Picus 2021 -

When you think of woodpeckers, you probably think of a rhythmic tap-tap-tap echoing through the woods, or perhaps a flash of red crest against a tree trunk. You probably don’t think of prophecy, witchcraft, or the tragic downfall of a king.

But Circe’s cruelty didn’t stop there. She left him with his human mind intact. Trapped inside the body of a small, restless bird, Picus could still think, still remember his wife, still understand his fate—but he could never speak, never hold a spear, never return to his throne. When Canens realized her husband was gone, she searched for him for six days and six nights, calling his name. On the seventh day, heartbroken and exhausted, she threw herself into the Tiber River and dissolved into song. Her body faded away, but the Romans believed that her voice could still be heard in the whisper of the wind over the water. When you think of woodpeckers, you probably think

Never spurn a witch.