Magpies are an incredibly common sight around Britain. They’re also well-represented in British bird lore. They appear as both omens of death and a fixture in a popular form of divination, the magpie rhymes.
According to Lynx at Druidry.org, there are 20 species of magpie and treepie. The common magpie is exactly that in the British Isles, and is one of Europe’s most common birds.
Originally, magpies were just known as ‘the Pie’ thanks to their pied plumage. Someone added ‘mag’ in the 16th century, which means ‘chatterer’ (Lynx). They can actually be trained to talk and the common magpie pairs for life, which is less impressive when you learn their average lifespan is 2.5 years. In some areas, magpies are the second predator of songbirds after cats (Lynx).
They will eat carrion, but they’re not as strongly associated with it as ravens. So how did magpies accrue such negative associations? And how many variations of their famous magpie rhymes are there? Hit ‘play’ to hear the podcast episode or read on!
Omens of Death
Lots of death omens involve birds, yet these are usually crows or owls. If you want to learn more about their folklore, I have an exclusive podcast about them for Patreon supporters. Become a supporter here to get access.
But back to magpies. Originally, they were also considered omens of death. These omens also covered a fairly broad range of behaviours from the birds, too.
That included magpies hovering over you, preceding you as you went to church, or cackling on your roof (Henderson 1879: 45). The ‘roof cackling’ magpie was especially unlucky if a sick person lay inside.
A magpie tapping on your window meant death would touch your household (Devlin 2015: 73). Yet over time, these deathly omens morphed into general bad luck (Frisby 2015: 200).
Unlucky Birds and Averting Bad Luck
In Westmorland and North Lancashire, they had a range of superstitions about magpies. Seeing a lone bird was particularly unlucky, especially one that looks right at you (Newman 1953: 290). If you see a single bird, draw a cross on the ground to avert the bad luck it brings. Otherwise, say,
‘Magpie, magpie, chatter and flee,
(Simpson 2007: 223)
Turn up thy tail and good luck fall me’.
You can also take off your hat, bow, and wish the magpie a good day (Simpson 2007: 223). Alternatively, spit over your left shoulder, turn around three times, or cross your fingers and say,
‘I cross the magpie,
(Simpson 2007: 223)
The magpie crosses me;
Bad luck to the magpie,
And good luck to me’.
William Henderson also suggests that you look out for a crow after seeing a magpie. Apparently the sight of the crow “disperses the ill-luck which the magpie may have brought” (1879: 128).
Henderson also relates a tale from his own childhood, in which he was driving an old woman to see a friend in County Durham. Without warning, she seized the reins and brought the horses to a halt. Following her gaze, Henderson saw a magpie crossing the road. The woman demanded they turn back and take a different route as a result (1879: 127). Meanwhile, in Essex, people believed magpies brought good luck if they crossed your path (Newman 1953: 290). Seeing three magpies meant either death, or a letter was coming (Newman 1953: 290).
Magpie Rhymes
As I mentioned earlier, counting magpies is used as a form of divination. It’s known as ornithomancy, or literally ‘divination by bird’. A similar form of divination relates to which bird a woman sees on Valentine’s Day, to predict her future husband’s career. This differs from augury, which is divination performed by watching a bird’s flight patterns.
But counting gives rise to plenty of magpie superstitions. For example, if you see five magpies, pass your silver coins from one hand to the other. This would increase your wealth (Newman 1953: 290).
These superstitions are also encoded as magpie rhymes. There are many variations, more so than can be listed here, so if you know a different version, feel free to post it in the comments.
The earliest known example of a magpie rhyme comes from c. 1780 in Lincolnshire;
One for sorrow, two for mirth,
(Simpson 2007: 222)
Three for a wedding, four for a death.
In other places, they swap ‘death’ for ‘birth’. In most magpie rhymes, a single magpie is bad, and two are favourable (Simpson 2007: 222).
Another variation is:
One for sorrow, two for joy,
(Simpson 2007: 223)
Three for a girl, four for a boy.
A version in the Denham Tracts added an extra pair of couplets after the usual two.
‘Five for silver, six for gold,
(1895: 20)
Seven for a secret not to be told,
Eight for heaven, nine for hell,
And ten is for the Devil’s own sel.
Henderson relates two versions from northern England.
‘One is sorrow, two mirth,
(1879: 127)
Three a wedding, four a birth,
Five heaven, six hell,
Seven the de’il’s ain sell’
and
‘One is sorrow, two mirth,
(1879: 127)
Three a wedding, four a birth,
Five a sickening, six a christening,
Seven a dance, eight a lady going to France’
These versions reflect the penchant for darker options in northern England. Jacqueline Simpson and Steve Roud note these rhymes haven’t been traced back beyond 1780, but the omens are medieval in origin (2007: 223). Some people thought their chattering meant guests were on the way, while others thought a group of magpies chattering on a rooftop was a sign of “euyll tydynges” (quoted in Simpson 2007: 223). Interestingly, Marie Trevelyan notes that in Wales, the “One for sorrow, two for mirth” rhymes apply to crows rather than magpies (1909: 84). Meanwhile, three magpies signify a funeral, while four indicate a wedding (Trevelyan 1909: 85).
So why the hatred of magpies?
According to Simpson and Roud, people in Sheffield thought the magpie wouldn’t enter Noah’s ark. Instead, it sat on the roof chattering about the flood (2007: 223). There’s another belief that the magpie refused to wear full mourning at the crucifixion (Lynx). Perhaps this partially explains its cursed associations. Another explanation considered the magpie a mixture of the raven and dove. As a result, it hadn’t been baptised during the Biblical flood (Henderson 1879: 126).
Those in Sussex thought they were nosy and gossiping birds (2007: 223). Some people thought that the souls of evil-minded people or gossiping women returned as magpies (Devlin 2015: 73). This probably comes more from their incredibly irritating chattering than anything else.
That said, William Henderson relates an anecdote from an English traveller. While in Sweden, the traveller saw magpies eating the food meant for the pigs. He offered to shoot the birds, but the farmer politely declined. He didn’t want any harm to befall him as a result (1879: 126). That’s hardly surprising, given a Swedish belief that magpies were the birds of the witches. One belief sees witches take the form of magpies while they travelled abroad on Walpurgisnacht (Thorpe 1851: 84).
People thought of magpies as a “bird of the underworld” in Germany. One Scottish belief claimed that “magpies had a drop of the devil’s blood on their tongues”. Yet in ancient Rome, people associated the magpie with magic and fortune-telling (Churcher 2016). In ancient Greece, the magpie was sacred to Dionysus, god of wine (Lynx).
Of course, these are just European associations. Elsewhere, the magpie isn’t such bad news. In Korea and China, the bird brings good news, happiness, and good fortune (Churcher 2016).
The Magpie Myth about Shiny Objects
Of course, magpies are most famous for their penchant for shiny objects. This in itself is also a form of folklore! Research published in 2014 showed that magpies were actually afraid of shiny objects. Far from stealing them for their nest, they fed less around shiny things and often avoided them (Harrabin 2014).
Scientists believe this neophobia, or fear of new things, is understandable. The birds don’t recognise them, meaning they could be dangerous. So they avoid them instead. It’s believed the myth of their preference for shiny objects is plain old confirmation bias. People see magpies occasionally pick up something shiny. This confirms the folklore in their mind. Yet they ignore every time a magpie picks up something dull.
The research did only assess magpie pairs. So it is possible that single magpies might still prove to be thieves to impress potential mates. But the research also only uncovered two published accounts online in which a magpie stole something shiny (Harrabin 2014). The jury is still somewhat out as to whether magpies will steal shiny things. Yet this study demonstrates that we shouldn’t just pass on something we hear out of hand.
Magpies: Friend or Foe?
Personally, I’m no fan of magpies. I should be, since they lend their name to my local football team, Newcastle United. Yet every year, they decimate the nests of songbirds in my area. They’re also a menace on the bird feeders and make so much noise.
But do I think they’re omens of death or bad luck? Only if you’re a smaller bird and you have chicks in your nest. I’ve never had any magpie rhymes accurately predict the future, though I’ve never seen more than four at once!
Perhaps you’ve had a different experience! If so, let me know in the comments below. I’d love to know if the rhymes have rung true for you!
Which of these magpie rhymes have you heard?
References
Churcher, Connie (2016), ‘Birds: Myth, Lore & Legend’, Horniman Museum & Gardens, 27 September, https://www.horniman.ac.uk/story/birds-myth-lore-legend/.
Denham, Michael Aislabie (1895), The Denham tracts; a collection of folklore, reprinted from the original tracts and pamphlets printed by Denham between 1846 and 1859, Volume 2, London: David Nutt.
Devlin, Joe (2015), ‘Folklore of Birds’, “Before I Forget…”: Journal of the Poyntzpass and District Local History Society, 13, pp. 73-4.
Frisby, Helen (2015), ”Them Owls Know’: Portending Death in Later Nineteenth- and Early Twentieth-century England’, Folklore, 126:2, pp. 196-214.
Harrabin, Roger (2014), ‘Magpies ‘don’t steal shiny objects”, BBC.co.uk, 16 August, https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-28797519.
Henderson, William (1879), Notes on the folk-lore of the northern counties of England and the borders, London: W. Satchell, Peyton and Co.
Lynx (no date), ‘Magpies – A Story of Seven’, Druidry.org, https://druidry.org/resources/magpies-a-story-of-seven.
Newman, L. F. and E. M. Wilson (1953), ‘Folk-Lore Survivals in the Southern Lake Counties and in Essex: A Comparison and Contrast’, Folklore, 64:1, pp. 286-299.
Thorpe, Benjamin (1851), Northern Mythology: Comprising the Principal Popular Traditions and Superstitions of Scandinavia, North Germany, and the Netherlands, Volume 2, London: Edward Lumley.
Trevelyan, Marie (1909), Folk-lore and folk-stories of Wales, London: Elliot Stock.
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when i see them i say if in the morning good morning your majesty hows the wife and after dinner time its good afternoon your lordship its suppose to be and old Romany saying s i think i read it in a magic and spells book years ago on old traditions and spells for good luck and there was a bit about the magpies if see them on own you say it to it so you dont get the bad luck if see 1 maggie it works for me so i wont stop saying it
I live in the American South, where we don’t have magpies. But I have heard an almost identical counting rhyme about crows, which we have in abundance.
One for sorrow, two for joy
Three for a girl, four for a boy
Five for silver, six for gold
Seven for a secret never told