Superstitions on owls?

Question

my husband just saw an owl outside on the side walk. I've heard owls are witches and your suppose to cuss it out and send it away. Any one else heard this or is it just folklore?

Answer 1

Here's a great story for you...
I used to work in my tribal headquarters (Cherokee) with the Chief and her husband. One day, a very upset lady pulled up in a van with 2 crying children. She had been driving down the road, an owl flew in front of her, and before she knew it, she hit it. It was in the process of dying. In her shock, she remembered our headquarters and drove straight there thinking we might be able to help it or at least convince her children we would and take it from her. Knowing the superstition about them, but still thinking the Chief and her husband would help this lady, I asked them to come outside and see what she had. You should have seen them both turn white and run away from it. The poor lady begged them just to take the thing and tell her kids that we would help it. They wouldn't have anything to do with the owl. So, she had to get back in the van with a now dead owl and 2 crying children.

Among my people, giving (or with current technology) sending someone an owl's feather is a promise of death. It is taken extremely seriously.

Don't know about just seeing one, but from the reaction of my chief and her husband, I'd say it's not good.

We don't generally (as a stereotype) cuss very much, so I wouldn't think cussing it out is the general rule.. (though just the thought of you and your husband standing on the sidewalk cussing out an owl has brought me a bit of humor...) maybe try asking an Elder, or burning some sage to cleanse yourself might help?

Answer 2

Owls are Owls. Witches are Witches.
Many cultures have different views on Owls. Because they are most active at dusk and dawn and seldom seen. I would rather watch one than send it away or scare it away. There is a web site called the owl pages, www.owlpages.com
it lists folklore about owls from all over the world. I find it interesting that besides the "good" and "bad" ideas about Owls. The majority of cultures consider Owls to have a more feminine aspect than male. Quiet and mysterious.

Answer 3

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".-

Answer 4

I've worked with owls almost half my life, and so far, not one has done anything "witch" like. There are many old superstitions about them because of how creepy they can be at night. People also like to think they are very intelligent, when in all reality, they are some of the least intelligent birds out there. It was probably just looking for food. Whatever you do, please don't harm the owl. They are protected by law.

Answer 5

According to indian legend.. well some native americans.. when an owl appears during the daytime to you that means someone is going to die.. When they appear here .. lol.. it just means they are hungry and hunting rabbits for the buffet..Actually one night a great horned owl came and sat on our sky light and kept whooting until I went outside and slammed the door..It gave me the creeps but nobody has died so well don't know what it meant..

Answer 6

Owls....

I don't think any pagans would appreciate the idea you are cussing a fellow witch out to get them to shoo off. Some how, it sounds insulting to me, a fellow pagan.

Not to mention I've never heard that whole tidbit of Magna Carta crap.

I have heard they are messengers, omens, icons of illfate, emblems of wisdom, leaders of the hunt and pets of gods.

Answer 7

Many villagers in Greece shoot owls if they're perched on a tree too close to their house, because they believe someone will die in their home...

Answer 8

Yes it makes me nervous when i hear or see one during the day, they are night creatures after all. Right before my father died one came and hooted 3 times by my bedroom window, the same when my mother died, so yes I'm a little worried if that happens.

Answer 9

Supersition. Owls are just animals.

They can be good to have around, since they eat vermin.

Answer 10

owls bring lies to light make what you want of this