Young Robin - but no Batman

I was lucky to meet this handsome young fellow in my parents' garden this morning.

The robin features prominently in European folklore. It was held to be a storm-cloud bird and sacred to Thor, the god of thunder, in Norse mythology.

Robins also feature in the traditional children's tale, Babes in the Wood; the birds cover the dead bodies of the children. More recently, the robin has become strongly associated with Christmas, taking a starring role on many Christmas cards since the mid 19th century. The robin has also appeared on many Christmas postage stamps.

An old British folk tale seeks to explain the robin's distinctive breast. Legend has it that when Jesus was dying on the cross, the robin, then simply brown in colour, flew to his side and sang into his ear in order to comfort him in his pain. The blood from his wounds stained the robin's breast, and thereafter all robins got the mark of Christ's blood upon them. An alternative legend has it that its breast was scorched fetching water for souls in Purgatory.

The association with Christmas, however, more probably arises from the fact that postmen in Victorian Britain wore red jackets and were nicknamed "Robins"; the robin featured on the Christmas card is an emblem of the postman delivering the card.

Interesting - thanks Wikipedia!