This tale explains the behaviors of herons and parrots through a cautionary story of mutual prohibitions. The Heron warns the Parrot against landing on the ground, while the Parrot forbids the Heron from sleeping in a house. Doubting each other, both violate these bans, leading to the Heron’s death and the Parrot’s captivity. These outcomes shape their species’ enduring habits, symbolizing trust and the consequences of ignoring wisdom.
Source
Among Congo Cannibals
by John H. Weeks
Seeley, Service & Co.,London, 1913
► Themes of the story
Forbidden Knowledge: The heron and the parrot each possess knowledge of prohibitions that, when ignored, lead to dire consequences.
Cunning and Deception: Both birds deceive themselves into believing that the prohibitions are false, leading them to test the boundaries set by each other.
Family Dynamics: The story touches on the relationships within the species, as the actions of the heron and the parrot influence the behaviors of their respective families.
► From the same Region or People
Learn more about Bantu peoples
In the following story the birds enter into this blood bond, and the peculiarities of each are regarded as prohibitions placed on them during the ceremony. There are many such stories accounting for the physical idiosyncrasies of various birds and animals.
When the Heron and the Parrot entered into the bonds of blood-brotherhood the Heron put the Parrot under a ban, saying: “Friend Parrot, you must always remain in the tree[1]tops, and never alight on the ground. If you do so you will not be able to fly again, for you will be caught, killed, and eaten; and even if you are not killed the folk who catch you will tame you, and you will lose your power to fly again in the air.”
The Parrot said: “Friend Heron, you must never build a house to sleep in it; if you do you will die.”
After some time the Heron began to doubt the words of the Parrot, and he said to himself: “Perhaps my friend told me a he about sleeping in a house. I will test his words, and if I die my family will know that the words of the Parrot are true, and they will never sleep in a house.”
► Continue reading…
That evening the Heron entered a house (nest), and next morning his family found him lying dead. Ever since that time the Herons have always slept on the branches of the trees.
The Parrot also doubted the power of the Heron’s prohibition, and said to himself: “I will alight on the ground, and if I am unable to fly again my family will know the Heron’s words are true ones.”
So down the Parrot flew, and alighting on the ground he foimd there plenty to eat, but when he tried to rise again he was not able to use his wings. Some people caught him and tamed him, and he remained a slave in their town.
That is the reason why the Parrots always fly high above the tree-tops and never alight on the earth, because of the prohibition of their friend the Heron.
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