In mythology and legend the Quail is widespread and appears in many different cultures. It was a fighting bird and so depicted courage and victory in battle for the Romans. The term 'quail' was one of endearment; the bird was sometimes given as a gift from one lover to another. In Greek legend the jealous Hera turned Leto into a Quail; she was the mother of Apollo and Artemis, so the bird was associated with them also. Asteria changed into a Quail to escape Zeus. The bird is connected with Heracles/Hercules. The Phoenicians sacrificed the Quail to Melkarth when he defeated Typhon (Sephon), as darkness. It was also sacrificed to the Tyrian Baal. The Quail was also a game bird and was symbolic of the hunt. The Quail was the protector to Germanic farmers who captured them and penned them inside houses as protection against lightning strikes.The quail is a symbol of a contrite spirit, communal love, and higher consciousness. It is Artemis in the Greek mythology, who lived on "Quail Island," and the sacred animal of the Phoenician sun god, Bel. The quail is the early, dewy morning awaiting the first rays of the sun, Apollo, Artemis' twin brother.
