Aengus and X's for kisses?

Joel S. Berson Berson at ATT.NET
Mon Mar 2 15:19:51 UTC 2009


At 3/2/2009 09:04 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:
>Somebody mentioned "Golden Apples of the Sun."  The name of Yeats's poem is
>"Song of the Wandering Aengus."
>
>(No, it isn't about a loose cow.)

Since Jon was unforthcoming, I had to find out what it was.  The OED
tells me it (he, she?) wrote (had?) a Festilogy.  But Wikipedia
clears it all up with its article.

I notice, however, that the article says "He was said to have four
birds symbolizing kisses flying about his head (whence, it is
believed, the xxxx's symbolizing kisses at the end of lovers' letters
come from", citing
http://www.godchecker.com/pantheon/celtic-mythology.php?deity=AONGHUS

Joel

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