The Kingfisher

Joannes Richter

Fig. 1: Kingfisher

The etymology of kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but why
that name was applied is not known. The name kingfisher refers to the Norse roots Kungsfiskare
and may have been defined by the Normans. The tombs at Fontevraud in France probably refer to
the etymology for the Kingfisher birds.
The Tombs of Henry II and Richard I

Fig. 2: Tomb of Henry II, King of England

The Tombs of Henry II and Richard I, Kings of England at Fontevraud reveal the colours blue and
orange, which may be correlated to the colours of the European bird named “kingfisher”. The
etymology of kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but why that
name was applied is not known.

The colours of the tombs are original decorations. Initially the burial place at the church had been
decorated with the same bright colours as the tombs. A lot of other aristocrats have been buried at
the abbey Fontevraud. The abbey was originally the site of the graves of King Henry II of England,
his wife Eleanor of Aquitaine, their son King Richard I of England, their daughter Joan, their
grandson Raymond VII of Toulouse, and Isabella of Angoulême, wife of their son King John.
However, there is no remaining corporal presence of Henry, Eleanor, Richard or the others on the
site. Their remains were possibly destroyed during the French Revolution.
Henry II (5 March 1133 – 6 July 1189), ruled as King of England (1154–1189), Count of Anjou,
Count of Maine, Duke of Normandy, Duke of Aquitaine, Duke of Gascony, Count of Nantes, Lord
of Ireland and, at various times, controlled parts of Wales, Scotland and western France. Henry has
been buried in blue and orange/red garments.

Fig. 3: Grave of Henry & Eleonora at

Fontevrault

Fig. 4: King Richard I, Lionheart ( 1189-

1199)
King Richard I, Lionheart (king of England 1189-1199), at his grave in the abbey Fonevrault
is demonstrating the traces of blue overcoat and white & red/orange undergarments.

Fig. 5: King Richard I, Lionheart ( 1189-1199)

Fig. 6: Isabella of Angouleme & King Richard I

Now let's investigate the kingfisher's colours for European species to check the correlation of these
colours. Please remember both kings are wearing blue upper garments, and orange under garments
as displayed in the original colours at their medieval tombs at Fontevraud .
The Kingfisher
Kingfishers are a group of small to medium sized brightly coloured birds. Europe is very poorly
represented with only one common kingfisher (Common Kingfisher). This sparrow-sized bird has
the typical short-tailed, large-headed kingfisher profile; it has blue upperparts, orange underparts
and a long bill. It feeds mainly on fish, caught by diving, and has special visual adaptions to enable
it to see prey under water.

Fig. 7: Kingfisher

"Ovid and Hyginus both also make the metamorphosis the origin of the etymology for "halcyon
days", the seven days in winter when storms never occur. They state that these were originally the
seven days each year (either side of the shortest day of the year) during which Alcyone ([as a
kingfisher]) laid her eggs and made her nest on the beach and during which her father Aeolus, god
of the winds, restrained the winds and calmed the waves so she could do so in safety. The phrase
has since become a term used to describe a peaceful time generally."
The etymology of kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but why
that name was applied is not known[6].1
According to the Online etymological database etymonline The word “King” has been applied in
nature for species deemed remarkably big or dominant (e.g. king crab, 1690s). The bird's colours
however reveal a remarkable correlation to the tomb of the Plantagenets at the abbey Fontevraud in
France.

1Douglas Harper (2001). "Online Etymology Dictionary". Retrieved 2007-07-14.

Etymology
In other European languages the kingfisher may be found in the English and Swedish words:

• English : kingfisher
• Swedish : kungsfiskare , isfågel

• German : Eisvogel
• Dutch : ijsvogel

• French : alcyon, martin-chasseur, martin-pêcheur

• Italian : martin pescatore
• Spanish : alción , martín pescador
• Portuguese : alcíone, martim-pescador

Germanic languages refer to the word “ice”. Mediterranean languages refer to the Alcyone legend
or to the name Martin. They all seem to be linked to the personal name Martin, although noone
seems to know why. This is also the source of English martin, although obviously that now
indicates a different bird altogether2.
The Full text of "An etymological dictionary of the Romance languages" explains:
Martin pescatore It. a sea-fish, Sp. martin pescador, and paxaro de San Martin,
Sard, puzone de Santu Martinu, Fr. martinet pecheur kingfisher, Sp. martinete a
small white heron, Fr. martinet a kind of swallow (E. martinet], a martin, also a lamp
with a handle like a martin's tail, It. martinetto a cross-bow windlass; all from the
name Martinus,3

Kungsfiskare
In fact the name kingfisher probably refers to the Norse roots Kungsfiskare may have been defined
by the Normans. The Normans were Norsemen in origin, but they had lived in France for a long
time and adopted both the French language and civilization. In history the year 1066 marks the
Norman Conquest and is taken to open the Middle Ages in England. William the Conqueror and his
Norman-French barons crossed the Channel, slew King Harold and the flower of his nobles in the
Battle of Hastings, and conquered England.
William soon restored peace to the country. He introduced the French feudal system, the French
language and culture. These were to dominate England for the next three generations. French
became the the official language of the courtiers and diplomats. English was suppressed and at first
only spoken by the common people. Gradually though it developed into a new form.

2 Wikipedia discussion by Widsith 14:58, 12 April 2008 (UTC)

3 v. Grimm, Mythol. 1083, 1233.
The Anglo-Saxon inflectional endings were dropped. The language lost some of its vocabulary, but
also has been enriched by French words. Ultimately English replaced French as the official
language in the 14th century. Middle English literature was very much affected by the French spirit.
The English national feeling was aroused by King Edward III's victories in France at Crecy (1346)
and Poitiers (1356). This may have been a good time to promote a Norse word kungsfiskare to an
English symbol for royalty. The English royals may have reminded the tomb of Henry II (1133 –
1189), painted in orange and blue and name this beautiful bird the King's fisher, who carried the
same colours in its garments.
The kingfisher in decorated Bibles and ancient books
Illustrations in Medieval Bibles often apply birds, especially birds coloured red & blue, being the
divine, androgynous symbols. Some birds reveal a blue and red coloured combination of feathers,
which may have been considered as a religious symbol. A special example may be the kingfisher, as
displayed on a German stamp from 1963:

Fig 8: Kingfisher on a German stamp

In fact the colours may vary from orange to green-blue:

Fig 9: Kingfisher,
Alcedo_atthis_2_(Lukasz_Lukasik)

In this colour combination blue/orange the kingfisher has been documented in ancient codices such
as Wiener Dioskurides fol. 479 verso (dated at 515 AD)
The Vienna Dioscurides
The Vienna Dioscurides or Vienna Dioscorides is an early 6th-century illuminated manuscript of De
Materia Medica by Dioscorides in Greek. It is an important and rare example of a late antique
scientific text. The 491 vellum folios measure 37 by 30 cm and contain more than 400 pictures of
animals and plants, most done in a naturalistic style.

Fig 10: Kingfisher (Wiener Dioskurid)

The manuscript was created in about 515 and was made for the Byzantine princess Juliana Anicia,
the daughter of Emperor Anicius Olybrius. Although it was originally created as a luxury copy,
there is some indication that in later centuries it was used daily as a hospital textbook. It includes
some annotations in Arabic.
The manuscript was discovered in Instanbul in the 1560s by the Flemish diplomat Ogier Ghiselin de
Busbecq who was in the employ of Emperor Ferdinand I. The Emperor bought the manuscript and
it is now held in the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek in Vienna. The manuscript was inscribed on
UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme Register in 1997 in recognition of its historical
significance. The following page – mainly decorated in the colours purple, red and blue) depicts the
Byzantine princess Juliana Anikia flanked by two allegoric images.

Fig. 11: Juliana Anikia

The Wenzelbible
The Genesis page of the Wenzelbible (Prague, dated ca. AD 1389/95) has been decorated with two
dominant kingfishers, which seem to enclose the Genesis-text and the accompanying decorations
between their beaks. As usual the Genesis page has been the most important symbolic and most
decorated page for the Bible. These kingfishers have been positioned at the left respectively right
centre of the pages of the Wenzelbible next to the the coat of arms of the Bohemian sovereign.

Fig. 12: Kingfisher at the Genesis-page of the Wenzelbible

One of both kingfisher may be identified at the central right side of this main page of the
Wenzelbible. The other bird is located at the opposite border at the left side of the page.
Of course Wenzel has not been a king of England, but the European royals may all have considered
the kingfisher as a symbol for royal power as derived from the divine symbols red & blue.

Fig 13: Kingfisher at the Genesis-page (Wenzel-bible)

A few other birds with red & blue feathers may also be identified at the same Genesis-page of the
Wenzel-Bible, but they are not in equivalent prominent positions:

Fig 14: Bird at the Genesis-page (Wenzel-bible)

Clearly the kingfisher is the most prominent animal-painting in Wenzel-Bible.

The Prince of Orange
One of the owners of the painting “The Garden of Delights” may have been William I, Prince of
Orange. It must be noted that the William I, Prince of Orange has adopted the kingfisher as his
favourite bird. The kingfisher however has been painted twice in the Triptych of Delights. The bird
reveals blue-green, white and orange colours, which partly will also be found in the Prince's flag.
The first owner of the painting may even have ordered to apply the colours rose-red and blue and/or
the kingfisher as elements for the paintings.

The Prince's Motto

The kingfisher is also found on a medal created 1572 in honour for the city of Delft's transition to
the Geuzen and carrying the inscription:

Een held in ijs en baren - Wien God weet te bewaren4

The same year 1572 the provinces of the Low Countries, rose in revolt against King Philip II of
Spain, and the Prince of Orange placed himself at the head of the rebels.
The Watergeuzen (pro-independence privateers), acting on his instructions, harassed the enemy
everywhere they could and they did this under a tricolour Orange White Blue5, the colours of the
Prince's coat of arms. It was thus a flag easily associated with the leader of the rebellion, and the
association was also expressed in the name: "the Prince's Flag."

Fig. 15: The Prince's Flag

The Prince's Motto "Saevis Tranquillus In Undis6"may have been chosen after the birth of Frederik
Hendrik in 1584.
Reference: The Majestic Singular in William of Orange's Letter

4 “A hero in ice and waves, who is to be guarded by God”

5 in Dutch: Oranje, Wit, Blauw or Oranje, Blanje, Bleu, from French: Orange, Blanche, Bleu
6 Easy amidst of the waves
The Kingfishers' Valley
It took us some time to find the Kingfishers' Valley at Bad Stuer Vordermuehle between the Plauer-
lake and Bears' Camp. The muddy entrance at the Plauer-lake is located besides a number of ruins
of the holidays' facilities for the former communist organisations. At our visit 17 September 2010
we immediately hear some birds singing, but the songs are not very intense.
At the left side of the entrance a high cliff arises 10 -15 m high. These valley and the cliff have been
eroded into the moraine by the creek. The cliff has been identified as the most popular nesting
location for the kingfishers. However we did not identify any birds at the cliff.

Fig. 16: Cliff at the entrance of the kingfishers' valley

The Kingfishers' valley is approximately 50 meters wide and 1km long. Along this track the
“Stuerscher”-creek drops over an altitude of 28 meters.

Fig. 17: “Stuerscher”-creek

A walk along the creek will need 15-20 minutes. Towards the upper end of the creek the valley
widens to an open area with some more remains of former holidays' camps. The path ends at a road
surrounding the 8 ha -sized Bears' Forest. In analogy to the Dinosaur park a double fence prevents
the contacts between visitors and bears by wires at high voltages.
Most of the birds' songs may be heard at the transition zone between the open area and the forest's
borderline. Singular birds may reveal themselves to visitors, if the observers wait in silence for a
short time to allow the quickly moving birds to settle at a nearby tree. We merely saw one singular
bird landing on a tree at a distance of a few meters. In the web bird-spotters scarcely report more
than one kingfisher at the Kingfishers' valley. Most observers do not see any of the birds at all. The
population seems to be rather low.
The kingfishers' populations depend on a constant food supply, especially in the midst of the
wintertime. Bad feeding conditions may cause a severe drop in birds' numbers, which will quickly
recover at intact conditions. The tiny “Stuerscher”-creek reveals some foam on a minute flow of
dark brown water. The river' source is located in the nearby Kogeler-lake, which supplies a
relatively constant flow of water.
The very kingfisher we saw at Bad Stuer was too far away and left his branch before we managed to
make a photograph, so we decided to take the following picture of a stuffed bird at our visit of the
Stralsund Oceaneum ...

Fig. 18: Stuffed kingfisher at the Oceaneum (Stralsund)

Conclusion
The etymology of kingfisher (Alcedo atthis) is obscure; the term comes from king's fisher, but why
that name was applied is not known. The name kingfisher refers to the Norse roots Kungsfiskare
and may have been defined by the Normans. The tombs at Fontevraud in France probably refer to
the etymology for the Kingfisher birds.
The Tombs of Henry II (who died 1189) and Richard I (who died 1199), Kings of England and
buried at Fontevraud in France, reveal the colours blue and orange, which correlate to the colours of
the European bird species named “kingfisher”.
English national feeling was aroused by King Edward III's victories in France at Crecy (1346) and
Poitiers (1356). This may have been a good time to promote a Norse word kungsfiskare to an
English symbol for royalty. The English royals may have reminded the tomb of Henry II (1133 –
1189) and Richard I (1199), painted in orange and blue and probably named this beautiful bird the
King's fisher, who carries the same colours in its garments.
At the same time the Bohemian king Wenzel probably considered the kingfisher as a main symbol
to decorate his Bible, created at Prague, dated ca. AD 1389/95. The bird may have symbolized royal
power, based on the elementary colours red and blue.
William I, Prince of Orange, has adopted the kingfisher as his favourite bird. The kingfisher is also
found on a medal created 1572 in honour for the city of Delft's transition to the Geuzen and
carrying the royal motto. The Watergeuzen (pro-independence privateers), acting on his
instructions, harassed the enemy everywhere they could and they did this under a kingfisher's
Orange, White & Blue7, the colours of the Prince's coat of arms.

7 in Dutch: Oranje, Wit, Blauw or Oranje, Blanje, Bleu, from French: Orange, Blanche, Bleu