Theodoric of York, Medieval Barber was a recurring comedy sketch on the American television show Saturday Night Live during the late 1970s. The title character was a barber surgeon played by comedian Steve Martin, a frequent host of the show...
, the title character (played by Steve Martin
Steve Martin
Stephen Glenn "Steve" Martin is an American actor, comedian, writer, playwright, producer, musician and composer....
), uses a Caladrius bird (portrayed by a live bird, most likely some form of dove or pigeon) in an attempt to diagnose a patient. The difficulties of using live animals on live television provided most of the humor for the few seconds of the bird's appearance.
In Age of Mythology: The Titans
Age of Mythology: The Titans
Age of Mythology: The Titans is a real-time strategy computer game expansion pack of Age of Mythology. It was developed by Ensemble Studios and released on October 21, 2003....
, a myth unit available to the Atlanteans was the "Caladria," which served as a flying scout and a healer, though it more closely resembled an angel than a bird.