Hope, my fondness for and interest in owls knows no bounds, so I can but welcome this post, preservation of the diverse species is of course a vitally important aspect of nature's grand scheme.
Owls in Chinese Culture
Owls are called mao-tou-ying (cat-headed hawk) and xiao (bravery) in Chinese. Despite the abstract noun naming convention of bravery, owls are not necessarily seen in a positive way. As a nocturnal bird, with superb night vision and ability to move its head through almost 180 degrees, the owl in China has a long association with mystery, mysticism, secrets, intelligence, and death since neolithic times.
The word for the hooting cry of an owl in Chinese is hu, which also means 'digging'. It is can viewed as the connection between death and owls. When a member of a household hears an owl making the hooting sound, it’s believed that there will be illness or death in that house. It is also believed that the sound is a sign or warning for the householders to start digging a grave as there will be a death. Owl figures are prominent on the burial ceramics of Han Dynasty.
In China When an owl is seen around a house, dried bushes are burned to produce a smell that will keep the bird away. Others place brooms upside down outside the house, to protect the property and its occupants from visiting owls, as it is believed that the owls have spiritual powers that could lead to supernatural consequences. Hence there is never ever an attempt to kill or even touch owls.
Another significant reason for the Chinese to stay outside the aura of owls is the belief that they snatch away the souls. Despite the fear of the owls in terms of impending death, dire consequences and snatching souls, in some parts of China, they are associated with the gods of thunder and lightning and therefore, owl effigies are frequently placed on rooftops for protection against the elements.
Neolithic art in China focused primarily on clay. The early potters of the Yangshao culture (c. 5500-3500BC) were clearly fascinated by the owl and created various representations of it. There was also in the Neolithic period a tradition of stone carving that developed from very early times, with Jade used as early as the fifth millennium BC for making personal ornaments and small animal sculptures.
