In regard to saints associated with birds: I seem to recall
that St. Benedict is often pictured with a raven, although
the reason for this escapes me. Ravens are also associated
with Elijah (feast day July 20th) on the basis of 1 Kings
17:6 ("And the ravens brought him bread and meat in the
morning, and bread and meat in the evening; and he drank
from the brook"). The topos of being fed by birds shows up
in a number of saints' lives, especially those of the
desert fathers.
I also happen to be very fond of the Isle of the Birds
episode in the _Navigatio sancti Brendani_, but then again,
I'm very fond of the entire tale.
Stephen A. Allen
The Medieval Institute
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556-5692
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