Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



sinister repute. More important was its posi- 

 tion as luctifer " sorrow-bringer." As a 

 haunter of moonlight and dusk it held its 

 own place among the gods and half-gods of 

 earliest Europe. 



Who Pallas Athene herself was, is one of 

 the many puzzles of Greek mythology ; yet 

 it may be the little downy owl shall offer us 

 a clew. 



Just why Pallas Athene should have had 

 the owl for her symbol the ancients never 

 satisfactorily explained, nor have the moderns 

 done so. Certainly it must have been for 

 reasons more cogent than the fanciful one that 

 the owl is a wise bird because it looks so 

 solemn and was therefore given to Pallas 

 because she was a wise goddess. 



The owl is the glaux, glarer, with its round 

 yellow eyes ; Pallas is called glaukopis, glaux- 

 eyed, because — she could see in the dark like 

 an owl to carry off men's souls ! 



This was her office at the period when she 

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