Owls and witchcraft have long been associated with each other in folklore and popular culture. The connection between owls and the occult can be traced back to ancient times when these nocturnal creatures were believed to possess supernatural powers and knowledge. In many cultures, owls were seen as messengers of the spirit world, able to traverse between realms and communicate with the dead. They were considered wise and mysterious creatures, often associated with wisdom and knowledge. As a result, owls became symbols of wisdom and learning in many ancient societies. In the realm of witchcraft, owls were believed to be familiar spirits, companions to witches and sorcerers.

6 Myths and Superstitions About Owls

These beautiful nocturnal birds have long fascinated humans.

• California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

Jaymi Heimbuch is a writer and photographer specializing in wildlife conservation, technology, and food. She is the author of "The Ethiopian Wolf: Hope at the Edge of Extinction."

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Many birds are steeped in lore, but the owl is a raptor with no shortage of superstitions. Here are six of our favorites that may incline you to regard this bird with even more wonder.

1. Owls are famous for their exceptional eyesight and it was thought that you could gain better eyesight by ingesting parts of them. In England, the method was to cook owl eggs until they were ash, then incorporate them into a potion. Folklore from India had a more direct method: just eat owl eyes.
2. Owls are a sign of death in many cultures, including some Native American tribes. For instance, dreaming of an owl signified approaching death for Apache people. Boreal owl calls were a call from spirits to the Cree people, and if you answered back to the owl with a whistle and didn't get a response, it was a sign that your death was imminent. On the other hand, Dakota Hidatsa people believed that burrowing owls acted as protective spirits for warriors.
3. For some cultures, the owl was sacred. Among Australian Aborigines, owls are the spirits of women and so are sacred. The Kwakiutl people also thought owls were the souls of people and shouldn't be harmed because, if the owl was killed, the person whose soul the owl carried would also die. In fact, many different cultures believed that a person became an owl after death.
4. Owls are often viewed as a symbol of wisdom. The "wise old owl" character comes from an old English nursery rhyme, which suggests that listening more than talking is a valuable character trait that we would all benefit from developing. As such, the owl has become a sign of learning and mental change. Many people believe that seeing an owl is a profoundly good thing, as it indicates the start of a new phase in life.
5. Owls are, of course, associated with witchcraft—particularly white ones, which are the most elusive. Greeks and Romans believed witches could turn themselves into owls, and in this form would come to suck the blood of babies. In other cultures, owls were simply the messengers of witches, or hooted to warn of the approach of a witch. Unfortunately this led to many owls being hunted and killed in the Middle Ages.
6. Though the owl's nocturnal activity was at the root of many superstitions, the amazing ability of an owl to rotate its neck to extraordinary degrees was even turned into a myth. In England it was believed that if you walked around a tree that an owl was perched in, it would follow you with its eyes, around and around until it wrung its own neck.

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Commonly found in many countries the owl throughout the ages has attracted the fascination and awe of many cults and cultures, from them many different and contradictory beliefs have survived to the present day. The owl has had many associations with witchcraft, medicine, the weather, birth and even death, as such m any superstitions and fears about the owl remain. In the past it was thought to have been both wise yet foolish, feared but venerated and despised while being admired.

The owls is a nocturnal predatory bird distinguished by a large flat face, eyes surrounded by stiff-feathered disks, a short hooked beak, feathered legs with sharp talons, and soft plumage that facilitates soundless flight. The large eyes of the owl are encased in a capsule of bone called the �sclerotic ring� which directs the eyes forward allowing little movement. To look sideways the owl must turn its entire head, a relatively long and flexible neck permits the head to rotate through 270 degrees. As few owls hunt their prey in full daylight, their hearing is particularly important. Many owls have asymmetrical skulls with the ear openings at different levels; this enables the bird to pin-point any sound made by a prey animal.

The nesting habits of owls are highly variable. Some nest in holes in trees or among rocks while others nest in large trees, still others such as burrowing owl nests on the ground. Owls feed entirely on living animals, the size of the prey being proportional to the size of the owl, these can any be anything from insects to mammals as large as hares, a few feed primarily on fish. The indigestible portions of their food such as bones, hair and feathers are compressed and regurgitated as compact pellets, an analysis of these pellets often reveals their prey species. All owls lay pure white eggs.

Owl Species:

The owl is comprised of two distinct families of the order �Strigiformes�. T he typical owl makes up the family called �Strigidae� of which there are about 120 species, while the �Barn Owl� makes up the family called �Tytonidae� comprised of some 10 species, both families can be found worldwide . Some of the more common verities of owls are the �Tawny Owl� (Strix aluco), a brown-flecked species of Europe and the Middle East, the �Little Owl� (Athene noctua) is the Greek symbol of wisdom and the bird most associated with Athena, it can be found widely in many countries for it�s habitat is commonly near to human homes.

Snowy Owl / Barn Owl with prey

The largest of the owls are the �Eagle Owls� (Bubo bubo) of Eurasia and the powerful (Ninox strenua) of Australia; both measure up to 0.75-m/2.25 ft long. The �Snowy Owl� (Nyctea scandiaca) lives in the Arctic, while the worldwide �Barn Owl� (Tyto alba) formerly common in Britain but diminished by pesticides and loss of habitat, can now be found more frequently in Malaysia where it is used for rat control. The �Short-eared Owl (Asio flammeus) of North America, South America and Eurasia is a streaked tawny coloured owl about 38 cm/15 inches in length, it hunts at dawn and dusk and roosts mainly on the ground. The �Great Horned Owl� (Bubo virginianus) of North and South America measures 56 cm/22 inches; it has long ear tufts and lives in forests, grasslands and deserts.

Sadly some species of owl are in danger of extinction. The island species such as the New Zealand �Laughing Owl� and the Madagascan �Grass Owl� are most at risk.

In the realm of witchcraft, owls were believed to be familiar spirits, companions to witches and sorcerers. It was believed that witches could shapeshift into owls to carry out their magical deeds under the cover of darkness. Owls were also seen as protectors and guides for witches, providing them with insight and guidance in their magical practices.

Owls in Mythology:

In ancient Greek mythology the owl was the preferred bird of Athena, daughter of Zeus, the Goddess of Wisdom and War (see Athena - Gods and Goddesses (Greek Mythology) . Her preferred species was the Little Owl, which often accompanied her perched on her shoulder. The owl had the ability to light up Athena�s blind side revealing to her unseen truths and thus expanding her natural wisdom. Due to its association with the Goddess, the owl gained protected status in Athens and inhabited the Acropolis in great numbers. As the symbol of Athena the owl became thought of as a protector, its symbolism was adopted by Greek armies on their way to war as inspiration for their daily lives. If before a battle an owl flew over the army, it was taken as a good omen that victory was immanent. The owl was also given prominence in society and commerce being depicted on the reverse side of their silver drachma coins:

Classical style, 5th century BC. Hellenistic style 2nd century BC.

Also from Greek mythology is the story of Demeter, the Goddess of Corn, Grain and the Harvest. As the story goes, her daughter Persephone was abducted against her will by Hades, the God of the Underworld to be his wife. In her anger at the loss of her daughter, Demeter laid a curse on the world causing all the plants and crops to wither and die, the world soon became a desolate place resulting in wide-spread famine. Seeing this Zeus became alarmed and sought Persephone's return. He agreed with Hades that Persephone could be returned to her mother provided she ate nothing while in the Underworld. Not wanting to lose his new bride, Hades deviously offered Persephone a pomegranate as a departing gift.

On her way home Persephone became curious by the seeds inside the pomegranate and tasted one, however she was seen to do so by Ascalpus who reported it back to Hades. By tasting the seed Persephone became eternally bound to Hades, for he decreed that she should spend four months of each year as his wife in the Underworld. During these months Demeter grieves her daughters absence and withdraws her gifts from the world, thus creating winter. On her return in the spring, Demeter is overjoyed and once again makes the earth bloom and bear fruit.

This could have been a fitting end to the story but I�m afraid it is not, for all things including Gods and Goddesses have light and dark, positive and negative aspects. Demeter in revenge for the time her daughter must spend in the underworld, sought out Ascalpus �the tell tale� and turned him into an Owl for his trouble. Not just any old owl mind, but a sluggish �Screech Owl� the most loathsome of the owl species.

From Celtic mythology we have the story of Blodeuwedd. Blodeuwedd was a beautiful goddess created out of flowers by Gwydion to wed his son Lleu. Lleu on seeing her immediately fell in love. However Blodeuwedd had no heart for Lleu and instead fell in love with Goronw Pebyr. Not wanting to marry Lleu, she and Goronw conspired to kill him. But Lleu had been made invincible by the gods and to protect him from death could only be killed in a very special way. Early one evening Blodeuwedd seduced Lleu into revealing his secret, and being in love he told her: �he could only be killed if it were twilight, if he was wrapped in a fish net, had one foot on a cauldron and the other on a goat, and if the weapon used had been forged during sacred hours when such work was forbidden�.

Hearing this Goronw snuck away and forged such a weapon, returning just before twilight. Blodeuwedd then asked Lleu to demonstrate how improbable such a position was to achieve by chance, and when he did Goronw leapt out from the shadows and struck him down. As the myth would have it, Llew didn�t die but was transformed into an eagle and eventually restored to human form, after which he in turn killed Goronwy. Blodeuwedd because of her treachery was transformed into an owl by Gwydion, and forever haunts the night in loneliness and sorrow shunned by all other birds.

In some traditions, owls were even believed to be the embodiment of witchcraft itself. The presence of an owl was seen as a sign that magic was at work or that a witch was nearby. Owls were often depicted in witchcraft art and imagery, symbolizing the mystical and supernatural powers associated with witches. However, it's important to note that the association between owls and witchcraft is primarily rooted in ancient folklore and mythology. In reality, owls are simply birds of prey that are known for their exceptional hunting abilities and keen senses, particularly their ability to see in the dark. They play an important role in maintaining ecosystems by controlling rodent populations and are admired for their beauty and unique adaptations. In conclusion, the connection between owls and witchcraft is a product of centuries of folklore and cultural beliefs. While owls have been associated with the occult and witchcraft, it's worth remembering that these associations are based on superstition and imagination rather than factual evidence. Owls are fascinating creatures in their own right, holding a place in both mythology and the natural world..

Reviews for "The Owl's Role in Ancient Witchcraft Traditions"

1. Jane Doe - 2 stars - I was really disappointed with "Owls and witchcraft". I thought the book would delve deep into the history and mythology surrounding these magical creatures, but instead, it was mostly filled with fluffy descriptions of owls and their behavior. The witchcraft aspect was barely touched upon, and when it was, it felt more like a superficial mention rather than a comprehensive exploration. Overall, it left me wanting more substance and depth.

2. John Smith - 1 star - As a fan of witchcraft and the supernatural, I was excited to read "Owls and witchcraft". Unfortunately, the book failed to deliver on its promise. It lacked any substantial information or insights into the connection between owls and witchcraft. The author seemed to rely heavily on personal anecdotes and opinions rather than actual facts and research. Additionally, the writing style was dry and dull, making it a struggle to get through even a few pages. I would not recommend this book to anyone looking for a comprehensive exploration of owls and their ties to witchcraft.

3. Sarah Thompson - 2 stars - I expected "Owls and witchcraft" to be a captivating and informative read, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The information provided was basic and surface-level, offering nothing new or intriguing. The book felt like a collection of random facts about owls and witchcraft, without any cohesive narrative or analysis. It lacked depth and failed to explore the potential fascinating connections between these two subjects. Overall, I found it to be a disappointing and forgettable read.

4. Michael Johnson - 1 star - "Owls and witchcraft" was a complete waste of my time and money. The book jumped between unrelated topics and failed to provide any meaningful information about owls or their connection to witchcraft. It felt like a poorly written compilation of random thoughts, lacking structure and substance. The author's writing style was also confusing and hard to follow. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone interested in truly understanding the subject matter.

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