PICA VARIA
Magpies were prized pets, and apparently could be trained, like parrots, to imitate human speech. In Ovid's Metamorphoses, the daughters of Pierus challenged the Muses to a poetry competition; when they lost, their punishment was to be turned into magpies. The Neronian satirical poet Persius uses the magpie as a figure for the bad poets of his own day.
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Persius, Prologue:
"What teaches the parrot to squawk: ‘Hello!’
And urges the magpie to try human speech?
....
You’ll hear crow-poets and magpie-poetesses
Singing in praise of Pegaseian nectar".
Today in many countries, the magpie is associated with bad luck.A tale states that all the birds of the world started to weep and sing when Jesus was crucified to comfort him, except the magpie. For this reason, this bird was cursed.
In Italian folklore, the magpie is often called "Gazza ladra" (thieving magpie)as this bird steals shiny objects. Gazza ladra is also the title of a melodramma by Gioacchino Rossini.
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