Bat in Dreamsĭreaming of bats signifies fear. Dwelling between the realms of birds and beasts, bats are most active in the dusk and dawn hours during which night and day transition. Bats are some of the most liminal creatures around. Samhain, technically, is not October 31st itself but the transition period between October and November. ( 11)įurthermore, much of Celtic myth and symbolism revolves around liminality and transitions. This is believed to be one possible explanation for the origin of the connection between bats and Halloween. These fires may have attracted insects and bats. During Samhain, harvests would be celebrated, feasts held, and fires lit. Bat Celtic Symbolismīats are often connected with Halloween which originates form the Celtic festival of Samhain.
With this in mind, the bat can hardly be looked upon as a vile or unnatural creature. ( 11) Of course, most Christians believe that all of nature reflects God as part of his grand design. As a creature of the night, as well as an animal that exists between two worlds: that of mammals and that of flying creatures, the bat is looked upon as unholy or unnatural. The bat in later traditions is associated with both witchcraft and the devil himself. In Isaiah 2:19-21, bats are connected with wilderness and heathenism: The bat is included on the list of birds and mammals which are considered too filthy to be eaten by humans. ( 9) Bat Christianity Symbolismīiblical associations concerning the bat generally involve uncleanliness and sin. The bat was one of the companions of nighttime and serves as an emblem of one of the most important Navajo deities, Talking God. Navajo traditions suggest that bats are ancient creatures which existed before light was brought to the world.
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So, the birds used the skin of a drum to fashion wings for the bat, thus inventing the one and only flying mammal. When the birds and mammals had a ball game against each other, the mammals mocked this tiny animal and would not let him play. In these stories, the bat was created by the birds and was a flightless mouse-like animal. Cherokee, Creek, and Apache fables describe how the bat came to be a flying mammal.
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Related: 11 Tips on How to Attract Bats to Your Yard Bat Native American Symbolismīats feature in the myths and traditions of several Native American cultures. In these fables, the bat is a tricky creature which refuses to pick between being a bird or a mammal. There are even a few Aesop’s Fables which feature the bat. In Samoan culture, bats are connected with a divine goddess who represents benevolence and fertility. In Greek mythology, bats are associated with the Minyades, a trio of sisters who were driven mad by the god Dionysus. Fillet of a fenny snake, In the caldron boil and bake Eye of newt and toe of frog, Wool of bat and tongue of dog, Adder’s fork and blind-worm’s sting, Lizard’s leg and howlet’s wing, For a charm of powerful trouble, Like a hell-broth boil and bubble.” ( 4) “Double, double toil and trouble Fire burn and caldron bubble. The witches from Shakespeare’s Macbeth also add to the creepy reputation of the bat by including this animal in the recipe for their witchy brew: Although current Japanese culture tends to adopt the Western association of bats and Halloween spookiness, historically bats were a popular design motif that signified happiness and fortune. This may be due to the fact that the Chinese character for “bat” sounds quite similar to the word for “happiness.” Because Chinese characters are the source of Japanese Kanji, the bat is also a lucky animal in Japan. In Chinese culture, the bat is considered lucky. Although they are limited to South and Central America and only rarely target humans, the vampire bat’s squeamish survival strategy sends shivers down lots of people’s spines. Vampire bats are bats that subsist off of drinking blood from other animals. ( 1) One reason for this connection is the vampire bat. The symbolism of the bat is varied and diverse, but bats are most commonly connected with darkness, fear, and vampires such as Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Often connected with vampires and Halloween, the bat is an animal that is often misunderstood.įor more about bats, their symbolism, and their place in mythology, read on! Known for being nocturnal, bats swoop across the night sky devouring insects and fruit as they navigate the moonlit landscape. The only mammal that is truly capable of flying, the bat is an animal that is usually connected with spooky imagery, darkness, and nighttime.
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