This is purely speculation, so please nobody go shooting me down...but the 'black-winged bird' might be a reference to the Morrigan, from Irish mythology--also, according to a site I just pulled up, her name translates as either "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen." She often appears in the shape of a crow (raven, rook, whatever you want to call it. Big black bird.) The Morrigan is the goddess of battle, but also of fertility. She isn't the goddess of death, although she's closely related to it--she is, according to one source, the "keeper of death." I do think it's possible they were trying to make a link there. Thoughts, anyone?
This is purely speculation, so please nobody go shooting me down...but the 'black-winged bird' might be a reference to the Morrigan, from Irish mythology--also, according to a site I just pulled up, her name translates as either "Great Queen" or "Phantom Queen." She often appears in the shape of a crow (raven, rook, whatever you want to call it. Big black bird.) The Morrigan is the goddess of battle, but also of fertility. She isn't the goddess of death, although she's closely related to it--she is, according to one source, the "keeper of death." I do think it's possible they were trying to make a link there. Thoughts, anyone?