By Sandile Nkambule | 2018-02-23

An owl is known as a sign of bad omen.

It is normally seen at night.

There was panic at the High Court yesterday morning when staffers bumped onto an owl at the steps leading to the main entrance of the High Court building.

The strange owl was seen nestled at the steps without making any move and when some tried to scare it away, it did not move for a moment.

The bird drew the attention of everyone who came to court, more so because it is known of its bad omen and some Swazis associate it with witchcraft.

Owls are birds from the order Strigiformes, which includes about 200 species of mostly solitary and nocturnal birds of prey typified by an upright stance, a large, broad head, binocular vision, binaural hearing, sharp talons, and feathers adapted for silent flight.

According to information sourced from the internet, owl sightings and calls can be either a blessing or a bad omen.

Pay attention to what happens immediately after you see or hear the owl. If something good happens, then the sighting portends good fortune.

If something negative happens, then the sighting presages bad news, including illness.

The ancient Welsh associated owls with fertility. If a pregnant woman heard an owl hoot, then it was believed that she would have an easy labour.

The Romans associated owls with the goddess Athena, wisdom, and prophecy.

Ancient Christians saw owls as a sign of evil and linked them with Lilith, Adam's first, disobedient wife. Owls are most often seen and heard during the night, because they are nocturnal. However, some owls, such as the pygmy owl, are active at twilight. And if you see or hear an owl during the day, it means that you are likely encountering a diurnal owl that sleeps at night just like we do—two diurnal owls are the burrowing owl and the short-eared owl.

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