This bird has a reputation for being the wisest of birds and yet it has also developed a bad reputation that stems from the fact that it is a solitary bird that has a nocturnal existence. It has been suggested that it is for this reason that it has been associated with the hours of night time when the darker forces are said to walk the earth. It has even been said that to see one during the day is a sign of bad luck. The Barn Owl is now on the Red List as a threatened species due to many factors such as loss of habitat, road accidents and changes in agricultural practice. They mate for life so the loss of a mate is devastating.
Should an owl brush its wings against a window pain or be seen perching for a considerable length of time on a roof then it is traditionally believed that illness and even death is present within.
To look into an owl's nest is reputed to leave the observer with a sad and morose soul.
According to an old Welsh tradition if you hear an owl hooting amongst a densely built up area then a female in the locality is said to have just lost her virginity!
A dead owl has served many purposes including mixing some of the flesh with boar's grease as an ointment to ease the pain of gout.
Owl broth was once used to feed children to avoid whooping cough according to tradition.
The eggs were also once thought to help prevent epilepsy, bad sight (for obvious reasons) and to bring drunks back to their senses.
An Owl that enters the house must be killed at once, for if it flies away it will take the luck of the house with it.
To counter evil owl power put irons in your fire. Or throw salt, hot peppers or vinegar into the fire, the owl will get a sore tongue, hoot no more, and no one close to you will be in trouble.
When you hear an owl, take off your clothes, turn them inside out and put them back on. You might not want to do this if you are in public.
Any man who eats roasted owl will be obedient and a slave to his wife. Be sure to check the turkey??
Many people used to believe that owls swooped down to eat the souls of the dying. If they heard an owl hooting, they would become frightened. A common remedy was thought to be turning your pockets inside out and you would be safe.
Due to the Barn Owls eerie appearance, its habit of screeching and nesting in old abandoned buildings and churches people believed it was associated with ghosts and death.
Witches were thought to transform into owls and suck the blood of babies.
It was believed you could discover a person's secrets by placing a feather or part of an owl on him while sleeping.
The Custom of nailing an Owl to a barn door to ward off evil and lightning persisted into the 19th century.
I Talk With the Moon.
I talk with the moon, said the owl
While she lingers over my tree
I talk with the moon, said the owl
And the night belongs to me.
I talk with the sun, said the wren
As soon as he starts to shine
I talk with the sun, said the wren
And the day is mine.
~ Anonymous
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