For many cultures around the world, owls are a source of inspirationfor legends and folklore. Some cultures view owls as guardians of the night, and when owls hoot, the sounds keepevil away. Others think of owls as sacred. In Australia, some native tribesbelieve that the souls of women live inside owls. Many other cultures also think that people become owls when they die.
However, it is also said that owls are a sign of death or misfortune. For some Native American tribes, if someone hears an owl hoot and whistlesback to it, the person will soon meet their end if the owl does notrespond totheir whistle. Even dreaming of an owl can sometimes be seen as bad luck. In Western folklore, owls are closely related to witchcraft. In these stories, witches can turn into owls or use owls as messengers.
