Owl Tattoos

Owl Tattoos

Owl tattoos have been growing in popularity over the past decades. I guess the reasons why an owl makes an interesting tattoo choice is because you can really create a fun tattoo which still has meaning.

Almost all cultures have held this bird in high esteem. Egyptians believed that the owl was able to communicate with the underworld and would accompany their souls when they departed. In Greek culture, the owl sits on the shoulder of Athena, the goddess of wisdom, and reveals unseen truths to her.

Nowadays owls are mainly recognized as one of the most wisest of all creatures. They are symbols of wisdom, wiser even than the eagle and the totem bird of the Sun Kings.

Owls are master hunters. They easily boast a kill rate of over 85%. A reason for such an incredible high kill rate is their innate intuition and their enormous eyes. They have exceptional night vision and unmatched peripheral vision, as well as having great daylight vision, which is rare to have. By enlarging either its right or left pupil to balance shadows, an owl can even control the amount of light entering its eyes independently. What this ultimately means is that the owl's brain spends much of its time processing information from its optic nerves. In fact, neurological maps of an owl's operating brain show a large amount of brain power focused on their sense of sight.

Now a lot of people get an owl tattoo because of its intelligence and wisdom however in many cultures the owl also means the bringer of evil and death. In ancient Egyptian times as the owl was associated with the dead, its hooting would be interpreted as a warning for an imminent death or some form of evil in some tribes and cultures. Zulus and certain west African nations consider the owl a potent influence in casting spells and the body parts of an gives a certain strength to a person involved in magical incantations. So in this respect owls represent a duality. That their innate wisdom combined with their dark, mysterious aura would appeal to those individuals that like the idea of an intelligent yet dark personality. In my opinion that is a formidable combination.

Owl Tattoos

The tattoo below focuses on the all watching eyes of the owl. It can look beyond the surface to see the real truth behind any bluff. Acting as spiritual mirrors, allowing us to face the things we fear the most, our selves reflecting in their gigantic eyes.