The title appealed to me on so many levels. I am fascinated by mythology, archaeology, history and so many of my paintings involve dance or the female goddess archetype. Wow! I couldn't wait to read it and was not disappointed. To my surprise birds were involved with the origin of dance. This gave me even greater delight as I not only paint birds but also female dancers with feathers surrounded by birds. I was somehow tapping into this ancient tradition without knowing it.
The book tells the story of how European dances started as fertility rituals thousands of years ago in western Eurasia. To our ancestors living in the harsh northern climate, the coming of spring was of the utmost importance. They noticed that the birds would come back in spring and that soon new chicks would be hatching. Crops could be planted and the warmth of the sun gave new vigor to all of the plants and animals. Birds became associated with the fertility of the people and the land. Through ritual dance, the ancients thought they could entice the birds to return and thus bring increased fertility to their women and the land. Young girls and women would dress in very long-sleeved clothing and dance in a way that mimicked the flight of birds. European couple and line dances were created from these archaic traditions.
There was one sentence that caused an image to immediately appear to me. It told of the Germanic goddess Ursa who would carry the moon across the sky in her silver boat. I had to paint it and soon started its planning! While I was drawing the composition I remembered four-thousand-year-old Scandinavian rock carvings of boats I had seen. With a little research, I found that one of these boats had been excavated. The boat in this painting is derived from this design. After the painting had begun a Northern saw-wet owl visited us just outside our kitchen window. That little fellow was perfect for the back of her boat. In Africa, where I grew up, at dusk, the swallows would swoop and dive all over our yard as they chased after flying termites. I loved their forked tails and speed and ever since have felt a special connection to these little spitfires. They were the perfect escort for Ursa in her silver boat.