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Owls are divided into two families- Strigidae (the True Owls) and the older family of Tytonidae, to which only the Barn Owl and the Bay Owl belongs to. Barn Owls can be thought of as the more ancient version of “Owl.” They do not hoot like True Owls but instead make a hoarse “Khurrew” noise. In addition, they have heart-shaped faces, longer beaks and heads, and forked tails. Barn Owls live in Europe and the Western Hemisphere, and Bay Owls live in Africa, Southeast Asia, and Australia. This makes the Barn Owl Sub-Family, one of the most widespread land birds in the world.
A master mouser, the Barn Owl (Tyto alba) can pinpoint the locations of small rodents with only sound. As a nocturnal hunter, she has such an acute sense of hearing that the Barn Owl can swoop down on a mouse, in the dark night. Because the Barn Owl is so good at hunting, many people think she spends many hours just loafing about.
In Europe, the Barn Owl had a sinister reputation because people associated her with darkness and death. Best known for her eerie skeletal appearance and bloodcurdling scream, the Barn Owl was regarded by the British as the Bird of Doom. Since she nests in church belfries and abandoned buildings, she became associated with ghosts.
In Mongolia, the Barn Owl is a Bird of Life. Genghis Khan attributed her with saving his life. While being pursued by his enemies, Khan hid in a bush. Fortunately for him, the Barn Owl decided to roost on that particular bush. His enemies thought that, since she was there, Genghis Khan had to be elsewhere. Since then, Mongolians held the Barn Owl in high esteem.
The Barn Owl is associated with the Hag Goddess, the Cailleach of the Celts. The Barn Owl represents Her Power over the unseen forces of the night. The Gaelic word for this owl is “cauileach-oidhche,” the white old woman of the night.”
In addition, the Barn Owl is associated with the faeries. Gwyn ab Nundd, the King of the Faerie has an owl companion. His owl represents the balance between light and darkness. Therefore, Barn Owl is the connection between this world and that of the faeries.
The Barn Owl teaches about the power of life and death. In folklore, the Barn Owl either saved people or predicted their death. In reality, she is a secret benefactor to people, for she kills numerous rodents that bring diseases to people. The Barn Owl provides life to ordinary people in this way. Silently killing rats hiding in the dark, she demonstrates the wise use of the power of life and death. The Barn Owl cautions people to use this power only for good.
