October is A Hoot
October Is a Hoot In October, the black of night is deep and dark. Chill winds blow away the veil of clouds shrouding the crescent moon so that it casts faint shadows in the forest. A deep hoot echoes, sending a shiver down your spine. October is considered Owl Month for good reason. This is the time of year that many great horned owls are active. They begin For millennia, human kind has shared myths that depict owls as emissaries of doom, death, and evil magic. |
Not all cultures have feared the owl. The Greek goddess Athena, fed up with the trickster crow, adopted the owl
as her companion animal thanks to its perceived wisdom and seriousness. Some Australian aboriginal groups believe that owls are the sacred spirits of women and are revered. In Afghanistan, it is said that the owl brought humans the gifts of flint and iron, tools to make fire. In return, humans gave owls their feathers. Owls are unique amongst birds. Their unusual characteristics—nocturnal nature, hooting calls, large eyes, and their uncanny ability
to rotate their necks—all have captured our imaginations and, in many ways, let our fears get the better of us. Thankfully, most cultures have learned to share these myths while preserving the species, ensuring the survival
of these magnificent animals for generations to come.