Last updated on May 19th, 2023 at 10:45 pm
Owls are heavily used as symbols in literature, folklore, and popular culture, and often they’re seen as bad omens or signs of bad luck. Where does this come from?
Some people consider owls bad luck because they are stealthy, predatory birds and they have a long tradition of being associated with witches. This stems from Greek and Roman mythology but has also been represented in folklore worldwide, as well as popular culture.
Why Are Owls Considered Bad Luck?
Owls are considered bad luck in some cultures because they are associated with nighttime and witchcraft.
The association goes as far back as Roman and Greek mythology, and it has a lot to do with the fact that most owls are nocturnal and predatory.
Owls in Roman and Greek Mythology
In Roman and Greek mythology, owls were associated with witches, as many believed that witches could transform into owls to stealthily travel through the world.
Ever since then, witches and owls have been tied together in stories.
Sometimes, owls were portrayed as messengers on behalf of witches rather than manifestations of the witches.
In another Greek myth, a god punishes one of the demons of the underworld by turning him into a screech owl.
The demon goes on to live life as a screech owl, acting as an evil spiritual force on earth.
Interestingly, Greek mythology also associated the owl with the goddess of wisdom, Athena.
They were seen as otherworldly, possessing powers beyond what ordinary birds have. This likely stems from the fact that owls see well in the dark.
Owls in Folklore
There are numerous folk legends to do with owls. One says that when an owl hoots three times in a row, it brings bad luck to those who hear it.
Another says that owls live in harmony with ghosts and therefore are marks of a haunted house.
The origins of these myths are unknown, but they closely follow the traditions of Halloween.
Additionally, some cultures believed that if an owl called out near a home where a newborn baby was living, the baby would either die or become a witch.
Owls in Popular Culture
Owls are also associated with witches and darkness in popular culture.
For example, owls are messengers for witches and wizards in the Harry Potter books and films.
And in the TV show Twin Peaks, owls are used to evoke a haunting feeling of mystery with the line “the owls are not what they seem.”
In the book The Owl Service, owls are associated with otherworldliness and spookiness, and perhaps also bad luck.
In this story, the protagonist sees the image of an owl on a dinner plate, only to see it disappear again the next day.
Then, the character starts to hear the rustling of owls as an old legend comes to be in modern times.
Why Are Owls Associated With Death?
Owls are associated with death in some cultures because of their predatory nature and because they move stealthily at night.
Some people believe an owl perched on a roof foreshadows death in that household and that a barn or house that’s home to an owl is haunted.
In the Hopi culture, burrowing owls are believed to be a manifestation of the god of the dead, a deity who protects the underworld.
Owls As Predators
One of the main reasons owls are commonly associated with death is that they’re seen as fearsome predators. So are they fierce predators, like the myths suggest?
Owls are dangerous to dogs and cats and large animals alike. Some owls feast mainly on small insects and birds, and others eat prey as large as an Osprey.
Fish are common prey for owls, as well as small mammals like mice, rats, and lemmings.
Owls may seem especially intimidating because they often eat their prey whole and head-first.
They also have sharp bills that can tear the prey into pieces and crush skulls with great power.
Owls As Creatures of the Night
Owls are commonly understood to be nocturnal, but are all owls active at night?
Interestingly, some owls are active during the day. Most are active at night, but some are diurnal, meaning that they sleep at night and are awake when it’s light outside.
And others are crepuscular, meaning that they are active at dawn and dusk.
What Do Owls Symbolize in Literature?
Owls symbolize both death and wisdom in literature, and they can be either good or bad omens but, in either case, tend to bring a sense of all-knowing and otherworldliness.
You can see these trends in works ranging from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar to A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh.
Owls in Julius Caesar
In Shakespeare’s Julius Ceasar, the hooting of an owl foretells the death of the protagonist, Julius Ceasar.
This is one of many instances in which Shakespeare uses birds as symbols or as clairvoyant beings.
When he was writing, there were many common myths and legends about birds, including owls.
Owls in Winnie the Pooh
In Winnie the Pooh, the owl character is a wise old friend yet scatterbrained.
Winnie the Pooh and his friends in the Hundred Acre Woods often go to the owl for advice when they’re in trouble.
While the advice is sometimes nonsensical, the owl’s role is to bring wisdom to the group nonetheless.
Owls in Squirrel Nutkin
In Squirrel Nutkin, the sequel to Peter Rabbit, the squirrels travel to Owl Island.
They search for Owl Brown, who threatens to skin them alive when they keep taunting him with riddles.
Many interpret the owl to symbolize the upper class that terrorized the lower classes in the 19th century.
Owls in the Silver Chair
In C.S. Lewis’s The Silver Chair, the owls are portrayed as wise and help the main characters through times of trouble.
The owls are known as the Parliament of Owls, appropriate given that a group of owls in nature is also called a parliament.
In this story, the owls become progressively wiser as the night grows darker.