It's Folklore Friday from the folks at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary. If you're on Facebook, you should definitely like their page. They put a video up today of a bunch of Red Knots they released. They got sick from Red Tide while migrating. Here's today's folklore and it's about owls. They said it was a "Flashback" but I hadn't read this one before so it was new to me! Also, I'm wondering if that owl I keep hearing knows about the French folklore.
Folklore Friday Flashback: Owls are featured significantly in folklore and mythology. Owls have been both revered and feared. There are many Native American stories about owls and varied beliefs among tribes. In early Indian folklore, owls represent wisdom and helpfulness, and have powers of prophecy. Some saw owls as protective spirits, others believed they were the souls of recently departed people, and therefore treated with respect. And still other tribes believed owls were harbingers of sickness and death. The Hopi’s believed the Burrowing Owl, called Ko ‘ko, was their God of the dead and was held as sacred. It was the protector of the underworld and the plants and seeds that grew on the earth. The Hopis believed that the Great Horned Owl helped their peaches grow and the Creek believed Great Horned Owls to be a symbol of divine wisdom.
In ancient Greece, owls were a symbol of good fortune and Greek Goddess of Wisdom, Athena, was often portrayed with an owl. Hence the term “wise old owl”. Coins had Athena’s face on one side and an owl on the other. The Romans saw owls as omens of impending disaster. They believed that the hoot of an owl predicted the death of Julius Caesar. The Greeks believed the sighting of an owl predicted victory for their armies, while the Romans saw it as defeat. In Babylon, owl amulets were used to protect pregnant women. In Welsh folklore if a pregnant woman hears an owl, her child will be blessed. In France, owls are believed to help spinsters find husbands. In Arabia owls were thought to have magical powers. Hunters in Russia carried owl claws, so that their souls could use them to climb to heaven when they died.
In pop culture Woodsy Owl, whose memorable slogan was “Give a hoot, don’t pollute”, was the icon for the US Forest Service. Officially introduced on September 15, 1971, Woodsy’s first public service spot was created by US Forest Ranger Chuck Williams who was a consultant for the Lassie TV show. His current motto is "Lend a hand, care for the land!” which fits perfect with Corkscrew’s conservation mission.
