"It's like an owl without a graduation cap: heartbreaking"
Owl as a symbol for knowledge/wisdom
In ancient Greece the owl was closely associated with the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom. This connection may have been made, in part, because of their large eyes, which evoked the goddess's epithet, "bright-eyed Athena." Thus the symbolic connection of the owl with knowledge and education is one that has been around for thousands of years. In modern imagery the owl as a professor is a common trope. The addition of the graduation cap is a discursive element that quickly calls to mind the concept of "knowledge" and the owl's large eyes make an easy visual connection with glasses. This imagery is generally childlike, the knowledge that the owl has is simplistic, on the level of your abc's, and the overall effect is a character that is both eager to teach and harmless.
Owl as a symbol for knowledge/wisdom
In ancient Greece the owl was closely associated with the goddess Athena, the goddess of wisdom. This connection may have been made, in part, because of their large eyes, which evoked the goddess's epithet, "bright-eyed Athena." Thus the symbolic connection of the owl with knowledge and education is one that has been around for thousands of years. In modern imagery the owl as a professor is a common trope. The addition of the graduation cap is a discursive element that quickly calls to mind the concept of "knowledge" and the owl's large eyes make an easy visual connection with glasses. This imagery is generally childlike, the knowledge that the owl has is simplistic, on the level of your abc's, and the overall effect is a character that is both eager to teach and harmless.
Owl as a connection to witchcraft and the underworld
In many of the mythologies from around the world, the owl's place is in the realm of witchcraft and the underworld. Owls could steal the souls from infants, traverse into the underworld, and act as the messengers of death. Witches were thought to transform into owls in part because of the owl's nocturnal nature and their ability to see at night. Here more than other owl depictions, the owl actually retains more of its animalism. Even when imagined as a vehicle for a human spirit, this understanding of the owl maintains most of its natural qualities as an animal rather than relegating it to the realm of symbolism.
In many of the mythologies from around the world, the owl's place is in the realm of witchcraft and the underworld. Owls could steal the souls from infants, traverse into the underworld, and act as the messengers of death. Witches were thought to transform into owls in part because of the owl's nocturnal nature and their ability to see at night. Here more than other owl depictions, the owl actually retains more of its animalism. Even when imagined as a vehicle for a human spirit, this understanding of the owl maintains most of its natural qualities as an animal rather than relegating it to the realm of symbolism.
Owl as home décor
In the past several years in particular, the owl's image been made into just about every adorable thing you could possible have decorate your home. Despite their ubiquitous use, the tone /style of these owl images are actually strikingly similar. The owl is depicted as a cute, wide-eyed, and comical character, with a handy-craft style and simple lines. The imagery feels referential to past decades (the 70's in particular) and as owl is objectified, it becomes non-threatening, childlike, and feels reminiscent of a "simpler", or at the very least, less technology driven, time. Here, more so than other depictions, the owl feels engendered, however this could also be based on the assumptions that decorative commercialism is more 'feminine' in general.
In the past several years in particular, the owl's image been made into just about every adorable thing you could possible have decorate your home. Despite their ubiquitous use, the tone /style of these owl images are actually strikingly similar. The owl is depicted as a cute, wide-eyed, and comical character, with a handy-craft style and simple lines. The imagery feels referential to past decades (the 70's in particular) and as owl is objectified, it becomes non-threatening, childlike, and feels reminiscent of a "simpler", or at the very least, less technology driven, time. Here, more so than other depictions, the owl feels engendered, however this could also be based on the assumptions that decorative commercialism is more 'feminine' in general.