The Owl: A Symbol For the World
PHOTO: PIXABAY
WE KNOW THE OWL AS A WISE, PERPETUALLY OLD ENTITY, OR AS THE DELIVERY SERVICE FOR HOGWARTS LETTERS. BUT OTHER CULTURES HAVE A BIT OF A DIFFERENT TAKE—
READ ON TO FIND OUT MORE!
Ah, the owl. That glorious, nocturnal raptor. The species whence came our favorite Snowy Hedwig; Owl: the self-proclaimed scholar of the Hundred Acre Wood, and for our Beatrix Potter fans: Old Brown (The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin).
First, we have to mention the obvious: the greek owl of Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy in times of war. To the ancient Greeks, the owl was a symbol of the victory of evil over good. However, in Roman culture, owls are omens of bad tidings. The ancient Romans believed that a dead owl nailed to a door could reverse all the bad luck brought by the bird beforehand...almost a retroactive talisman. Interesting stuff, but please don’t go nailing these beautiful creatures to your doors. What a nasty surprise for the mailman.
PHOTO: ERIK KARITS
Others, like the Cree, believed that communication with an owl was a gateway to the spirit world. Still others, like the Tlingit warriors, went to battle hooting like owls, finding empowerment while intimidating their enemies. Several tribes, such as the Zuni, News, Montagnais, and the Inuit, have various fables of how certain owls came to be.
PHOTO: FRANK CONE
The Hindu goddess Lakshmi is often pictured with an owl, although some sources say her elder sister, Alakshmi is the one with the owl. Lakshmi is a bringer of goodness and prosperity, whereas Alakshmi is representative of prosperity achieved through greed. Thus, the owl is also sometimes seen as a symbol of foolishness, which directly goes against the Western idea of “the wise old owl”.
PHOTO: JONATHAN KEMPER
PHOTO: AGTO NUGROHO
In Native American culture, each tribe has a slight variation on what owls truly signify. For some, hearing the screech of an owl, or dreaming of one meant certain death.
PHOTO: KEVIN MUELLER
On the other side of the globe, Hindu culture follows two contrasting beliefs. Owls are either seen as omens of good luck and prosperity, (mirroring the Greeks), or foolishness and certain tragedy. A white owl is a sign that those who see it are going to prosper. However, a black owl is a harbinger of calamity.
PHOTO: JULIA SOLONINA
This article is not necessarily “magical” in our usual sense, nor is it about the past. But we lovers of Old World Magic believe that nature and its creatures hold their own sort of magic. One can find great wonder and peace in finding out more about the world.
And that in itself, is magic.
PHOTO: ZDENEK MACHACEK
So, have we made it through without one owl pun? Yes, yes we have.
What a hoot.
PHOTO: FRANCESCO DE TOMMAS
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