You may not give a hoot about owls, but if you’ve ever heard one screech, you probably remember it.  In fact, if you hear a Horned Owl screech you may believe that means bad weather is approaching, provided you’re a native of Newfoundland.  If you’re a farmer in Transylvania you’ll walk around your fields naked to scare away owls. And if you live in Louisiana, U.S.A and hear an owl cry you must return the call, or else take off an item of clothing and put it on again inside-out.

Those are just a few of the many superstitions that abound about owls.  Think you don’t have any superstitions?  Imagine you are walking along a deserted road at night.  All is quiet.  You pass by an old house; its roof is partially caved in, the windows are boarded up, its perfectly dark and quiet; if a haunted house exists, this would be a good candidate. 

Suddenly, you hear a long, loud screech.  Did you jump?  Look around?  Start to walk faster, or even run?  That startling scream would terrify anyone, making them wonder, what does that mean?  Over the years, that is exactly what it’s done. 

Owls are referenced in the Bible many times, from the book of Job to Isaiah and the Psalms.  They are mentioned along with other animals, not necessarily as evil, but as wild, lonely, and inhabiting desolate places.  And that is true.  By its very nature, the owl is a carnivorous bird of night, seeking out shelters in which to live and hunt.  They can’t help it that the places best suited to their needs are also gloomy and deserted.

In many countries the centuries have yielded hundreds of abandoned old castles, houses, barns, crumbling walls, caves, deep wells and other dwellings, all of which make perfect places for owls to wait for prey as well as rest.  Their relatively silent demeanor, coupled with a head that seems to spin, and eyes that stare without blinking simply add to its mystery.  It’s no surprise that owls have compiled an enormous number of superstitions. 

Those superstitions include both good and bad news.  In Afghanistan, it is believed that the owl gave man flint and iron to make fire, and man, in exchange, gave the owl his feathers.  The Swahili of East Africa, however, believe the owl brings illness to children. 

Romans detested owls, believing them to be the heralds of death.  Yet, if an owl flew over its troops at the dawn of battle, the Greeks believed they would be successful in combat; to them the owl was a symbol of wisdom.  The owl is sacred to the Hamites in Abyssinia.

In Babylon, it was believed that owl amulets protected women during childbirth.  A legend in Belgium tells that a priest offered the owl his church tower to live in if the bird would get rid of the rats and mice that plagued his church.  That tale has a ring of truth; getting rid of rodents in exchange for a place to stay seems like a win-win situation no matter what century or country you live in. 

Fast forward a few hundred, or thousand years, and we find that the owl is still part of modern culture.  It is the mascot of Brandeis University, Kennesaw State University, Florida Atlantic University and Chi Omega fraternity, to name a few institutions; no doubt because like the Greeks, they attribute wisdom to the bird.

Edward Lear must have had a soft spot for owls when he wrote the poem, “The Owl and the Pussycat.”  Lear portrays these two creatures-who actually have much in common—running off and getting married.  

Owls give a hoot about humans; most likely, their screech means, “you scared me,” or, “that’s my prey.”  Look up the definition of the word superstition, you’ll find it’s a belief based on ignorance and fear. Leave the superstitions and the fear behind.  Owls are beautiful creatures, made by the Creator for His glorious purposes.  One of which may be your enjoyment.