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Owl Day
Aug 4
Other Scottish Country Dances for this Day
Today's Musings, History & Folklore
"O you virtuous owle,
The wise Minerva's only fowle."
~ A Remedy for Love, Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586)
Whooo! Whooo! Who's ready for a reel? Young owls, "hoolets" (a variation of owlet) or those young at heart will enjoy this very lively which was devised for a dancer with large collection of owl figurines! The reel begins with two chords (hoot, hoot) so that third and fourth couple owls can cross to opposite sides, followed by lots of lively petronellas, reelings, and chasing! In olden times, however, the owls and owlets were referred to as "coileach-oidhche" ("night-cockerels") and believed to be harbingers of future events. The hoot of an owl was taken to predict weather changes or even warnings to take care! Though generally solitary, when owls are seen together in a group, they are known a "parliament" based on their reputation for wisdom and association with the Roman goddess of wisdom, arts, and warfare! Of the several species of owls in the UK, the tawny owl is known for its distinctive "twit-twoo" call! Do you dare to Twit-twoo, Hoot! Hoot! or Whoooo during the reels? 🦉 🦉 🦉
Hoolet
Owl Awareness Day is a day to learn more about the owl, a family of about two hundred species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight. Exceptions include the diurnal northern hawk-owl and the gregarious burrowing owl. They are found in all regions of the earth except Antarctica and some remote islands.
The owl has been been the subject of many superstitions, some positive but many not. Here are some interesting superstitions formerly believed of owls.
Owls are the only creatures that can live with ghosts, so if an owl is found nesting in an abandoned house, the place may be haunted.
If a traveler dreams of an owl, he will be robbed or possibly shipwrecked.
If you see an owl perched in a tree and you walk around that tree, the owl will follow you with its eyes, turning his head around until he wrings his own neck.
It is bad luck to see an owl in daylight (Scotland)
On the positive side, owls were also believed to bring good fortune in other cultures:
An Afghan legend states that it was the owl that presented humans with flint and iron so that they could make fire.
And the Aborigines of Australia believe that owls are the spirits of women and are therefore sacred.
And finally, to the Inuit of Greenland, the owl is a symbol of guidance and help
For a very interesting list of owl superstitions from various countries, click the Great Horned owl and her very well camouflaged owlet. Can you spot the baby owl?
Click the dance cribs or description below to link to a printable version of the dance!
