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Tattoo Meaning

Owl Tattoo Meaning: Athena's Little Owl, Japanese Fukurō, and American Traditional

Owl tattoo meaning across Greek Athena imagery, Japanese fukurō good-luck designs, Hindu Lakshmi uluka, and American traditional.

Published

Reverse of an Athenian silver tetradrachm coin showing the Little Owl (Athene noctua) with ΑΘΕ letters.
The Little Owl (Athene noctua) on an Athenian tetradrachm, c. 450 BCE. Owl tattoos carry the cross-cultural weight of wisdom (Athena's attribute from the 5th century BCE), death omen (Roman and medieval European tradition), and nocturnal vision. The owl's association with wisdom is specifically Athenian; in most other classical traditions the owl was an ill omen. Athenian tetradrachm, c. 450 BCE. British Museum. Public domain via Wikimedia Commons.

Owl tattoos: wisdom, intuition, night-vision. Specific registers include Greek Athena's Little Owl, Japanese fukurō homophone good-luck, Hindu Lakshmi uluka, Roman strix (darker tradition). See our owl spirit-animal page.

See our owl spirit-animal page.

See the full spirit-animal meaning: Owl Spirit Animal .

Frequently asked

What does an owl tattoo mean?
Wisdom, intuition, night-vision. See our owl spirit-animal page for the Athena, fukurō, Lakshmi uluka, and Roman strix treatments.

Sources

  1. REFERENCEOur owl spirit-animal page