The Owl-Knowing One: Difference between revisions
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In any event, owls are usually depicted as wise and honorable and serve as [[Mentors]], teachers, and [[Authority Tropes|advisors]]. Be aware, though, that they tend to share traits with the [[Absent-Minded Professor]] and the [[TV Genius]], so take their advice with a grain of salt. There is also a tendency for owls to act as [[Exposition Fairy|narrators/storytellers]].
Generally speaking, in real life, owls aren't the smartest of birds (that goes to the corvids, such as [[Ravens and Crows|crows and magpies]]). Solo predators tend not to be the smartest creatures (although smarter than herbivores; it takes even fewer brains to sneak up on a leaf), as cunning is better than raw brainpower when it comes to getting hold of prey. However, Barn owls seem to be moderately intelligent and even emotional, as evidenced by [https://web.archive.org/web/20130321015007/http://www.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=5814 owl trainer Gary Gero] and [https://web.archive.org/web/20140105123733/http://wesleytheowl.com/ Wesley].
Contrast [[Owl Be Damned]]. See also [[Animal Stereotypes]] and [[Woodland Creatures]].
{{examples}}
== [[Advertising]] ==▼
Companies seek to compare purchasers of their product to the iconically wise bird.
*
▲== Advertising ==
▲* The owl from the classic '70s animated Tootsie Pop commercial, as a subversion. Or possibly not, since he's the only one in those commercials ever willing to just say, "I don't know."
{{quote|[http://www.youtube.com/watch?v{{=}}yzhB0gF5GTI&NR{{=}}1 "Mr. Owl, how many licks does it take to get to the center of a Tootsie Pop?"]}}
** He's also the only one to suggest the application of the scientific method to the question. And then use that suggestion to get free candy.
* In a live action 1970s Esso commercial for their auto service that has a takeoff of ''[[Aesop's Fables|The Tortoise and the Hare]]'', the tortoise makes a pit stop with an owl as his "mechanic."
* One mascot advises "Be wise all, take [wackily-spelled drug name]".
* The Duolingo owl knows how to threaten you in over 30 languages if you don't remember to do your dailies, and [[Memetic Mutation|that's just with his bare beak]].
== [[Anime]] and [[Manga]] ==▼
▲== [[Anime]] ==
* In ''[[Negima Second Season]]'', Yue ([[The Smart Guy|The Smart Girl]]) transforms into an owl as her suka/dud form.
* Ash's Noctowl in ''[[Pokémon (anime)|Pokémon]]'' was said to be very intelligent in the episode in which he captured it, but it wasn't really mentioned later.
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* In ''[[Yaiba]]'' on their way to the Seven Orbs, Yaiba and the others met a huge, wise-looking owl and asked him for directions. He wanted to [[Owl Be Damned|be paid.]] They eventually resorts to bind him and taking him with them.
== [[
* In many Disney comics, a judge that both Donald and Mickey have dealt with is an owl (not certain if it is meant to be the same person, or if being a judge is just a thing that comes naturally to anthropomorphic owls) - which is obviously meant to be symbolic, as it is rare that the [[Funny Animal]]s in the comics are easily identifiable as anything but generic "birdpeople" or "dognoses".
* ''[[Owly]]''.
* Otero and Liebber in ''[[Blacksad]]''.
* Harvey Who, an extremely minor character from [[Archie Comics]]' ''[[Sonic the Hedgehog (comics)|Sonic the Hedgehog]]'' series is this as a member of the Kingdom of Acorn's Secret Service. However, King Max portrayed him as a [[Cassandra Truth]] sayer, ignoring his advice and leading to the downfall of his kingdom. He sees Max's son, Elias, as a worthy holder of the crown and is working to help him get it back.
* [[Daredevil]]'s enemy Leland Owlsley used this Trope as an allegory. He was often called "the Owl of Wall Street" because he always made spot-on market predictions. Ultimately subverted, as it turned out his "predictions" were the result of [[Con Artist| insider trading.]] Nowadays, given the body alterations [[Professor Guinea Pig| he's done to himself,]] a better allegory for him is [[Owl Be Damned| the other sort of owl.]]
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* In the ''[[Belgariad]]'', the philosophical and wise god Aldur has the owl as his [[Animal Motifs|totem]]. The sorceresses he taught, Poledra and Polgara, also favour that shape when they need to transform.
== [[Live
* X the Owl from [[Mister Rogers' Neighborhood|The Neighbourhood of Make-Believe]].
* Charlie Owl from ''New Zoo Revue'' wore a mortarboard, implying wisdom.
* Hoots the Owl from ''[[Sesame Street]]'', who possessed the skills of saxophone playing and singing the blues.
* Circuit, from ''[[Power Rangers Time Force]]'' is this and a [[Robot Buddy]].
== [[Newspaper Comics]] ==
* Howland Owl from ''[[Pogo (comic strip)|Pogo]]'' is actually a parody/subversion of the trope, as his idea of intelligence is [[Sesquipedalian Loquaciousness|using big words]] and spouting [[Little-Known Facts]].
==
* ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' links Owls to wisdom too.
** Giant owls, along with giant eagles a la [[J. R. R. Tolkien|JRR Tolkien]], are among the few "giant animal"-type monsters to have been sentient in all incarnations of AD&D. Basic/Expert/etc D&D had the hsiao, a Lawful race of giant owls with clerical (= Wisdom-based) spellcasting powers.
** Normal-sized [[Exactly What It Says on the Tin|Talking Owls]] are wise oracles of the forest that seem to be at least partially related to Fey.
** The wisdom boosting spell in 3rd ed. and later is called "Owl's Wisdom".
** In ''[[Planescape]]'', the Beast Lord of owls is one of the oldest beings on his plane and is a part-time sage of godlike wisdom and knowledge. Noctral are [[Lawful Good]] supra-genius barn owls with 20' wingspan collecting (and dispensing to anyone capable of hearing) knowledge.
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* Olivia Owl in ''[[Birdz]]'' is the nerdy type.
* Owlowiscious in [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic|My Little Pony Friendship Is Magic]] becomes the pet of [[Badass Bookworm|Twilight]] [[Cute Witch|Sparkle]], and for a pet he's extremely competent, helping Twilight out at night when Spike is asleep. Enough so for Spike (a fully sentient dragonling who has been with Twilight for years) feels his position as "number 1 assistant" threatened by the owl.
* In ''[[The Owl House]]'', Eda the Owl Lady claims this is how she got her title, although King claims its because she coughs up rat bones and Hooty claims its because she's attracted to shiny objects. While all that is true - and as a wizard, she is likely rather wise, if eccentric - {{spoiler|the actual reason is she suffers from a curse that causes her to turn into [[Our Werebeasts Are Different| a demonic, owl-like beast]] at night, making her far more like [[Owl Be Damned|the other sort of owl]].}}
== Other Media ==
* Owls, of course, are the emblem of Athena, Greek goddess of wisdom. They were also apparently very common in Athens; in several languages, "Carry owls to Athens" means doing something pointless.
** Though the last part may be referring to Athenian ''coins'' stamped with an owl motif (Athena being, of course, the city's patron goddess) rather than actual birds.
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[[Category:Avian Tropes]]
[[Category:Just for Pun]]
[[Category:Older Than Feudalism]]
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