Barn Owl, photographed by author
Owl Omens
The good, the bad, and the improbable
Greetings Owl Lovers,
Watch this page for more about North American Owls, coming soon, in the summer and winter of 2010.
Brian
"I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead.... I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign."
--From "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain
Cherokee use owl feathers to treat insomnia
"The Most Fantastical of Fowls" from Wingmasters
Hawaiians worshiped the Short-Eared Owl, "pueo," as a guardian spirit.
Turtle Talk: Fun Facts about Hawaii
The Koyukon Athapaskans consider the Great Horned Owl to be "the preminent sage" among owls.
Alaska's Birds of Prey, Raptors, Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game
According to a Yorkshire legend, if you eat a salted Little Owl, you will be cured of the gout.
Little Owl: P. Frost
The Egyptians used an owl as the hieroglyph for the sound "m."
Owl Definition page at Answers.com
If an owl flew over the Ancient Greek army, it was considered a sign of certain victory in battle.
Owls Superstitions
The Owl (specifically the species known as the "Little Owl") was the official bird of Pallas Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, and appeared with her on various Athenian coins.in ancient Greece
The Great Horned Owl at Graffiti Owl's Roost
The Owl is the unofficial bird of Mensa, thanks to its association with Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
In Japan, Eagle owls, Bubo bubo, (similarly to, but even larger than, the Great Horned Owl of North America) is considered a divine "messenger of the Gods"
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
The Samoans reared owls for their prophetic ability in times of war.
Pagan and Christian Creeds: Their Origin and Meaning
In Shakespeare's time (and his plays), owls were bad news and their presence (or merely their sound) was thought to foretell death and/or illness.
"The Most Fantastical of Fowls" from Wingmasters
The Ancient Romans considered owls to be a funereal bird and its presence was thought to be an omen of death.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Alaskan Indian children were once taught that if they misbehaved, "an owl would take them away."
Alaska's Birds of Prey, Raptors, Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game
According to Jamaican tradition, an owl brings bad luck. Fortunately, however, the bad luck can be kept at bay by reciting the following charming little formula (aww!): "Salt and pepper to your mammy!"
World of Owl Mythology: The Owl Pages
The Egyptians would often draw their owl hieroglyphs with a broken leg to make sure that the transcribed raptor would not "come to life (which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Is it live or is it Memorex?")
Owl Definition page at Answers.com
According to an old English legend, people are transfored into owls "as punishment for greed."
The Great Horned Owl at Graffiti Owl's Roost
In the peninsular portion of Malaysia known as Malaya, owls are thought to eat newborn babies.
World of Owl Mythology: The Owl Pages
The Hopi tribe of North America traditionally associates owls with sorcery and those who possess owl feathers are considered to be witches.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
According to an Italian tradition, if an owl lands on your roof, it is an omen of death.
Old Superstitions: Superstition Database
The Aztecs and Mayans consider owls to be a symbol of death, and the Aztec God of Death, Mictlantecuhtli, is depicted with owls.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
According to the Ainu of Japan, it's a bad omen if you see an owl fly in front of the moon.
Nova: Island of the Spirits
The Ainu believe that captured Horned Owls can tell the difference between good souls and bad souls in human beings. If such a bird narrows its eyes to slits in front of a human, it meants that the person has a dark soul. If, on the other hand, the owl stares wide-eyed at someone standing nearby, it means that the owl recognizes him or her as a person of integrity.
Nova: Island of the Spirits*
*A quick note of clarification on one of your links.... I was going through the "Island of the Spirit" link ... and reviewed the "Little Horned Owl", as referred to by the Ainu people of Hokkido, Japan. A couple of notes: 1) the Ainu people revered the Blakiston's Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni) as the "Emperor of the Night". There were yearly festivals, and a captured owl was the center of the ceremonies. So, please know that the Blakiston's Fish Owl has figured prominently in Ainu culture.
As there aren't Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) in Japan, so the "Little Horned Owl" must be referring to a different species..... most likely either the Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia), or Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques). The Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) is described as occuring "accidentally and locally on the islands of northernmost Japan".
David-- Virginia, USA
ERROR #6082-b NO UGLY OWLS FOUND *BEEP* NO UGLY OWLS *BEEP*
Watch this page for more about North American Owls, coming soon, in the summer and winter of 2010.
Brian
"I heard an owl, away off, who-whooing about somebody that was dead.... I didn't need anybody to tell me that that was an awful bad sign."
--From "Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain
The Good
Cherokee use owl feathers to treat insomnia
"The Most Fantastical of Fowls" from Wingmasters
Hawaiians worshiped the Short-Eared Owl, "pueo," as a guardian spirit.
Turtle Talk: Fun Facts about Hawaii
The Koyukon Athapaskans consider the Great Horned Owl to be "the preminent sage" among owls.
Alaska's Birds of Prey, Raptors, Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game
According to a Yorkshire legend, if you eat a salted Little Owl, you will be cured of the gout.
Little Owl: P. Frost
The Egyptians used an owl as the hieroglyph for the sound "m."
Owl Definition page at Answers.com
If an owl flew over the Ancient Greek army, it was considered a sign of certain victory in battle.
Owls Superstitions
The Owl (specifically the species known as the "Little Owl") was the official bird of Pallas Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, and appeared with her on various Athenian coins.in ancient Greece
The Great Horned Owl at Graffiti Owl's Roost
The Owl is the unofficial bird of Mensa, thanks to its association with Athena, the Greek Goddess of Wisdom.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
In Japan, Eagle owls, Bubo bubo, (similarly to, but even larger than, the Great Horned Owl of North America) is considered a divine "messenger of the Gods"
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
The Samoans reared owls for their prophetic ability in times of war.
Pagan and Christian Creeds: Their Origin and Meaning
The Bad
In Shakespeare's time (and his plays), owls were bad news and their presence (or merely their sound) was thought to foretell death and/or illness.
"The Most Fantastical of Fowls" from Wingmasters
The Ancient Romans considered owls to be a funereal bird and its presence was thought to be an omen of death.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
Alaskan Indian children were once taught that if they misbehaved, "an owl would take them away."
Alaska's Birds of Prey, Raptors, Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game
According to Jamaican tradition, an owl brings bad luck. Fortunately, however, the bad luck can be kept at bay by reciting the following charming little formula (aww!): "Salt and pepper to your mammy!"
World of Owl Mythology: The Owl Pages
The Egyptians would often draw their owl hieroglyphs with a broken leg to make sure that the transcribed raptor would not "come to life (which gives a whole new meaning to the phrase, "Is it live or is it Memorex?")
Owl Definition page at Answers.com
According to an old English legend, people are transfored into owls "as punishment for greed."
The Great Horned Owl at Graffiti Owl's Roost
In the peninsular portion of Malaysia known as Malaya, owls are thought to eat newborn babies.
World of Owl Mythology: The Owl Pages
The Hopi tribe of North America traditionally associates owls with sorcery and those who possess owl feathers are considered to be witches.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
According to an Italian tradition, if an owl lands on your roof, it is an omen of death.
Old Superstitions: Superstition Database
The Aztecs and Mayans consider owls to be a symbol of death, and the Aztec God of Death, Mictlantecuhtli, is depicted with owls.
Owl - Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia
According to the Ainu of Japan, it's a bad omen if you see an owl fly in front of the moon.
Nova: Island of the Spirits
The Ainu believe that captured Horned Owls can tell the difference between good souls and bad souls in human beings. If such a bird narrows its eyes to slits in front of a human, it meants that the person has a dark soul. If, on the other hand, the owl stares wide-eyed at someone standing nearby, it means that the owl recognizes him or her as a person of integrity.
Nova: Island of the Spirits*
*A quick note of clarification on one of your links.... I was going through the "Island of the Spirit" link ... and reviewed the "Little Horned Owl", as referred to by the Ainu people of Hokkido, Japan. A couple of notes: 1) the Ainu people revered the Blakiston's Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni) as the "Emperor of the Night". There were yearly festivals, and a captured owl was the center of the ceremonies. So, please know that the Blakiston's Fish Owl has figured prominently in Ainu culture.
As there aren't Great Horned Owls (Bubo virginianus) in Japan, so the "Little Horned Owl" must be referring to a different species..... most likely either the Oriental Scops Owl (Otus sunia), or Japanese Scops Owl (Otus semitorques). The Eurasian Eagle Owl (Bubo bubo) is described as occuring "accidentally and locally on the islands of northernmost Japan".
David-- Virginia, USA
The Ugly
ERROR #6082-b NO UGLY OWLS FOUND *BEEP* NO UGLY OWLS *BEEP*
c.2010 Brian Quass, Alexandria, VA USA