Peacock Feathers at Quinta Castanheira
Did you know that peacocks shed their beautiful tails each and every year?
Our own fabulously feathered resident, creatively named Mr Peacock, is a firm favourite among our guests, thanks to his various eccentric habits, such as chilling on top of the fridge in the bar, sunbathing in the courtyard, and raising his tail on the pool deck. At dusk, he loudly announces that the time has come to make his way onto the roof of the house, which is his sleeping spot of choice.
Very recently, a guest asked how it could be that we have so many decadent peacock plumes on display, but our glorious Mr Peacock lacks even a hint of a tail. Could this in fact be a juvenile Mr. Peacock II?
No, I explained—the feathers are definitely his! However, by late summer, his seasonal feathers have fallen to the ground and the next year’s tail will already be beginning to grow. Here in the Portuguese climate, his tail reaches full length by around February. For the duration of early Spring and Summer, he makes a great show of shaking his many eyes at anyone willing to watch, and then in July, the plumes begin to drop once more.
Astonishingly, Indian peacocks like ours have been traded around the world for some 4,000 years. I love the history and mythology that surrounds these opulent and characterful creatures. They are truly unreal to share space with—it can feel quite surreal to watch Mr Peacock as he preens himself while sitting gracefully on one of the outdoor tabletops! As I watch his green and blue-hued eyes dancing, I think of the goddess Hera who, in Ancient Greek mythology, is attributed with the creation of the peacock.
Hera, who was the wife of Zeus, asked her servant Argus Panoptes, a giant supernatural being with 100 eyes, to watch over a maiden named Io, because she suspected that Zeus was being unfaithful. Wishing to liberate his secret lover and be watched no longer, Zeus tried to kill the many-eyed monster, however, in order to save her loyal aid, Hera immortalised Argus within the tail of the peacock.
Image: wall painting from the wedding of Zeus and Hera, Pompeii
Source: ArchaiOptix CC BY-SA 4.0
Superstition abounds in regard to the peacock’s tail feathers, with some considering them back luck while others associate the plumes with the evil eye symbol and its protective value for warding off evil. I give greater weight to the second—particularly here in a country where the evil eye is so revered. However, above all else, the iridescent feathers are simply beautiful to behold, particularly as they glimmer and colour-change in the sunlight.
While the eyes of the peacock’s train may be watchful, the bird himself is far more interested in studying his own reflection. To satisfy this desire, we have several low-mounted mirrors dotted around at Quinta Castanheira—and you will no doubt see them in frequent use during your stay!
Because of his love for reflective surfaces, we have to be mindful of Mr Peacock’s presence, which is why strings of dancing ribbons hang in our car park, as their movement keeps him away from visitors’ cars.
Every group of guests arriving here at Quinta Castanheira is greeted with a bottle of red wine from Quinta da Cabriz (an internationally award-winning Portuguese winemaker that happens to be just up the road and open to visitors!) adorned with a peacock feather. Please feel free to keep this treasure as a souvenir of your stay, knowing that, with a little luck, the loyal Argus will be watching over you!