Hoo Hoo ? Owls And Superstitions, Thats Who
|
Superstitions surrounding owls have a long and ancient history. These nocturnal creatures often appear in horror mystery films, have been associated with dark, haunting night themes, and grace our Halloween décor each fall. Their wide staring eyes give them a wise appearance, while the ability to turn their head around makes them fascinating and mysterious creatures. Tuffs of feathers on the top of an owl's head gives them the appearance of horned devils and their piercing cries add to the spook effect found in the ancient folklore of many countries.
In many cultures owls were symbols of magic. In England, it was believed that if you cooked an owl's eggs until they were ash, it could be used as a potion to improve eyesight. In India, if you ate an owl's eyes you would get the same result.
Witches were often linked to owls. One Greek & Roman superstition believed that witches could turn themselves into an owl and then they would swoop down and suck the blood of babies. Other superstitions related to witches and owls were: that the owls were messengers for sorcerer's and witches, that they danced together on the graves of the dead and that if you hear the hoot of an owl, then a witch approaches.
In today's world, we have learned that most of these owl superstitions are just stories, born in a time when people were fearful and trying to find answers to their lives and environment. However, many of these legends survived over time. Here are some other interesting and somewhat strange superstitions that are linked to owls.
* An owl hooting or screeching at night could result in the death of a newborn baby, will cause the child to have an unhappy life, or possibly that the baby would become a witch. If the owl was heard screeching during cold weather it signaled that a storm was coming.
* Owls apparently are the only creatures that can live with ghosts, so if an owl is found nesting in an abandoned house, the place must be haunted.
* Death is often associated with owls such as if: an owl perches on the roof of your house or hearing an owl hooting constantly nearby.
* If a traveler dreamed of an owl, then that meant he would be robbed or possibly shipwrecked.
* A silly owl superstitions is that if you see an owl perched in a tree and you walk around and around that tree, the owl will follow you with it's eyes, turning his head around until he wrings his own neck. (The reality is that an owl cannot turn his head completely around).
* Not all superstitions were bad. Owls were also believed to bring good fortune in some cultures. An Afghanistan legend states that it was the owl that presented humans with flint and iron so they could make fire. In exchange, man gave owls their feathers.
* The Aborigines of Australia believe that owls are the spirits of women and are therefore sacred, while in Brittany is was a good sign to see an owl on the way to the harvest as it meant that it would be a good yield that year.
* The owl is a symbol of guidance and help by the Inuit's of Greenland, while the people of Indonesia saw them as wise beings using the owl's different calls to determine whether to travel or not.
There are many, many more legends concerning the owl. The reality is that owls are very helpful to us as they are excellent at pest control, especially Barred Owls. They control the population of mice, voles, moles, rats, skunks, snakes, insects and slugs to name a few. So this Halloween, put together an owl superstition trivia sheet for the guests at your Halloween party and add a friendly wise old owl to your décor. It's the perfect "night watchman".
=
Author Resource Information:
(c) 2005. Rose Smith is the owner of Halloween Howl, a website filled with Halloween party ideas, costumes, decorations, games, graphics, crafts and more. It's Halloween fun for all ages! Come visit us at: http://www.halloweenhowl.com
|
|
|
For Thanksgiving ? Be Thankful He?s Not The Cheating Kind
Infidelity is at an all time high. According to the latest statistics, 3 out of 4 husbands cheat on their wives. So if you have a faithful husband, you have much to be thankful for. Faithful husbands are in short supply. While most wives assume their husbands are faithful, only 1 wife in 4 can truthfully make that claim. An estimated 38 to 53 million women are victims of infidelity. Studies further indicate that 2/3 of the wives whose husbands are cheating on them (approximately 26 million wome...(related: Holidays)
Creating Your Own Holiday Traditions
I love this time of year -- decorations on the houses, a cold nip in the air, beautiful music everywhere you go. I often have a hard time understanding why so many people get so FRUSTRATED during the holidays -- until...(related: Holidays)
Gift Giving During Thanksgiving Adds That Special Touch
Many of us believe Christmas is one of the most celebrated holidays, right? Actually, one of the most notab...(related: Holidays)
Perfect Presents For Mom
Every year we search our brains for a unique, exciting gift for Mom. We have bought flowers, candy, jewelry, pictures of our kids and us. But this year, ...(related: Holidays)
Christmas Shopping For A New Love
Christmas is a magical time of year, especially for those of us paired off and in love. If you are in a new relationship, ...(related: Holidays)
The Truth About Mistletoe
You can call it the emasculator of the old king, a sexual symbol, latent with fertility or a good luck charm for a dairy herd. It's been used as an antidote for poison, a fire suppressant, a protection against evil spirits, a pain reliever for ...(related: Holidays)
Great Games For Your Halloween Party
If you're having a Halloween party you need to play some games! Whether it's to fill the time before the food is ready or to keep the kids occupied before their parents collect them, here are some ghoulish games to pla...(related: Holidays)
Cashless Gifts
Sometimes gifts that are truly from your heart have no cash value. But the value to the recipient can be more than any amount of money could provide. These gifts are truly from your heart to theirs.Look at the person's life and what they need. Maybe grandpa can't climb the ladder to prune his trees or bending down to those shrubs is more difficult than it used to be. Someone just broke their legs and lives in an apartment with a dog. Walking that dog is a major concern for them.If you just look, you will find many things to do which are cashless gifts from you.-Volunteer to work for a week at their favorite charity. You may put up signs, file in their office, call for don...(related: Holidays)
What Is The Easter In Your Business?
Easter 2005 is coming, Sunday March 27, and Christians worldwide are warming up to celebrate the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, a great sacrifice for humanity.What about you and your business? Is there anything the market can celebrate about any great sacrifice you have made for your employees, customers, partners, colleagues, friends, regulators and other stakeholders? Or are you in business waiting for others to make sacrifices, and then you st...(related: Holidays)
Christmas And New Year Celebrations: How Significant?
I remember vividly as if it were yesterday when I was only a little boy; I looked forward to Christmas and New Year holidays with an air of relief, satisfaction and relaxation. Relief, because I had the rare chance of putting a pause to the hectic and daily school schedule; satisfaction because it was a time to show off that cloth that 'daddy' bought for me and relaxation because I would go out with my family and friends to have a nice time.As I cracked open the har...(related: Holidays)
Virtual Assistants... Even Santa Needs One!
Trying to fit all the planning and preparing and celebrating of the holiday season into an already busy schedule can bring a lot of stress to a time of year that's supposed to be full of peace. These days, even Santa needs help making his list and checking it twice!Fortunately, help is available. Virtual Assistants, or VA's, offer a wide range of services designed to save you time and lighten your workload, which is more important than ever at this busy time of year. Here are a few ways a VA can help make your Christmas merry:
Decorate For Thanksgiving
Years of having to make do have turned me into a?"There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person."My old new house needs total make over. We are thinking about moving into my MIL's house. So I am walking around looking and thinking, my goodness, this will be way too much to do and then the old, "There must be someway I can do this cheaper type person" kicks in and I think, yah, there must.First curtains need to be put up on the windows. I will check all of Grandma's fabric?and she has tons, and see if some of it can be salvaged for window treatments. Gee, today all you really need is a nice wooden Venetian blind and a swag or scarf.I a...(related: Holidays)
site-map - Copyright © 2006 | Contact Webmaster | All Rights Reserved. | Holidays