Animals sometimes act in ways that are hard to explain. Most of us have experienced a dog growling at an empty corner or a cat staring into seemingly nothing for minutes at a time. Over the centuries, people have wondered if animals can sense things that humans can’t. In folklore around the world, certain creatures are believed to have extraordinary abilities, from detecting ghosts to warning of death. Here are several animals that are said to have remarkable gifts.
Dogs Can See Ghosts
If you’ve ever watched a dog bark at absolutely nothing, you’ve probably wondered what it was seeing. In many cultures, dogs are believed to have the ability to detect entities invisible to humans. Some say a dog howling in the middle of the night means a spirit is nearby or that someone is about to die. This belief appears throughout European and Asian folklore, and dogs are even said to guard humans against supernatural danger. Of course, dogs have much better hearing and a better sense of smell than we do, so the apparent mysterious presence might just be a squirrel three houses away.
Cats Can Detect Spirits in the Home
Cats have a long history of being associated with the supernatural, most famously in ancient Egypt and European witchcraft folklore. One popular belief states that cats can see spirits moving through a house and will follow them with their eyes. Some people say that if a cat suddenly changes its behavior, it might be a warning that something supernatural has come into the room. Interestingly, while some lore suggests cats protect houses from evil forces, other folklore portrays felines as companions of witches. Their habit of staring intently into empty air certainly doesn’t do much to discourage these ideas.
Owls Can Predict Someone’s Death
Owls have been associated with death and the spirit world in more than one culture. This may be because they’re nocturnal and have pretty unsettling calls. Certain European traditions and particular Indigenous American cultures believed that an owl calling near a home was a warning that someone might die soon. Some said owls were messengers from the dead or embodied spirits themselves. Strangely, owls are also seen as symbols of wisdom and protection in other traditions.
Horses Can Sense Invisible Spirits
According to European folklore, horses can detect unseen beings long before their humans know anything is unusual. A horse that suddenly refuses to cross a bridge, go into a forest, or continue on a road might be sensing a malevolent ghost. There are stories of horses getting spooked near haunted locations. In some funeral-related superstitions, horses acting odd meant the deceased was present. We now know horses are naturally sensitive to unfamiliar sounds, smells, and movements. But maybe they are also sensitive to ghosts.
Roosters Can Drive Away Evil Spirits
In European folklore, a crowing rooster could force ghosts and demons to leave. This belief was sometimes connected to the time of day, the idea being that supernatural entities could roam freely at night but had to disappear when the rooster announced the rising sun. However, other stories treated the crow itself as having protective power. These beliefs are documented in several traditional stories, and roosters were strongly associated with protection against evil. It seems even the most terrifying creature was no match for an extremely loud farm animal.
Butterflies Can Carry the Souls of the Dead
In several cultures, butterflies are said to be connected to the human soul, a belief that likely stems from their transformation from caterpillar to beautiful, winged creature. In Mexican lore surrounding Día de los Muertos, the arrival of monarch butterflies indicates the return of passed loved ones. In other folk beliefs, a butterfly flitting into a home is actually a visit from someone who has died. Of course, such visits could be interpreted as comforting or sinister, depending on who they thought was embodying the butterfly. Still, it’s lovely to think a relative in butterfly form has flown by to say hi.
Ravens Have Ties to the Spirit World
Ravens pop up in supernatural folklore in many cultures, acting as messengers, omens, or companions to powerful entities. In Norse mythology, Odin’s ravens, Huginn and Muninn, traveled around the world collecting information for him. In European folklore, ravens were associated with death, battlefields, and the presence of spirits. Their high intelligence may have led to the impression that they knew things humans didn’t. A large black bird that seems to be watching you, remembers your face, and can imitate human speech is certainly worthy of a spooky reputation.
Bees Can Recognize Death and Communicate with the Departed
One of the stranger European folk beliefs about animals was known as “telling the bees.” In parts of Britain and other places around Europe, when someone died, family members were supposed to tell their local beehives about the death. They would accomplish this odd communication by speaking softly to the bees or hanging the hives with mourning cloth. According to the superstition, not telling the bees could result in abandoned hives or the bees failing to produce honey. These traditions stated that bees had a special relationship with the soul and the afterlife. The custom was taken very seriously, with some people even telling their bees about weddings and other major family events, too. It’s strange to imagine a time when dishing gossip with insects was a common activity.