Owls have various roles in mythology worldwide. In Greek mythology, Athena had an owl as a companion, making owls symbols of wisdom in the Western world. However, in other cultures, owls are associated with death and the underworld. Native American nations had different roles for owls, including messengers and guardians.
Owls play an important role in the mythology of many cultures around the world. In mythology, they can be companions of the gods, evil spirits, wise observers or the embodiment of natural forces. In many cultures, owls are messengers of death or otherwise associated with the powers of the underworld. This negative connotation arises from the fact that owls are nocturnal; animals that are active at night often play negative roles in myth and folklore.
The most famous owls in mythology are probably those associated with Athena, the Greek goddess of wisdom and war, patron deity of the city of Athens. The artists depicted Athena with an owl on her shoulder. Owls may have been connected to the goddess due to their ability to see well at night and their large eyes, which evoked her epithet, “Bright-eyed Athena.” As a result of this association, owls continue to be symbols of wisdom in the Western world. One genus of owls retains the name “Athene”.
The mythology of other parts of the world often gives owls a more sinister role. Although the Romans adopted many elements of Greek religion, Roman folklore also featured dangerous owl-like creatures that could suck a child’s life force. Similarly, in Arabian mythology, owls were birds of ill omen. Legend had it that owls would hoot over the graves of murdered men and their eggs were thought to have supernatural properties. Similar beliefs are known to exist or have existed in sub-Saharan Africa, where owls play the role of messengers of death or bringers of bad luck.
In South and Central America, owls are again connected with death and the underworld. In Mayan mythology, Xibalba, “the place of fear”, is ruled by two death deities, Hun-Came (“One Death”) and Vucub-Came (“Seven Deaths”). Their messengers are four spirits that take the form of owls. Similarly, the Aztec god Mictlantecuhtli, god of the dead, appears as a skeleton wearing an owl feather headdress.
The Native American nations of North America had a wide variety of different roles for owls in their mythology. In some cultures, the owl played the role of a messenger from the underworld, while in others, such as the Sioux, it was a guardian who protected the entrance to the afterlife. The Passamaquoddy nation told a story that the bird was a helpful spirit that provided humans with magical gifts.
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