National Bat
Appreciation Day is upon us!
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| Image: Bigstock.com |
April 17th is an annual opportunity to wonder anew at
this amazing and mysterious creature. Humans have always been fascinated by bats
– and maybe a bit envious too. After all, these little mammals can fly – not
leap or glide, but truly FLY. Bats traverse the darkness easily, and sail
fearlessly into the blackness of caves without hesitation. The echo-location
and sonar capabilities that we can now create with sophisticated technology,
have always been possessed naturally by bats.
It’s no wonder that throughout history we’ve attributed both
good luck and evil to them, told stories about them, and even deified them.
Here are just a few examples:
As a rule, bats haven’t enjoyed a great reputation in Western
Culture. As a creature of the night, they were easily associated with evil,
death, and the underworld. Superstitions abounded that claimed the bat was a
messenger between witches and the devil, that bats could steal souls, or spread
disease and misfortune. (And this was centuries before Bram Stoker penned his famous novel,“Dracula”!)
Old Scottish superstitions claimed that if a bat flew toward
you, it was a sign that someone was trying to place a curse on you. It might also
indicate that you will soon be betrayed by someone. If a bat is seen to rise
quickly and then swiftly descend to the ground, you knew that the Hour of Witches
had arrived. This meant that unless you had protected yourself against them (such
as by keeping flint arrowheads in your pocket or wearing amulets fashioned from
rowan wood), all witches had great power over everyone during that time.
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Old illustration of Vampire Bats
Image: Bigstock.com |
The bat might also be a faery in disguise. In Celtic folklore,
the Pooka (also Puca or Pwca, according to which UK country you’re in) was a trickster
fae who could transform into any creature it pleased. Although it seemed to
favor the forms of horses, goats, and rabbits, stories exist where the Pooka shapeshifted
into a bat. The wise took care not to go outside at night, for fear of meeting
the Pooka. It could be merely mischievous – or it could be deadly.
While some people in the UK and Europe believed that harming
a bat was bad luck, most did not. In fact, a bat flying into the house was often
thought to signify that a death would soon occur in the family. This could only
be averted by killing the unfortunate bat! Similar superstitions are also found
throughout North America. One claims that simply dreaming about bats means the
death of a dear friend.
It was a widespread belief throughout Europe that bats were used
as familiars by witches. This sadly led to the wrongful conviction of many people.
In 14th century France, for instance, a noblewoman was burned at the
stake simply because bats were seen to fly around her home!
So, are there any positive superstitions about the poor bat?
Thankfully, YES!
In many eastern countries, bats are appreciated. A common belief
is that a bat flying into your house is considered a sign of good things coming
your way. And the more bats, the better!
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Intricately carved facade of Goa Lawah Bat Cave Temple.
Image: Bigstock.com |
An 11th century Hindu temple was deliberately
built around a cave housing a colony of thousands of bats in Bali, Indonesia. The
images of bats were incorporated into the stone façade of the temple itself. To
this day the worshippers co-exist with the animals, and it’s now become a
tourist attraction largely due to the bats’ presence.
In Chinese Feng Shui, bats are associated with happiness and
wealth. Symbols and images of bats (sometimes shown with coins in their mouths) are
deliberately placed on the door of a house, on the front of a business, or on a
pendant around the neck in order to attract positive “chi” (energy). The Chinese
word “Fú”, when spoken,
means “bat”. It also sounds exactly like “good fortune”, so the character for
good fortune is often included on any images of bats.
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Chinese pendant showing lucky 5 bats
surrounding the word for good fortune
Necklace owned by Dani Harper |
In the Qing Dynasty, pictures of bats were embroidered onto royal
robes and painted on walls and ceilings. They were carved into furniture and
thrones, and adorn the doorways of many buildings. Even in the Forbidden City
in Beijing, you can find many examples of stylized bats.
The number of bats incorporated into a symbol is very important
too. For instance, a pair of bats doubles the luck they attract. Five is the
most desired number of bats because they represent the five most important blessings:
prosperity, virtue, health, long life, and a peaceful natural death. This might
be why a bat symbol is sometimes hung on a window to ward off illness.
The ancient Mayans of South America counted Camazotz among their
deities. First mentioned around 100 AD by the Zapotec tribe, this bat-god possessed
the body of a man and the head of a leaf-nosed bat, plus bat wings. He lived in
the underworld, and was mostly associated with night, with sacrifice, and with
death. Although he looks terrifying, Camazotz is credited with negotiating
with another god so that mortals could have the gift of fire. And thus the
bat-god is also known as the god of fire!
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THE GRIM SERIES by Dani Harper
The fae are cunning, powerful and often cruel. The most beautiful among them are often the most deadly. Hidden far beneath the mortal world, the timeless faery realm plays by its own rules—and those rules can change on a whim. Now and again, the unpredictable residents of that mystical land cross the supernatural threshold…
In this enchanting romance series from Dani Harper, the ancient fae come face-to-face with modern-day humans and discover something far more potent than their strongest magic: love.
LEGEND ∙ LORE ∙ LOVE ∙ MAGIC
STORM WARRIOR, STORM BOUND, STORM WARNED, STORM CROSSED
Note: Every book in this series is designed to stand alone.
It's fun to read them in order, but you won't get lost if you don't!
See ALL Dani's novels on her Amazon Author Page
