Motif
owl as human ghost embodiment
owl_as_human_ghost_embodiment
A motif of the Restless Dead, Haunting, and Vengeance family. Every row below is a tagged passage; each rests on a quote in its source text.
1 occurrences
1 traditions
native american southeast
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Myths of the Cherokee SECOND VERSION / SECOND VERSION / WAHNENAUHI VERSION / VI--NOTES AND PARALLELS TO MYTHS; lines 25370-25465 confidence: high
The "cry of an owl" note says medicine men claim to understand bird language and gain supernatural knowledge, especially from owls, and says the owl is feared as an embodiment of a human ghost.
The owl is explicitly described as feared by lay people as the embodiment of a human ghost because of its nocturnal habit and uncanny appearance.
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