Owls in Japan Culture.

Owls have been associated with magic, wisdom and heightened senses

throughout history from ancient Greece to Asia and America. Plains Indians

 wore owl feathers to protect themselves from evil spirits, and in middle eastern

 cultures the owl was seen as a sacred guardian of the afterlife.

In Greek mythology the owl was attributed to Athena, the goddess of wisdom,

 and as the symbol was used on Greek coins owls also became associated with wealth.

However in medieval Europe owls had a bad name; a symbol of witchcraft

 involved in the secret powers of the night, which is in sharp contrast to the

 symbol of knowledge and education that we commonly associate the owl with today.

In modern Japanese culture owls are still quite significant as many

 Japanese people commonly carry an owl charm, but what does it symbolize?

 

 

 

Owls for wisdom

Well, owls aren't just for luck in Japan. In different parts of the country a variety of attributions have been given to owls, mainly as a guiding bird, a bird which could predict the weather, but those original folk tales seems to have gradually vanished. Since the Meiji restoration in 1868 where Japan opened its doors to the West, the image of the owl has also changed, and the view on owls as a symbol of wisdom & education became prominent.

Today beliefs of lucky charms for fortune & protection of hardship, as well as owls as a symbol of knowledge seem to coexist in an unusual and interesting mix, just like the new and old Japan I guess...all whilst an increasing amount of cute and happy owl designs hit the market!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 The Bracelet, Earrings and Watch  that included to the article you can get from -CielavaAndCo