I do love an owl …. Don’t you?

I have been fascinated by owls ever since I was a child.

They are birds with markings that can only be described as beautiful, they have an air of gracefulness about them.

Those huge eyes that miss nothing, the way they can move their heads without even flinching a muscle in the rest of their bodies. Owls have featured in so many stories, it appears that most authors consider them wise and quite rightly so!

Oldest species

Owls are one of the oldest species of vertebrate animal in existence, fossils have been found dating back 60 million years, showing the bird to have changed very little in that time.

They are one of the few birds that have been found in prehistoric cave paintings.

Majesty

There’s no doubting the majesty of owls. On silent, fluffy-edged stealth wings, they hunt small, nocturnal animals while it's dark, occasionally hooting or screaming at each other through the night. Then, when the sun shows up again, they return to their favourite roost.

Myths, Legends and Folklore

Owls are a bird that features prominently in the myths and legends of a variety of cultures. These mysterious creatures are known far and wide as symbols of wisdom, omens of death, and bringers of prophecy. In some countries, they are seen as good and wise, in others, they are a sign of evil and doom to come.

Owls are associated with supernatural powers, and some individuals believe that seeing an owl at night is a sign of good luck.

Athena was the Greek goddess of wisdom and is often portrayed with an owl as a companion. Homer relates a story in which Athena gets fed up with the crow, who is a total prankster. She banishes the crow as her sidekick and instead seeks out a new companion. Impressed with the owl’s wisdom, and levels of seriousness, Athena chooses the owl to be her mascot instead. The specific owl that represented Athena was called the Little Owl, Athene noctua, and it was a species found in great numbers inside places like the Acropolis. Coins were minted with Athena’s face on one side, and an owl on the reverse.

There are a number of Native American stories about owls, most of which related to their association with prophecy and divination. The Hopi tribe held the Burrowing Owl as sacred, believing it to be a symbol of their god of the dead. As such, the Burrowing Owl, called Ko’ko, was a protector of the underworld, and things that grew in the earth, such as seeds and plants. This species of owl actually nest in the ground, and so was associated with the earth itself.

The Inuit people of Alaska have a legend about the Snowy Owl, in which Owl and Raven are making each other new clothes. Raven made Owl a pretty dress of black and white feathers. Owl decided to make Raven a lovely white dress to wear. However, when Owl asked Raven to allow her to fit the dress, Raven was so excited that she couldn’t hold still. In fact, she jumped around so much that Owl got fed up and threw a pot of lamp oil at Raven. The lamp oil soaked through the white dress, and so Raven has been black ever since.

In many African countries, the owl is associated with sorcery and baneful magic. A large owl hanging around a house is believed to indicate that a powerful shaman lives within. Many people also believe that the owl carries messages back and forth between the shaman and the spirit world.

I have been busy making owl jewellery as part of my Enchanted range. This is a range of jewellery that has a background in myths, legends and folk lore.

Please take a look in my shop to see some of these new pieces!

www.themagicoffirefliesanddragonflies.co.uk