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Bats?

 
 
Bear
12:04 / 12.05.03
I don't want to come across as being a little crazy so I'm going not going to say much here, just wondering if anyone can shed some light on bats, what do you think they could stand for?

Are there any magical connections, myths, symbolism etc.

I've got my own ideas but thought I'd post to see what people think.

Thanks
 
 
Our Lady of The Two Towers
12:08 / 12.05.03
"Criminals are a cowardly, superstitious lot..."
 
 
Bear
12:23 / 12.05.03
Apart from him!

 
 
*
19:05 / 12.05.03
Depends on the system and the person; I think of them as being something of a messenger, especially dealing with the land of the dead and the underworld. Perhaps as psychopomp? They're always a good omen to me but I think that's because I once raised an orphaned baby brown bat and I have a special fondness for them. South American mythology must have tons of information, but I think it largely pertains to the south american vampire bat, that adorable little thing.

Have you tried asking the Bat?
 
 
LVX23
19:21 / 12.05.03
As far as I know, they're the only flying mammal. Plenty of juicy symbolism there. Probably shouldn't ignore the vampire connection either.
 
 
grant
20:33 / 13.05.03

Good Lord, don't you people ever read anything from Bat Conservation International? They've been popping up in magazines regularly since the mid 70s or so!


(Take a good look at the red frame.)

Bats are COOL!

They're good luck in China. And one bat can eat a couple tons of insects in a year.

Here, some bat trivia from BCI:

Fishing bats have echolocation so sophisticated that they can detect a minnow's fin as fine as a human hair, protruding only two millimeters above a pond's surface.

African heart-nosed bats can hear the footsteps of a beetle walking on sand from a distance of more than six feet.

Vampire bats adopt orphans and have been known to risk their lives to share food with less fortunate roost-mates.

Mother Mexican free-tailed bats find and nurse their own young, even in huge colonies where many millions of babies cluster at up to 500 per square foot.

Tequila is produced from agave plants whose seed production drops to 1/3,000th of normal without bat pollinators.

The 20 million Mexican free-tails from Bracken Cave, Texas eat approximately 200 tons of insects nightly.



There's plenty more on the site.

Also, there's a few traditional bat beliefs over here. It's simplistic, but fun, and leads to more information about specific species and stuff.

A selection of bat poetry is yon.

By Emily Dickinson

161

The bat is dun with wrinkled wings
Like fallow article,
And not a song pervades his lips,
Or none perceptible.

His small umbrella, quaintly halved,
Describing in the air
An arc alike inscrutable, -
Elate philosopher!

Deputed from what firmament
Of what astute abode,
Empowered with what malevolence
Auspiciously withheld.

To his adroit Creator
Ascribe no less the praise;
Beneficent, believe me,
His eccentricities.
 
  
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