Folklore Workshop – Owls

Each Tuesday afternoon workshop will centre around the myth or folklore topic of that week. The aim will be to discuss ideas surrounding that belief or narrative and to come up with a finished piece using any of the methods and materials that are available. You will have access to paper/card, printing materials (linocut, block, mono or collagraph), paints, drawing materials, 3D resources (clay, paper mache, wire, wool), paints and other bits and pieces. You will have an experienced artist to help you develop your ideas and produce your artwork.

In ancient Greece, owls symbolized wisdom, protection, and military victory as the sacred companions of Athena, and were famously stamped on the “Athenian tetradrachm” coin. Conversely, Romans viewed the nocturnal bird as a harbinger of doom, bad luck, and death. The Owl of Athens was synonymous with Athena. Because of the bird’s large, serious eyes and ability to see in the dark, the Greeks believed owls possessed a magical inner light that allowed them to see into the unseen, making them the perfect companion for the Goddess of Wisdom. In some myths, the screech owl was associated with the god Hades and the underworld, specifically tied to the tale of Ascalaphus, who was transformed into an owl for betraying Persephone. While the Romans adopted Athena as their goddess Minerva, they largely reversed the owl’s positive folklore, viewing it as a creature of ill omen. The hooting of an owl, particularly if it perched on a public building or the roof of a home, was considered an omen of imminent disaster or death. Roman superstition dictated that witches could transform into owls at night and would fly over homes to suck the blood of infants. Roman folklore also held that if a feather from an owl was placed near a sleeping person, it would force them to speak in their sleep and reveal their deepest secrets.