Symbols of the Owl in different cultures

By Isabella Hu

In Western culture, owls are frequently depicted as symbols of knowledge and wisdom, often embodying the image of learned individual. This might originate from the Greek mythology as Athena, the goddess of wisdom, reason, and fairness, is often depicted with an owl by her side. The English expression “as wise as an owl” is a clear illustration of the owl as a symbol of wisdom. From a scientific standpoint, owls are very intelligent birds, with young ones being able to learn new behaviours, abandon old habits if they lead to mistakes, and remember new associations!

The Little Owl is one of the most common owls in the UK, click the link to learn more about this cute bird! https://www.johnmooremuseum.org/the-little-owl/

Different species of owls have different symbols and meanings. Take Barn Owls for instance, in addition to wisdom, they symbolised love because of their heart-shaped face! Another example is snowy owls, which symbolise change, transformation, and inner wisdom. The colour white also symbolises purity and innocence, representing light, cleanliness, brilliance, spirituality, and illumination! In Greek mythology, the Goddess Athena considered the owl a sacred animal. Therefore, if an owl flew over soldiers in battle, it was seen as a sign that the Goddess of War was favouring them.

Barn Owl in the John Moore Museum collection

In Asia, owls have various symbols in different cultures. For example, in Taiwanese aboriginal culture, many indigenous peoples view owls as symbols of good fortune. Among the Bunun people, the owl is considered a “birth-giving bird” and a guardian of infants. The Amis people, on the other hand, believe that owls are guardians of the forest, conveying news of pregnancies among women in the tribe during the night, and using the owl’s hoot to determine the baby’s gender.

A pair of owls dressed in Taiwanese indigenous clothing.
Image credit: https://today.line.me/tw/v2/article/mXlPZr

In Chinese culture, owls might be a clue of an incoming bad luck. In ancient Chinese texts, it is recorded that “owls eat their own mothers, making them unfilial birds.” Additionally, folk belief holds that the hoot of an owl is unpleasant, and since they are nocturnal, they are considered ominous creatures that bring misfortune and death. There is a saying, “Not afraid of the owl’s hoot, but afraid of the owl’s laugh.” Here, “laugh” refers to an unusual hooting sound made by an owl, which is believed to herald death. Setting aside superstitions, one theory is that when a person is about to die, their body may emit a decaying odour, which a sensitive owl might detect, causing it to become excited and produce an unusual sound.

In England, they have been associated with death and there was a belief that a murdered person’s soul would manifest as an owl and hoot its sorrows. British beliefs about owls include the Welsh belief, that if an owl is heard amongst houses then an unmarried girl has lost her virginity. Another Welsh belief is that if a pregnant woman hears an owl, her child will be blessed.

We have explored various symbols of owls in different cultures. The cultural diversity not only demonstrates how people build connections with nature but also reflects how humans have ascribed specific meanings to animals based on their own needs and beliefs. Do you know of any other owl species and their symbolic meanings? Share with us in the comments!