page_title: Stereotypes of animals
section_title: Owls
hierarchical_section_title: Stereotypes of animals / Common Western animal stereotypes / Birds in general / Owls
caption_attribution_description: Magyar: Czakó Adolf, Zwick (Pest, 1860. február 4. – Budapest, 1942. január 28.) mérnök, műegyetemi tanár sírja Budapesten. Kerepesi temető: 11-5-9 [szobrász: Bory Jenő]
context_page_description: When anthropomorphising an animal there are stereotypical traits which commonly tend to be associated with particular animal species. Often these are simply exaggerations of real aspects or behaviours of the creature in question, while other times the stereotype is taken from mythology and replaces any observation-based judgment of that animal's behavior. Some are popularised or solidified by a single particularly notable appearance in media. In any case, once they have entered the culture as widely recognized stereotypes of animals, they tend to be used both in conversation and media as a kind of shorthand for expressing particular qualities.
  While some authors make use of these animal stereotypes "as is", others undermine reader expectations by reversing them, developing the animal character in contrasting ways to foil expectations or create amusement, like a fastidious pig or cowardly lion.
  Some modern stereotypes of animals have a long tradition dating back to Aesop's Fables, which draw upon sources that include ancient Egyptian animal tales.
context_section_description: The wise old owl
  In Greek mythology, Athena, goddess of wisdom, is regularly associated with an owl.
  Other examples: Owl in Winnie the Pooh, Oehoeboeroe in Paulus the woodgnome, Owl in The Animals of Farthing Wood, Owl in Guardians of Ga'Hoole, Owl in Bambi, Meneer de Uil in De Fabeltjeskrant, Archimedes in The Sword in the Stone, Kaepora Geabora (The Legend of Zelda)
  Although owls are often associated with wisdom and intelligence, this is not universal, nor a timeless image. During the Middle Ages owls were seen as stupid and evil helpers of witches. In many paintings of Hieronymus Bosch the bird is seen as a symbol of stupidity and/or evil. The Dutch profanity word "uilskuiken" ("owl chick") is used to insult a stupid person; the Dutch saying "Wat baten kaars en bril als de uil niet zien wil?" ("What use are a candle and glasses if the owl refuses to see?") reminds people of this opposite view of owls. In Asian culture owls are traditionally seen as dumb instead of wise. Portrayal of owls as evil can also be seen in films such as Rock-a-Doodle.
caption: A cemetery monument for Hungarian engineer Adolf Czakó [hu] in Kerepesi, depicting him in the presence of an owl, symbolizing the man's wisdom.
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