I had the desire to write about owls today. Why? Because they are crossing my life a lot in all kind of ways at the moment and because I found it interesting to see the duality of interpretations and connotations between being an animal of light and darkness. A glimpse to the Medieval times, bestiary, owls attributes, her allegory or moral, her myth and up to the ideas of what an owl stands for in the different cultures.

Some general, old attributes that are told since centuries:
The owl haunts ruins and is flying at night. He/her prefers to live in darkness and hides from the light. It’s bird that isn’t really tidying up:) as you can find a lot of dung in their nests’. It is told that owls are often found near tombs and that they live in caves; even old stories tell about owls flying backwards and moreover owls cry out when they sense that someone is about to die. All this attributes sound so dark to you? Read on:)

(Norwich, England, Cathedral 14th Century)

(4 owls pose on a rock; one holding the corpse of a rodent. The white owl peeking past the brown one may be that one’s young)

From the Christian point of view the owl in general represented the Jews, who showed that they preferred darkness to light when they rejected Christ. Mostly the connotations of the owl are therefore negative: for example an old Natural History Book of Pliny the Elder (from the 1st century) states already that: “The eagle-owl is thought to be a very bad omen, being as it is a funereal bird. It lives in deserts and in terrifying, empty and inaccessible places(…). Night-owls are crafty in battles with other birds; when surrounded and outnumbered they lie on their backs and fight with their feet, bunching themselves up so they are protected by beak and claws. The have an allience with the hawk, whcih comes and aids them in the war (…).”

Important for me is that you know that everybody, every animal and everything has an duality, 2 poles, yin and yang. It is in equal measure important to know the light part the same way than the dark one! – Because how will you realize what is light if you don’t know the dark? And moreover the dark sides aren’t that dark if you look at it from another angle and as a helping advice and not as a danger, but a treasure of knowledge and hints! Try it!!!!:)
So back to the owl symbolism in other cultures.

Therefore now a glimpse to the signification of owls with the interpretations and connotations of the Native Americans: the Owl is mostly associated with death and spirits. Many tribes viewed the owls as spirits of the dead, or the souls of the recently deceased. Some tribes also believe that owl was a messenger of the underworld and carried spirits to the afterlife. Owls were also viewed as powerful spirit protectors and their feathers held great meaning and value.
The Owl is warm, natural, with an easy-going nature, the Owl is friend to the world. The bearer of this Native American animal symbol is notorious for engaging in life at full speed, and whole-hearted loves adventure. In a supportive, nurturing environment the Owl is sensitive, enthusiastic, and an attentive listener. Left to his/her own devices, the Owl can be excessive, overindulgent, bitter, and belligerent.
To finish with some key words – here some general Owl Spirit Symbols that the Native Americans gave them: Wisdom, Silence, Magic, True Sight, Solitude, Enlightenment, Secrets, Night, Change, Omens, Vigilance, Dreams, Feminine, Intuition, Stealth, Mystery, Insight.

We can’t stop at the half way – so a short summary about what owls meant in some significant other cultures:
Celtic/Gaelic: In Celtic symbolism, the owl is noted for wisdom, keen sight, and patience. The owl is a guide in the underworld and an effective hunter. At the same time this night-dweller was considered a “corpse-bird” or “night hag.”
Indian: In early Indian folklore, Owls represent wisdom and helpfulness, and have powers of prophecy.

Greek/Roman: In most lore the owl symbolizes wisdom and protection and was the favorite bird of Athene, the goddess of wisdom. To the Romans, the owl was both a symbol of victory and doom. To hear the hoot of an Owl presaged imminent death. The deaths of Julius Caesar, Augustus, Commodus Aurelius, and Agrippa were apparently all predicted by an Owl.

Chinese: Asian peoples told tales of the owl stealing children in the night. Others believed witches could fly about in the form of owls and that sorcerers could send messages by means of this bird.

I hope you enjoyed the little journey to owls, and if you saw them form the dark aspect I hope I could clear up your mind to understand her light sides and profits as well….