The barn owl is a medium-sized owl that is found worldwide. It gets its name from its habit of nesting in old barns and other man-made structures. The barn owl has a distinct heart-shaped facial disk and rich buff to white plumage. It is a powerful hunter that primarily feeds on small rodents such as mice and voles.
Throughout history and across cultures, the barn owl has accumulated a rich symbolic meaning. It has been associated with both positive and negative attributes, making it a complex symbol open to interpretation. By examining the barn owl’s natural history as well as its mythical associations, we can better understand what this enigmatic bird represents.
Physical Features
The barn owl’s most distinguishing feature is its heart-shaped facial disk, formed by stiff feathers that help direct sound waves towards its ears. This adaptation allows the owl to precisely locate prey in low light or complete darkness. Other identifiable features include its rich buff to white plumage, dark eyes, and long legs.
Barn owls come in a variety of color morphs. The most common is the light to medium morph, which has tawny-buff upperparts and lighter underparts. The darker red morph has more rufous upperparts and undersides. There is also a dark brown morph, an intermediate brown morph, and an albino morph with all white plumage.
Ghostly Associations
With its pale plumage and silent flight, the barn owl seems almost ghostly as it hunts by night. This spectral quality has earned the barn owl associations with the supernatural, magic, and even Death.
In English folklore, a barn owl screeching from the rafters was believed to signify imminent death or disaster. This gave rise to nicknames like “Death Owl” and “Demon Owl.” A glimpse of a barn owl during the day was also thought to be an omen of bad luck or death. The owl’s association with human spirits comes from the superstition that they carry souls up to Heaven on their feathered wings.
Wisdom and Insight
Despite its ghostly reputation, the barn owl is also considered a symbol of wisdom, insight, and knowledge. This stems from its large eyes and almost constant vigilance. As a talented hunter, the barn owl relies on its keen senses and stealth flight to capture prey. Its ability to see and hear what others cannot provides a metaphor for secret knowledge and awareness.
In Ancient Greece, the goddess Athena was often depicted with an owl as a companion. As the goddess of wisdom, the owl symbolized Athena’s clear discernment and perspicacity. The barn owl’s heart-shaped facial disk even bears a resemblance to the faces on some Athenian owl coins.
Female Archetypes
Throughout history, the barn owl has been associated with certain female archetypes, mainly those of mothers and mystics. As a nesting owl, the female barn owl faithfully incubates her eggs and cares for her young before they fledge. This maternal devotion led to the barn owl symbolizing motherhood in many cultures.
The barn owl has also been linked to female mystics and seers, possibly stemming again from its large eyes and nighttime hunting. To the Romans, the owl was a symbol of Alcyone, a mystic witch goddess. In medieval legends, the barn owl was the trusted companion of Morgana Le Fay, using its magic and wisdom to assist the sorceress.
Helper and Protector
While often depicted as frightening, the barn owl can also represent helpful spirits that guard against evil. Creatures that come out at night and have superior vision, like the owl, were believed capable of warning people of danger or spirits trying to cause harm.
In Native American traditions, the owl is considered a guide that light’s one’s path through life’s difficulties. Owl spirits and imagery were thought to help ward off bad medicine and give protection from unseen evils. The owl reminded people to face their fears and walk through darkness with confidence.
Harbinger of Change
As a creature active between daylight and darkness, the barn owl is a messenger moving between worlds. In many cultures, the owl signifies transitions, change, and initiation. Hearing an owl’s hoot may indicate a need for awareness, while seeing one perched on a building may signal coming change.
In Celtic mythology, the barn owl heralded prophecy and discernment. Its hooting and screeching were omens to prepare for transition or confront truths. To some Native American tribes, a dead owl signaled a need for self-evaluation and new beginnings.
Death and Rebirth
Given its association with spirits, magic, and prognostication, the barn owl is also a symbol of the cycle between life and death. Its nightly activity exhibits a withdrawal from daytime vitality into night’s darkness. Yet it also emerges again at dusk, like a spirit resurrecting from the otherworld.
The barn owl’s silent flight and ability to see in the dark enable it to exist between two worlds. It moves from life into death and back again effortlessly. Therefore, the owl can represent the soul or human existence between mortal and eternal realms.
Duality and Contrasts
As an animal active at twilight, the barn owl lives in two spheres, occupying a liminal space between light and darkness. It embodies a number of opposing elements found in mythology and folklore:
| Wisdom | Supernatural |
| Light | Darkness |
| Life | Death |
| Fearful | Friendly |
| Normal | Magical |
The barn owl’s contrasting symbolism reflects its ability to bridge and embody these dualisms simultaneously. Its flexible meaning allows it to be an ambivalent symbol of good or evil, wisdom or terror.
Concealment and Mystery
As a creature of the night, the barn owl is shrouded in mystery. Its camouflaged plumage and silent flight allow it to remain hidden from view and unseen. When it does reveal itself, it is only briefly before retreating back into darkness.
The barn owl keeps to the shadows, concealing its private life and habits. We may catch glimpses but do not fully understand this bird. Its secrecy leads to uncertainty about its true nature and powers. For this reason, the barn owl can symbolize magic, occult knowledge, and the unseen world.
Predation and Hunting
A talented hunter, the barn owl relies on stealth and surprise to catch its prey. Its ability to hunt by sound gives it an advantage over its victims. As a raptor, the barn owl symbolizes qualities like speed, precision, and power.
At the same time, the owl’s predators are few, allowing it to evade harm in most cases. Therefore, the owl can also represent the hunted – being able to escape pursuers and avoid capture. Its dual existence as hunter and hunted amplifies its liminal qualities.
Sign of Fertility and Abundance
Despite its association with darkness and death, the barn owl has also been a sign of fertility, abundance, and new life. This may stem from its high breeding rates, with barn owls capable of producing up to 20 young per year. Broods of baby owls represent them multiplying rapidly.
In Egypt, the barn owl hieroglyph meant “plenty, wealth” and was read “miut” or “mit.” Owls were associated with pregnancy and childbirth. This productive symbolism translated to the owl being an omen of abundant crops and fertility.
Mythical Origins
Various myths explain the barn owl’s origins and its distinctive features. In Nordic legend, the god Loki tricked the owl into a wager, resulting in the scorching of its white feathers. Loki wagered his head that the owl could not go without sleep just as the birds do in summer. When the exhausted owl finally blinked, its feathers were singed by the rising sun.
A Pawnee legend tells of a boy whose fashion sense was mocked by village women. The Great Spirit transformed him into an owl so that he only flew by night and wore simple feathers instead of fancy clothes. The boy’s huge eyes were also a gift to help locate clothes-making mice.
Owl Deities and Characters
Various cultures have owl gods, goddesses, and characters that reveal key traits about the bird:
Blodeuedd – Celtic Goddess
Created from meadowsweet flowers, King Lleu’s wife was transformed into an owl as punishment by Gwydion. Represents betrayal.
Owl – Mayan Trickster God
Depicted as an owl or owl-headed man. Known as a troublemaker and seducer of women. Represents disorder.
Molin – Slavic Demon
Takes the form of an owl to steal children’s souls before baptism. Represents evil and darkness.
Tecciztecatl – Aztec Moon God
Depicted as an owl warrior who refused to sacrifice himself to become the sun. Represents cowardice.
Duwende – Philippine Folklore
Shape-shifting earth spirit that appears as a tiny humanoid or barn owl. Represents trickery and mischief.
Interpretations in Dreams
Like other symbols, the owl appears frequently in dreams, giving insight into inner realities:
Positive Owls
Wisdom, overcoming fear, ability to see what others don’t, developing intuition
Negative Owls
Death, weakness, destructive change, loss of control, black magic
Depending on Context
Female power, motherhood, secrecy, initiation, understanding mysteries
Conclusion
The barn owl is a complex symbol that has served both positive and negative roles across different cultures. It represents wisdom and maternal care as well as evil omens and the supernatural. Much depends on how the owl is depicted – its posture, actions, and other contextual clues. This ambiguity allows the owl to be an adaptable symbol of duality and liminality.
While sometimes considered an ominous sign, the owl more generally signals a need for awareness and embracing both light and dark aspects of life. Its ability to see what is hidden reveals the importance of not fearing the unknown or death. By exploring the mysterious owl, we confront our own dual nature and gain wisdom in the process.
