Discussion»Statements»Rosie's Corner» Are birds a smart species? Why do we say "wise as an owl"? What makes owls so smart we compare ourselves to them?
Because they're always asking "Who?" lol But they never ask "Why?" ... so I don't know how they became a symbol of wisdom.
AH! I just looked it up.
Even the mythology relates owl to this wisdom and femininity. The owl was a symbol for Athena, goddess of wisdom and strategy, before the Greeks gave their pantheon human forms. According to myth, an owl sat on Athena’s blind side, so that she could see the whole truth. In Ancient Greece, the owl was a symbol of a higher wisdom, and it was also a guardian of the Acropolis. Diana, the Roman response to Athena, was strongly associated with the moon, and also the owl. The Pawnee and the Sioux saw the owl as a messenger (akicita) to the first of all evil creatures (Unktehi).
So it stems from ancient mythology then. But I still wonder WHY that was the choice of the ancients? Why not an EAGLE that soars? Thank you for your excellent reply m'dear. Appreciate that you researched the beginnings. Isn't it odd though that we still follow that mythology thousands of years later Walt?
I dunno ... do they have eagles in Greece? Is an owl the largest bird they have?
It's probably because whomever was making up the story first, just looked around for inspiration ... and they were telling the story around a campfire at night, of course ... and the only animal they saw was an owl.
According to ancient folklore in the West, the owl is considered a wise, silent and solitary bird of prey associated with lunar deities---symbols of wisdom, wiser even than the eagle---the totem bird of the Sun Kings.
Also, the owl is the animal representation of the Greek goddess of wisdom Athena and hence its reputation in the West.
In India, the owl is considered a symbol of foolishness since in Indian mythology, the bird is seen as the vehicle of goddess Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) when this kind of wealth is attained by foul means.
According to mythology, Lakshmi is always shown residing in pure minds. When shown travelling on an owl, she represents a symbol of corruption and wealth.
Therefore, the own in India has become a symbol of foolishness, ugliness, and misfortune.
Walt O'Reagun 