Regardless of their classification, they are typically symbols of Halloween and are also associated with death. Batsįirst, we know that bats are mammals and not birds.
For example, Tibetan folklore says that the vulture helps with the transition between the earthly life to the holding place the soul goes before rebirth. This practice is not looked at negatively in some cultures. This comes from the fact that vultures eat carrion or dead creatures.
We have learned from movies and TV that vultures circling above a character means that death is near. Virgil used negative owl symbolism in “The Aeneid,” and it is said that three Roman emperors died after owls perched on their homes. Perhaps owls are associated with death because they are a nocturnal bird, but the negative association goes back for centuries. In India, the number of times an owl calls can mean that death is imminent to those who heard the call. In China, the call of an owl means that a grave will soon need to be dug. OwlsĮven though there are many modern literary owls with positive traits (Hedwig in Harry Potter, Owl in Winnie the Pooh, and Soren in Guardians of Ga’Hoole), the owl has been described in many cultures as prophets of doom. » MORE: Honor a loved one with an online memorial. The black rooster is considered bad luck in Mexico. The color of the rooster may also have special significance. Similarly, if a rooster doesn’t crow at daybreak, great danger (or even death) may lie ahead. Generally, roosters do not raise the feathers of most humans, but roosters acting out of character may cause concern.Ī rooster typically crows at daybreak, so in parts of England, a rooster crowing at night indicates that death is near. There is a Danish story where a raven’s appearance corresponds with the death of a local priest. Poe wasn’t the only one to look at these birds with suspicion. The bird’s squawks of “nevermore” reminded the man in the poem of his deceased lover, who was conveniently named (for rhyming purposes) Lenore. In Edgar Allan Poe’s famous poem “The Raven,” a man goes crazy when visited by a talking bird. Ravens and crows are both black birds that act as a symbol of death or mourning. Ravens are larger than crows and have a different tail shape and flight pattern. Learn more about this phenomenon in our article, What Happens During a Crow Funeral ? 3. Perhaps it is because a group of crows is called a “murder” or accounts of crows acting strangely around a dead member of their community, causing the crow to be associated with death. In Wales, a crow flying above one’s house is said to predict the death of one of the inhabitants.įurther association of the crow with death occurred in 1993 when Brandon Lee was killed in a freak accident while shooting a film named after the bird. Some consider them to be clever birds that trick humans.
While Native Americans, Celtic, and Chinese traditions typically view crows as positive omens or even a sign of good fortune, other societies view them as harbingers of death.
Most societies see cardinals as favorable omens.
There aren’t any direct references in the Bible to cardinals, but the book of Matthew says not to worry about “what you will eat or drink or about your body, what you will wear.” Instead, we should look to the birds for inspiration on how to live. It’s not clear where either of these traditions came from, but some scholars associate the red cardinal with the blood of Christ. If you recently lost someone and get visited by a hummingbird, it is said to be a sign that a deceased loved one is visiting you. For some people, the cardinal acts as a reminder of the one they loved, and still others feel that their loved ones are coming back for a visit in the form of the bird.Īs a side note, hummingbirds also have this distinction. Many people think of their deceased loved ones when visited by a cardinal. We’ll discuss how some birds related to death in our culture may not have that connection drawn in other societies. Let’s learn about how certain birds became to be associated with death. For example, many feel that when they receive a visit from a cardinal or a hummingbird that they are being visited by a deceased loved one. Other birds that you may associate with death bring comfort. Can you think of a few birds that symbolize death? You may think of some birds as menacing creatures, similar to how Edgar Allan Poe or Alfred Hitchcock did when they wrote “The Raven” or directed “The Birds.”