Owl Tattoos

What does a owl tattoo mean?

An owl tattoo carries two old readings that contradict each other: wisdom and clear sight, or a warning that death is near. The wisdom reading comes from Athens, where Athena's little owl appeared on silver coins that Athenians simply called "owls". The omen reading is far more widespread, from Rome to the Diné (Navajo), for whom an owl calling near the home is a message nobody wants. Japan flips it again: the word fukurō can be written to mean "no hardship", so the owl became a good-luck charm, and in Bengal the bird carries Lakshmi, goddess of wealth. Accessories decide which reading wins: a skull turns the owl into a memento mori, a crescent quotes the Athenian coin, a key in its talons makes knowledge literal. Realism, black and grey and neo-traditional are common, often on the forearm, chest or thigh.

owl tattoo meaning