Little Owl – General Description

The owl is a symbol of learning, knowledge, a frequently used symbol on the emblems of scientific publishers and bookstores. The owl is associated with the goddess Athena, in the Romans Minerva (Myth of Athena here) , as the goddess also carries the attributes of wisdom and learning. And both the image of the learner until late at night and the image of the waking owl coincide in the depiction of learning and reflection.

“Owls are especially significant because of their nature, especially because they wake up at night; that is why their image is associated with vigilant soldiers, but also with other people dedicated to research.“

Judaism

Lilith, who was the night demon in Judaism, was depicted as an owl. Here the comparison will be apt with Durga, a Hindu goddess who rides an owl in her image of Kamunda. And even in the Yucatan Maya, Hunhau, the god of the dead, often wears an owl’s head.

America

The owl in Aztec culture was considered a bad omen, a demonic bad creature and misfortune. In pre-Pretec culture, however, Tenochtichtlan, the owl is a symbol of the god of rain. Thus, the story “What for some is an owl, for others a nightingale” acquires a clearer meaning – in different cultures, different characteristics and perceptions.

Asia

The Tatar khan wears a black owl on a golden shield – it is believed that the first Tatar ruler Genghis Khan, saved his life with the help of such a bird. In folk beliefs, however, the owl, along with the owl, have a negative performance. Due to the fact that the bird is nocturnal, ie. “Avoiding the light”, they are quiet, secretive, self-sufficient and with a voice of mourners (synonymous in German Toten-vogel – “birds of the dead”). In this way, they represent the denial of light, and in a positive presentation, it can be something like Jesus Christ on the “night of suffering and death.”

In China, it appears as the antithesis of the phoenix / firebird, a harbinger of misfortune. Because of their appearance, which was more like a flying night demon, and according to a fable, young owls learned to fly only after ruthlessly pecking out their parents’ eyes. Finds such as bronze vessels, however, indicate that the bird was perceived as a positive bird during the Shang Dynasty.

The Baroque poet Holberg (1675) speaks of the awakening of aggression in diurnal birds at the sight of nocturnal birds: “When an owl sees an owl, the birds pounce on it; If the world of the temple opens the gates, it will take it with a fight and a crash.”

Antiquity

In the ancient understanding, the owl, in addition to being a direct symbol of Athena (Myth of Athena here), was perceived as one of the wise birds along with owls and owls, which are also nocturnal birds – when they see in the dark, they see beyond delusion; they are perceptive. However, it is noted that this was not always the case, and evidence of the dual meaning of this symbol is the expression in German eulen nach Athen trage (“I carry owls in Athens”), equivalent to “I carry water in the sea, or twigs in the forest” – action without a meaning.

Interesting Facts about The Little Owl

• The adults are sedentary, staying in the territory throughout the year. Partners have a lifelong relationship.
  
• Unbelievable hearing allows cuckoo sounds of mice up to 99%.
• The fat reserves are much larger than the veiled owl, so cuckoos do much better in cold weather. But cold is a threat to both species and a big factor in their mortality.
• Cuckoo vocalizations can be heard a few kilometers away in a quiet night. Adults can produce 20 different sounds. These are especially sedentary and reside to their place of birth.
• They can be heard both at night and during the day, with peak activity at dawn and dusk.
• Cuckoos are territorial and will prosecute the offender if their initial warning is not heard.
• They make porridge from food for consumption later.
• Cuckoos can choose to make their home on valleys, rocks, old buildings and even rabbit holes.