Besides Mail, What Does the Arrival of an Owl
Mean?
OWLS, OF COURSE, ARE THE PRIMARY means of
communication between wizards in Harry’s world. But in our world,
even though everyone likes to get mail, not everyone welcomes owls.
Many cultures, such as Egyptian, Roman, and Aztec, were ambivalent
about this bird of prey. In several parts of the world an owl’s
screech is considered a bad omen, perhaps even of death. As well,
owls, being nocturnal, have long been associated
with sorcery, which is always certain to scare someone.
J. K. Rowling says she found the name for Hedwig, Harry’s owl, in a book of saints. (See
Names)
Ron’s small owl, Pigwidgeon, gets its name from a tiny fairy.
Nonetheless, some cultures embraced this bird.
The emblem of Athens was an owl, because so many lived there. There
was an ancient saying, “Don’t send owls to Athens,” referring to a
silly waste of effort. Today one might hear a similar phrase,
“Don’t carry coal to Newcastle,” because Newcastle was
traditionally a coal-mining town.
Because Athens was a center of learning, owls
also came to symbolize intelligence. They were even adopted as the
emblem of Minerva, Roman goddess of wisdom (counterpart to the
Greek goddess Athena, patron of Athens).