What makes Halloween spooky? All the night animals, of course. All those things that go bump in the night.
The stories about the bats that suck your blood and fly in your hair.
The spiders that spin their sticky webs.
The owls, once thought to be harbingers of evil, that whohoot at you and then fly down silently and snatch up their prey.
And let´s not forget the witches´ familiar, the cat.
The little toad even got a bad rap in ancient times.
Our superstitions about animals and their association with Halloween has been passed down through the generations and cultures. Today it makes great, spooky fun, but we know that most of the superstitions are untrue.
Cats and Halloween
Did you ever wonder why one of the favorite symbols of Halloween is a black cat?
In ancient times, cats have been a symbol of magic and power. Witches had cats as familiars, but these cats came in all colors, not just black. During the "witch trials" many innocent cats were killed along with the so called witches, because their accusers thought that they were the witches" familiar. even after the trials, people distrusted cats because of the stealthy way they move, those sinister yellow eyes and their calm demeanor during scary times. Since most cats look dark colored at night, the black cat became linked with witches, the Druid Samhain and night, thus becoming a part of Halloween.
Owls A Halloween Symbol
In ancient Greece, the owl was sacred and was a familiar of the Goddess of wisdom, Athene. But in Rome, owls were harbingers of evil.
Europeans in the middle ages feared the owls stare and its eerie call. The Screech Owl, with its witch-like scream was the most feared. In fact, at that time it was believed that witches could turn into owls that would trick the unsuspecting traveler.
Today, some cultures and superstitious people believe that the call of a screech owl signals death or a disaster.
So that is why owls have become part of our Halloween decorations and parties.
How Bats Became a part of Halloween
To the people of the middle ages, who feared anything that they didn´t understand, just the way bats looked was enough to link them with evil and witches. When you add the fact that it was thought that witches used them in their brews and that bat blood was an ingredient in an ointment that witches rubbed on their bodies before attending a Sabbath, then bats were destined to be a symbol of Halloween.
After all, Bats fly througt the night (using their radar) to avoid objects and catch their insect prey. But people of the middle ages knew little about science. Bats also gather in large numbers in dark, caves, sleeping with their wings wrapped around them just like the long black cloaks that witches wear.
In South America, the vampire bat drinks the blood of animals, including humans, but most other bats help humans by eating thousands of insects each night. The other bats eat fruit.
Because of superstition and misunderstandings, the bat has become a permanent part of Halloween.
