A Brief Look at Mermaid
Symbolism
Copyright © 2012 JYN Star
Mermaids are supernatural sea dwelling creatures, that are half human and half fish. Their name is a compound taken from Old English: mere meaning sea, and maid being a woman. A merman is the male counterpart. Mermaids are linked to the elementals, the fairy realm. They do not belong to the human or the animal world. Therefore, they are able to embody characteristics of both. Human/animal hybrids represent the ancient’s emerging understanding that human beings are connected to, yet different from, the animal world. The ancient’s understood the fact that all living creatures on Earth are connected.
Mermaids have the ability to foretell the future, and bestow human beings with supernatural powers. The mermaid can be symbolic of a woman who is balanced and emotionally in touch. In fact water is often symbolic of our emotional side, and a mermaid is a creature that originates from the sea, so therefore it makes sense that she be representative of human emotions.
Yet, there is a dark nature to many mermaid myths:
In the Lithuanian myth Amberella, the protagonist is taken to the depths of the sea by a whirlpool started by the prince of the sea, so that they can marry. In some versions, Amberella is unhappy in the marriage, and asks to see her family. In a rage, the prince brings her to the shore, where her parents see her, knowing she is lost forever. Amberella tosses amber to her family as a token of her love for them.
In Greek myth, the Sirens sing sailors to their death. In other fairytales and folklore mermaids are known to squeeze life out of men, and drag humans to their underwater kingdoms (many times mermaids forget that humans do not have the ability to breathe underwater).
Also, in Greek myth, the 50 Nereids (sea nymphs) are the daughters of Nereus and Doris. Thetis the most beautiful of them all is forced to marry a mortal by Zeus, who avoids a relationship with her because it is prophesized that Thetis’s child will be more powerful than his father. Thetis tries avoiding the marriage by changing into a bird, tree, and tiger but Peleus holds her by force. Again, highlighting the darker nature of Mermaids in myth.
A modern example of mermaid iconography is the Starbuck’s logo, which beckons many in cities nationwide to indulge in addictive caffeine. Or the kind and gentle mermaid (Madison) portrayed by Daryl Hannah in the movie Splash.
Whether a mermaid is luring us to our doom, or enticing a mortal into a love affair with a creature that lives between worlds, mermaids have been with us for centuries, and remain embedded in the collective. Mermaids are creatures that remind us that we are all connected on Earth. They are both animal and human (hybrids), a part of the earth and sea. Awakening and reconnecting us to our connection to everything.
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| A coin featuring Athena and the
owl from Greece |
I
have been looking into the symbolism of the owl, an animal that entered my life
when I visited a cave not too long ago. As we toured the cave by boat, an owl
flew in and perched on a rock formation at the cave's entrance. Since then the
owl has entered my life on several occasions so I have begun to really look into
the animal and its symbolism. Some of my more interesting findings are
below.
The below synopsis of owl symbolism comes from The Complete Dictionary of Symbols entry on the OWL:
Now an emblem of sagacity and bookish erudition, the owl has sinister, even ferocious symbolism in some ancient cultures, particularly in China. Its silent, predatory night flights, staring eyes, and eerie cry linked it widely with death and with occult powers, particularly of prophecy- perhaps from its ability to see in the dark. It was the bird of death in ancient Egypt, India, Central and North America, China and Japan, but in some traditions it appears as a guardian of the night or guide to the afterlife- among the Native American Plains' Indians for example, where owl images or ritually worn feathers had protective significance.
In China, young owls were fabled to peck out their mother's eyes. It was an ancient emblem of destructive yang forces, linked with thunder and the June solstice. As a creature of the dark, the owl was a Christian symbol of the Devil or witchcraft, and an image of the blindness of non-belief. Its association with intelligence comes from the Athenians who made the owl sacred to their goddess of wisdom and learning, Athene Pronoia ("the foreseeing"). Greek coins of Athene an owl on the reversed side. It is from this that the wise owl of European fables is derived, hence the common motif of owls perching on books, and the use of the term "owlish" to describe scholars blinking behind their bifocals. The owl also appears as an attribute to the personification of Night and Sleep.
The Owl (Symbolism) from Macrameowl.com
The below synopsis of owl symbolism comes from The Complete Dictionary of Symbols entry on the OWL:
Now an emblem of sagacity and bookish erudition, the owl has sinister, even ferocious symbolism in some ancient cultures, particularly in China. Its silent, predatory night flights, staring eyes, and eerie cry linked it widely with death and with occult powers, particularly of prophecy- perhaps from its ability to see in the dark. It was the bird of death in ancient Egypt, India, Central and North America, China and Japan, but in some traditions it appears as a guardian of the night or guide to the afterlife- among the Native American Plains' Indians for example, where owl images or ritually worn feathers had protective significance.
In China, young owls were fabled to peck out their mother's eyes. It was an ancient emblem of destructive yang forces, linked with thunder and the June solstice. As a creature of the dark, the owl was a Christian symbol of the Devil or witchcraft, and an image of the blindness of non-belief. Its association with intelligence comes from the Athenians who made the owl sacred to their goddess of wisdom and learning, Athene Pronoia ("the foreseeing"). Greek coins of Athene an owl on the reversed side. It is from this that the wise owl of European fables is derived, hence the common motif of owls perching on books, and the use of the term "owlish" to describe scholars blinking behind their bifocals. The owl also appears as an attribute to the personification of Night and Sleep.
The Owl (Symbolism) from Macrameowl.com
Global Reverence for the Owl
The owl is deeply connected with magic, shamanism and heightened senses throughout the ages. Some have thought of the owl as a “cat with wings” as they share similar characteristics of personality.
Middle and Far East
In some middle and far eastern cultures, the owl is a sacred guardian of the afterlife, ruler of the night, a seer and keeper of souls transitioning from one plane of existence to another.
Ancient Greece
The ancient Greeks attributed the owl to Athena, goddess of wisdom and foresight. This symbol was used on Greek coins and therefore also became associated with wealth.
Native Americans
Attributed owls with wisdom and sacred knowledge. The shaman would call upon Owl medicine for insight into the truth of ill-intent. Plains Indians wore owl feathers to protect against evil spirits.
Africa
West African and Aboriginal Australian cultures also saw the owl as a messenger of secrets, and companions to medicine people.
Europe
In the celtic tradition, the owl (cailleach-oidhche), represents wisdom, clairvoyance, stealth, initiation, change and detachment. Always aware of its surroundings, the owl uses intuition courageously, with insight into hidden truth, and a guide between earth creatures and Underworld deities.
During medieval times in Europe, owls were believed to be witches and wizards, shapeshifters in disguise.
Summary of Owl Attributes
The owl is still considered a witch's companion, sharing unique spiritual communication between them, and even sharing the same secret powers of the night. Today, the owl is often used as a symbol for education, and used as a graduation mascot.
Many cultures have associated the following attributes to the owl:
intelligence, brilliance, wisdom, power, knowledge
intuition, messages, mysticism, mystery, unconscious, silent observation, independence, protection, bravery, transition, longevity, reincarnation
If You Are Drawn to the Owl
The owl’s gift of heightened senses enables it to see through deception, external appearances and illusion and to discover hidden truths.
If you are drawn to owls or owl symbolism, you may have this same ability to uncover secrets. People may feel uneasy around you, as if you are able to see through pretence. The owl also teaches us to acknowledge the dark side of our personality, and in that darkness we may find food for growth.
If people do not speak words that reflect the truth of their actions and motives, owl medicine (as referred to by aboriginal cultures) will guide you with vision and inner knowing to reveal the truth. The owl puts an end to doubt and offers vision and clarity of the truth of events, people or circumstances in your life.
Facts about the owl from the Big Book of Living Things ( A guide to everything living on out planet):
* As night falls the owl comes out to feed
* Finding food is harder in the dark ---> the owl has special adaptations for nocturnal living
* 150 species of owl found globally with 80 hunting at night
* Owls swallow their pray (mice, insects) whole
* Owls roost (sleep) during the daytime; during which their feathers blend seamlessly with the trees making it almost impossible to spot them
* Owl eyes are large and forward facing, enabling them to judge distances accurately while flying and hunting
* Some owls can rotate their head 270 degrees
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