Talk about awe and fascination in birds and animals, and everybody will think about ‘the owl.’ The mythology of the owl is dated far back beyond time we can date and has been passed on to generation after generation. However, to different cultures, the bird has been contradictory. In some cultures, it is hated, while in others, it is far much adored. In some, it is an angel of death, whilst in others, it is an angel of birth. In some, it is associated with witchcraft, while in others, it is associated with medicine and many more. For instance, among the ancient Greeks, Athene, the so proclaimed goddess of wisdom, honored the owl very much and classified it as her favorite bird (Athene noctua). The bird was protected and was allowed to occupy the Acropolis (A highly regarded area). The ancient Greeks used the bird to predict glory before going to battles. It was regarded that if the bird flew on top of Greek warriors before going to war, then they would emerge to be victorious (Adams, 1992). They also believed that the owl was a keen full watcher of Athens trade, and that is why it was engraved at the back of their coins. According to Lewis, the following picture demonstrates two coins with an owl engraved at the back (Lewis, 2005).
Hellenistic style, 2nd century BC (1) Classical style, 5th century BC. (1).
References
Adams, D (1992). The World of Myth: An anthology, New York: Oxford UP.
Lewis, D. P (2005). Owls in mythology and culture. , Web.