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Good And Bad Omens In Culture

(Last Update July 11, 2020)

Ambrose Ekhosuehi

GOOD and bad Omens are signs of good or bad events, foretelling something happenings especially of prognosticating characters. Certain birds, spiders, Owls, Vultures and bats are some characters relating to prognostic predictions, some of them act directly and some through appearance in dreams.

A certain bird known as Ekueren’ is an evil bird, the cry of which is said to spell evil and is believed that a district in which it is frequently heard will have many deaths. If somebody is ill at the time of the cry, the bird is shot and killed if possible to prevent death.

Owls are hooting birds in silent flight howling sughu-sughu-uu. They are birds of prey that hunt mainly at night and are harbingers of doom and gloom.

If owls scream during foul weather, the weather will change to fair weather, if owls screech at the change of weather as it often happens, patient with lingering diseases dies at the change of weather, so owl by association of ideas has been said to foretell death.

Owl hooting strengthens the fearless and provides wisdom to a wise person, in the belief that owls are messenger of doom and gloom, hence the old saying that owl does not kill a person but instill fear to prevent a child going on errand.

When an owl sit up hooting and howling, cold fearful atmosphere puzzles. Owls have both eyes looking forward which give somewhat human appearances.

The hooting and howling of owl denotes doom, sickness, poverty and disgrace.

Vultures are higher birds of prey in the order of carnivora and falconiformes. Vulture is a bad Omen if it is killed.

In Edo culture vultures are neither killed nor eaten. If a person dreamt of Vulture, it is an evidence that some enemies are seeking to destroy the character and reputation of the dreamer. To see a vulture devouring its prey in dream portends that trouble will cease and fortunes smile.

Traditionally, bats are regarded as Omen of doom and gloom. Bats are not birds. They are flying mammals with no feathers but with wings attached mainly to their arms and hands extending to hind, feet and tail.

Bats are associated with witches and wizards for their echolocations determine the position of objects by means of supersonic vibration echoed.

To dream of seeing a bat flying ,in the air, signifies that the person has an enemy, but if the bat appears flying at day time, it is a good omen. A young person in love dream of a bat, it denotes that the person will have a rival.

Vampires are good and bad Omens too. If a person dreamt of vampire, it indicates that the person will marry for money and find it a bad bargain. Fighting with vampire portends good news.
Bats and vampires are blood sucking mammals, though they eat night insects, and fruits; vampire is a bat that lives on blood, regarded as a dead person that leaves grave yard and keeps itself alive by sucking the blood of living people.

A prophetic bird,-Ahianmwe Oro is said to be prophetic of good and bad Omen. If it cries Oya-O which portends danger or disaster. If it cries oliguegue, it portends good favour, fortune, goodluck and be grateful. When it cries Oho rue de, meaning goodluck or favour is seeking nearby; be gracious and pray for success.

Spider spinning a web is a good Omen in business ventures and portends domestic happiness. Spiders spinning their web filaments long, show that the weather will be serene. Generally, spiders alter their webs once in twenty-four hours, but if they do this between six and seven O’clock in the evening, there will be a fine night. If the spiders alter the web in the morning it portends a fine day. If they work during the rain expect fine weather.

The more active and busy the spider is, the finer will be the weather, but if the garden or farm spiders break and destroy their webs, creeping away expect continue rainy and showery weather.

There are good and bad Omens for weather conditions. If old and rheumatic people complain of their corns and joints, if goats, rams and sheep spring about fighting more than usual, if cattle leave off feeding and chase each other in their pastures, If cats lick their bodies and wash their faces, if dogs howl and bark more than usual and if dog eats grass. Dogs are carnivorous and Omnivorous animals. It is a good Omen for a person who is going to ask for a favour to be followed by a strange dog.

There will be mush winds if swine, pigs are restless and grunt loudly, squeak and jerk up their heads, hence there is a proverb” Pigs can see the wind”.

There is a foul weather if rats and mice be restless and squeak much. If cock crows more than usual and earlier. It is a bad Omen, if sea birds fly towards land and land birds fly to the sea. If water fowls scream more than usual and plunge into the water, or Peacocks and guinea fowls scream.

Stars portend good and bad Omens. Shooting stars, great and good fortune. Stars falling from the sky portend disaster while bright shining stars is believed to mean good fortune, happiness, joy, royal and great birth. Also there are signs and moles of human body that are good and bad Omens in culture.

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