Wisdom
Barred Owl on an early morning walk in the woods.
I've wondered if owls are actually as wise as they're reputed to be .... apparently not! It's quite easy to train a surprising array of wild birds (including my good friends, Harry, the heron and Sally, the egret) to respond to a certain food stimulus, but not owls.
Apparently, as with people, we think they're wise because they look smart. It's their eyes ... an owl's eyes are enormous compared to the size of its head. In humans, large pupils are equated with focusing and attention being paid. An owl's eyes are also fixed in its head. In order for an owl to move its eyes, it must move the whole head which gives an owl an intelligent gaze as it scans the surroundings.
Perhaps the earliest known link between owls and wisdom is their association with Athena. The Greek goddess of wisdom is often depicted holding an owl. Because of their close kinship with the night, owls are also associated with magic and witchcraft. Merlin was known to have an owl, and in the Harry Potter series, young wizards communicate by owl messengers instead of instant messengers. Nice trade off...:-)
Wisdom
Barred Owl on an early morning walk in the woods.
I've wondered if owls are actually as wise as they're reputed to be .... apparently not! It's quite easy to train a surprising array of wild birds (including my good friends, Harry, the heron and Sally, the egret) to respond to a certain food stimulus, but not owls.
Apparently, as with people, we think they're wise because they look smart. It's their eyes ... an owl's eyes are enormous compared to the size of its head. In humans, large pupils are equated with focusing and attention being paid. An owl's eyes are also fixed in its head. In order for an owl to move its eyes, it must move the whole head which gives an owl an intelligent gaze as it scans the surroundings.
Perhaps the earliest known link between owls and wisdom is their association with Athena. The Greek goddess of wisdom is often depicted holding an owl. Because of their close kinship with the night, owls are also associated with magic and witchcraft. Merlin was known to have an owl, and in the Harry Potter series, young wizards communicate by owl messengers instead of instant messengers. Nice trade off...:-)