Anonymous asked this question on 3/8/2000:

Hello Cassius!! Do you have any info on legends of the owl? I am also wondering, why do I see owl statues on roofs of buildings? Thanks!!!

cassius622 gave this response on 3/9/2000:

Hi,

As with most animals, there are legends about owls in every country where they live in the wild. Owls have been recognized as significant for many centuries... there was even an Egyptian heiroglyph which was an owl.

It is no wonder that the owl has attracted attention. These birds have many unique charachteristics. They can turn their heads almost completely around, a quality which reminded people of being able to "know everything at once". They also live to great age.

In Classical mythology, the owl was the sacred bird of the goddess Athena. Her owl was a symbol of the wisdom of deity.

The reason you see owl statues on rooftops has nothing to do with mythology, however. It's to scare pidgeons! Many folks dislike pigeons spending time on their buildings, mostly cause of droppings. Owls are natural preditors of pigeons - so hardware stores sell plastic figures of them for use as "scarecrows".

A good dictionary of symbolism will no doubt have much more to say about owls and their place in mythology if you have the time to check your local library or bookstore. In the meantime, I hope this helped!

-Cassius

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Anonymous rated this answer a 5.

thank you very much for all of the help!!