Why an owl is a symbol of wisdom?

Why an owl is a symbol of wisdom

Owls are mysterious birds that cause awe and fear among many people. They lead a mysterious nightlife, fly silently, and can scream sharply and frighteningly. These birds appear in the most unexpected places, catch mice and from ancient times have a halo of supernatural creatures. Many nations have an owl as a symbol of wisdom. Why is the bird so perceived and everywhere is it associated with deep knowledge - we will consider in the article.

How do different nations perceive an owl

Owl is common in symbolism from ancient civilizations. She was feared and associated with deities. In many ancient legends, owls play the role of advisers, soothsayers, and birds with supernatural knowledge. The Slavs have long considered the Soviets to be the keepers of treasures, underground treasures, for the ancient Greeks these birds were associated with the goddess of wisdom Athena. In Christianity, there is a belief that an owl is a symbol of the wisdom of Christ, manifested in pristine darkness. American peoples regard it as a bird of sorcerers.

This unusual bird is often associated with signs. The French believed that if she screamed near a pregnant woman, a girl would be born. The Hindus paid attention to the number of clicks spoken by the owl. It could portend death, marriage, success, invasion of guests.

For the American Indians, the owl was the personification of magic, prophecy, a symbol of protection, a deity of high spirit and fertility. The ancient Mayans considered it a symbol of power. Owl feathers became mascots, fit into the head of the children for a sound, serene sleep. The Indians of one of the tribes considered owls the souls of people and were afraid of killing them.

The oldest image of a bird is about 34 thousand years old. She was found on ancient coins, utensils, associated with the goddess of darkness Athena, personifying strength and wisdom. The ancient inhabitants of Greece believed that if you meet an owl, the solution to the most difficult problem will come to mind. The bird flying before the battle over the Greek army instilled hope in victory. The Romans considered it an attribute of Minerva, bringing good ideas at night.

Owls often act as friends of shamans, helping to establish contact with spirits. In China, they were considered the defenders of the house from a lightning strike, in India - a symbol of wealth. Muslims have an owl - a kind sacred bird, in Bulgaria they associate it with a fallen angel. In Russia, an owl often became a positive character in fairy tales. She was called the “reasonable little head,” the counselor of Leshiy, the things of the bird.

This bird often appears in films and cartoons today as a wise positive character. Such an indifferent attitude towards her inspires the idea that the owl really is an unusual feathered, possessing excellent mental abilities.

Why an owl is the personification of wisdom

Scientists believe that one of the reasons for treating owls as wise birds was their mysterious night cry. By its strength, depth and uniqueness there is no equal to it. The bird is able not only to grin, but also laugh out loud, causing horror or awe. Her cries strangely act not only on people, but also on animals. Owls meet wolves, dogs, cows and jackals. Such a roll call excites the imagination and makes us attribute the owl to the divine clan.

According to biologists, the reason for the owl’s special wisdom is that its brain mass is greater than that of other birds. A feathered bird is able to hear the slightest rustling and see prey in the dark at a decent distance. The owl is patient, does not fuss, hunts extremely deliberately, and not just rushes at the target in the hope of luck.

The appearance of the bird also has the potential to be considered wise. Her head is like the head of a man with a face reflecting meditation. Perhaps this fact has become one of the reasons to consider the bird wise. It is impossible to explain specifically why this is happening. People are accustomed to the fact that the owl is a symbol of knowledge, and do not think about the reasons. It is likely that in ancient times, the bird somehow manifested itself in this regard. And today it remains only to believe in the deep supernatural wisdom of an owl.