Bat Conservation International is a 501(c)(3) organization. In Myths of the Cherokee (1900), James Mooney points out that a general theme in American Indian folklore is that, in the beginning, there were no essential differences between humans and animals. Therefore, they would only come out at night, spending the daylight hours praying to be transformed back into birds. Bat guano provides one reason for the fertility associations [56]. Bats are often misunderstood. The Navajo people thought that bats were able to fly between different worlds and act as a bridge between the supernatural and the natural. In two fables from Aesop (born ca. When capturing its prey, it grabs the neck, sometimes killing the prey with a single powerful bite [51, 52]. Despite this primate-like gesture, it took quite some time for people to understand that bats are mammals and not birds. The bat husband then cut off her head and those of other Indians and put all heads in the tree hole where he was living [55]. This allowed the borders to be crossed and the dead and the spirits of the underworld return to visit earth. In that day people will throw away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and idols of gold, In South America, the vampire bat (Desmodus rotundus) is persecuted because it transmits the rabies virus to the livestock it feeds off. In many human cultures, caves were seen as gateways to the underworld and bats often emerge from caves at twilight when day merges into night. There are also numerous stories and legends associated with the bat. In Africa, house bats occur in distinct colors and sizes, but they are usually hard to Books > Nearly another third reported actively killing bats or destroying bat roosts, and most respondents associated bats with the destruction of farmers fruits, especially mangoes. The five-chambered cave hosts the worlds largest known colony of the Geoffroys Rousette Fruit Bat, Rousettus amplexicaudatus, with an estimated 1.82 million individuals [76]. They are hugely beneficial to man and play a major role in the well-being of the worlds ecosystems. The bat serves as mentor of the night and is identified with Talking God, one of the foremost deities. considers bat as harm meaning that it is forbidden as food. Brief introduction to this section that descibes Open Access especially from an IntechOpen perspective, Want to get in touch? A world without bats would look very different than the one you know and not for the better. Obviously, these bats were not the only animalsor even the only batsto use these now destroyed habitats. Kill the bat before it escapes, and everyone will be safe. 10 brilliant bat facts BATS and the Netherworld The lack of feathers, presence of teeth, and activity at night are rooted in basic biology and natural history. That burning incense over the site of a bat buried at a crossroads would help you acquire a powerful love potion. My Amazon Author Page can found here for the UK and for the USA, here. He always finds it a source of fascination discovering and learning how our ancestors perceived the times they lived in and how they have influenced us today. Since the fourteenth century, Chinese culture has associated bats with good luck and blessings [33]. Becoming neither one thing nor the other made them ashamed. Most often, they are seen only at night. Sometimes, as with the myth, it leaves a trademark two-pronged bite on the victim. In Madagascar, the exploitation of bats for bush meat regularly takes place during periods of food shortage, especially fruit bats, which are heavily hunted. Because of the mouses pious respect for the holy wafer, God gave it wings so that it would be able to find plenty of food in the future. As you can see, bats have been both persecuted and protected through the ages. 15 Interesting Myths And Legends In African Mythology 1. This is bound to threaten the continued existence of local bat populations. These animals are nocturnal creatures that sleep during the day and come out at night to hunt for food. Males are called Kelb-el-khela, and females are called Tarhst. On Mochica pottery, a bat is depicted with the Sweetsop Annona squamosa, a common fruit also known as Sugar Apple or Pinha, the seeds of which are dispersed by bats [51, 52]. Sociocultural definitions of animals as good or evil have persisted throughout the history of human beings. Bats The basic scenario is that, in a battle between the beasts and birds, the bat repeatedly changes allegiance so as to be on the side that appears to be winning. Public domain. Greeks and Romans often referred to people who were active at night as bats. Apparently many of these people had adopted nocturnal behavior to avoid those to whom they owed money. Aesops Fables: The Bat and the Weasel. Over five hundred species of plants rely on bats for pollination including durian, banana, mango, guava, cocoa and agave. This undoubtedly reflects the loss of other preferred game animals from the habitat. Folklore of Bats: From Mythology to Witchcraft to In southwest Asia, bat folklore has been documented between Iran, India, and Myanmar [25, 26, 27]. Bats have fascinated humans for millennia, and this cultural and spiritual relevance is reflected in the presence of bat symbols in Egyptian tombs from 2000 BC . If a bat flies into a kitchen and at once hangs on to the ceiling, it is a lucky omen, but if it circles the room twice before alighting, it is a bad omen. They live in unusual places. Category:African legendary creatures Here are just a few: If a bat flies into your house, look out for bedbugs. Bats - Disease-Prone but Beneficial, Reviewed: December 23rd, 2021 Published: January 18th, 2022, Total Chapter Downloads on intechopen.com. The bat flew to a nearby cave, but each evening it emerged at sunset, telling Jesus that it was time to take food [see Bats and the Netherworld, BATS, Summer 1993; also, see this same article for the converse notion that the devil created bats.). Commentdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a5fde012108c6f81a46adcd8fa31b17e" );document.getElementById("ebd2ec4c6f").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); Gordon is an ecologist with two degrees from Exeter University. Orchard owners in Myanmar believe that allowing bats to roost and feed in the garden ensures prosperity and well-being. The decision to include the New Zealand long-tailed bat Chalinolobus tuberculatus also known as pekapeka-tou-roa (Mori) in the 2021 Bird of the Year competition did cause a bit of controversy, some people saying the country had gone batty. However, the long-tailed bat got more than 7000 votes, bringing a clear victory to this critically endangered animal, despite not being a bird [50]. This association between giant bats and vampires continues to the present day through popular fiction and cinema (Figure 1). American Indian legends and the fables of Aesop were more than just stories recited around the campfire or bathhouse: they were teaching devices. In the old days, people used to think that bats were evil, and they would often try to kill them. GET INVOLVED! This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Bat Bats - Myths, Folklore and Facts Besides hunting, the primary threats to bat species include habitat loss and degradation through logging. They eat insects performing pest control while also pollinating species of plants and spreading seeds. In several other folktales, bats are banished into the night either as a result of some treachery or, as in the case of the Kanarese, because of embarrassment resulting from ill-advised behavior. Especially Western cultural associations of bats with evil spirits, which have been recorded in Christian tradition as early as the fourteenth century [68] along with current media sensationalizing bats and the COVID-19 pandemic, are major hindrances toward bat conservation [69], although there is no reason why public health messages cannot be consistent with bat conservation. Do you know the difference between fact and fiction when it comes to bats? Bat Photo credit: Stan Delone creative commonWikimedia. In the past, people have believed that: If a bat got into your house it was a sign someone was about to die; A bat arriving on Halloween meant your house was haunted; A bat tangled in a persons hair will lead to eternal damnation; Rompo is a legendary monster with the head of a rabbit, arms like a badger, legs like a bear, a skeletal middle and human ears. The bat was central to Maya religion and social structure. When you stand with us, your donation will support critical bat conservation initiatives. A bat-headed figure from Costa Rica made by pre-Colombian Diquis people sometimes between 700 and 1530AD. In the Punjab, northern India, magicians use bat bones to prepare their concoctions, and with the bat blood, they write amulets for malevolent and antisocial magic. Experience the wonder of bats. Photo credit: Masteraah. Interestingly, giant bat stories have persisted in these flying-fox-less societies, which evolved from western Polynesians cultures where flying foxes have been prevalent [45]. Therefore, let us give them the recognition they deserve because if bats were to disappear tomorrow, that would give us something to genuinely fear. The study concluded that conservation-related education should be included in the school curriculum to ensure that students would appreciate not only the importance of bats but of all wildlife [26]. It is no real surprise that in a Christian Europe throughout history, the bat has been associated with the Devil, evil spirits, and witches [9]. Around 62% of the Asia-Pacific people had only positive cultural values of bats, 8% had only neutral values, while 10% had only negative values [27]. We still are. Ancient Celtic Cauldrons: The Magical, the Mythical, the Real, Top 5 Trees in Celtic Mythology, Legend and Folklore, Celtic Warrior Women: Queen Boudica of the Iceni, Animism and the Living World of the Ancient Celts, Mixing Animals, Birds, Humans and Gods in Celtic Mythology, Unicorn Lore: Interpreting the Lady and the Unicorn Tapestries, The Legendary Puss in Boots and the Marquis of Carabas, Top Five Mythical Birds in Legend and Folklore, Aesops Fables; a new translation by Aesop, BATS Magazine Article: Folklore and the Origin of Bats, Folk Stories from Southern Nigeria, West Africa by Elphinstone Dayrell. WebBats typically live in deep underground caves, which symbolically is the belly of the Mother (Earth), and from these womb-like caves they emerge each evening at dusk - reborn. Saharan African mythology have legendary In Malaysia, older generations prevented thievery by mixing flying fox blood with milky mangrove Excoecaria agallocha tree sap to cause violent intestinal inflammation [40]. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/de/legalcode. Even cultures that value bats positively may have values conflicting with bat conservation. The bat is a devil who flies only in the night because it would die if flying in the daytime [25]. Interestingly, blood sucking has been attributed to bats both in Cameroon and Sierra Leone despite the countries being widely separated and when no such type of bat is found in Africa [19]. Home > In ancient Egypt it was believed bats could alleviate or cure many ailments including baldness, fever toothache and poor eyesight. Samoan people prize flying fox meat as a delicacy and as a gift to elders, but commercial hunting and export of the meat are culturally frowned. In Western Europe, there existed an unfounded superstition that if a bat fell on a woman (who mostly had long hair back then), the bat would become so entangled in her hair that the hair would have to be cut off just to pull it out. In Africa, bats were credited with high intelligence. In Kenya, a bat attitude questionnaire was presented to 394 people living around the Arabuko-Sokoke forest. Iban people in Sarawak, Borneo, believe that a bat flying into the house indicates a shaman bringing good vibes, conferring protection against any harm, while in Thailand, if a bat enters a house but immediately flies away, it is believed to change bad luck to good. Flying foxesalong with all other native batsare now protected in Australia. Montfort bat cave entrance in the Philippines with the numerous Geoffroys Rousette fruit bats Rousettes amplexicaudatus. 7 Myths About Bats bat, (order Chiroptera), any member of the only group of mammals capable of flight. Bat Adjule. Strangely perhaps, given its poor press in Europe, carrying the dried and powdered heart of a bat in your front pocket was supposed to protect you from bleeding to death and later to stop bullets. Bats flying vertically upwards and then dropping back to earth means that the Witches Hour has come. Throughout Southeast Asia, bats are associated with luck and good fortune and used as spiritual totems [6, 27]. Apaches tell a different tale about bats. This North American bat-like depiction should come as no surprise; it is merely another manifestation of the fear, horror, and superstition with which bats have been regarded down through ages [64]. Bat Myths and Folktales from Around the World Bats Bat Mythology There is a strong association between bats and death. African Cryptids: 9 Mysterious Monsters of Africa WebTraditional Navajo folklore places the origin of bats in the earliest world, when all was dark: twelve insects and the bat revolved in darkness. It remains to be seen, however, if this could halt or even reverse the decline of the North American bats [64]. Photo credit: [7] Roy Kabanlit creative commonsWikimedia https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode. A noctule bat Nyctalus noctula, a long-eared bat Plecotus auritus, a Natters bat Myotis nattereri and a Daubentons bat Myotis daubentonii. Bats for eating in the Laos marketplace. It is estimated that the current population of most Australian species of Pteropidae is less than 20% of what it was 100 years ago. Bat Myths and Folktales from Around the World. The novel, Dracula, by Bram Stoker encouraged the vampire association which was expanded and embellished later by other writers. These Goddesses of beauty reflect peace for a lot of people. This was before people knew about germs and how diseases are spread. Our tax ID number is 74-2553144. Generally, the Maya revered a Vampire Bat god, Camazotz, the death bat, which killed dying men on their way to the center of the earth [51, 52]. Bats have also been associated with blood-sucking vampires and other dark creatures in stories and movies. One reason not to kill bats is that female bats have breasts and are mothers like human females [25]. The bat is the nights mentor and is associated with Talking God, one of the most powerful deities. A long time ago, on the opposite side of the earth, the Aztec term for a bat was apparently quimichpapalotl, which means butterfly mouse. Africa. The prominent leaf nose on the snout of this bat strongly suggests an arrowhead. In another tale from Aesop, a bat borrows money for a business venture that fails. The oldest age group (5170years old) of 150 respondents were mostly aware of the bat conservation efforts. In Western culture, bats are also associated with vampires causing hysteria and wrong nomenclature of non-sanguivorous bat species such as Large Flying Fox Pteropus vampyrus. Only older and somewhat educated people reported more positive attitudes toward bats than others [21]. However, modern science, and hence western Europe, really only learned about them as we traveled out to the tropical world. Using four species of bats and three brave female volunteers he deliberately attempted to entangle the bats by thrusting them into the womans hair. With Gods permission, He fashioned the winged likeness of a bat from clay and breathed life into it. The official Islamic view is exempting bats from being killed because it would carry bad luck to kill a bat [32]. Both African-Americans and those of European descent from around the United States frequently maintain that In Madurai, worshippers of the Muni god regard Indian Flying Fox Pteropus medius, formerly Pteropus giganteus, as sacred and protect colonies for fear of heavy punishment. The artificial bat became a shorthand for horror in 1931, jiggled on a fishing line behind a Hungarian-American actor Bla Ferenc Dezs Blask, known professionally as Bela Lugosi in the genre-defining movie Dracula. When his wife returned she saw the pot was still boiling and no sign of her husband. - Bat hunting is illegal, but hunters readily admitted to having hunted bats and even directed the research people to other hunters. Bats appear in numerous myths throughout the world and are frequently connected with death, darkness, and the supernatural. The bat represented the opias (= spirits of the dead people) to the Taino. Then he jumped into it and sat in it for a while and then climbed out. In Malaysia, ethnic Han Chinese, non-Muslim indigenous groups, and ethnic Malays hunt flying foxes and trade them to the Chinese [27]. The bat must then hide during the day to avoid creditors. The Rompo is a common South African mythical creatures believed to exist. 5 Princes Gate Court, However, the association of bats with evil still persists in some parts of the world. It remains to be seen, however, how effectively the further education efforts could halt or even reverse the decline of the bats around the world. Just over one-third of the respondents (36%) did not see any benefits of bats to humans. In New Zealand, Mori people associate bats, pekapeka, with the mythical nocturnal bird hokioi that foretells death [49]. Between 1958 and 1961, Gathorne-Hardy, Fifth Earl of Cranbrook, a renowned conservationist and a founding member and former President of the Mammal Society, decided to put this old superstition to the test [16]. In Africa, house bats occur in distinct colors and sizes, but they are usually hard to identify. In Hunza, Pakistan, a witch appears in the shape of a bat, and it plays a role in magical practice in southwest Asia. Myth Busters Despite its scientific name, it feeds exclusively on fruits, nectar, and flowers and not blood (Figure 6) [70]. He has also contributed to Enchanted Conversation Magazine and his latest Kindle ebook, The Feather of the Firebird is now available. Most respondents were less likely to value the importance of bats in the ecosystem, so creating a conservation education to connect people with nature is not easy. Also, in Nilotic Sudan, witchcraft was usually performed at night, and therefore, owls and bats were associated with it. Peasant farmers in Mexico used to call bats ratones viejos, which translates to old mice. They thought that when mice grew older, they would develop wings and transform into bats. A bat was once known as a flittermouse or fluttermouse, which translates to flying mouse. This phrase is derived from the German word for a bat, Fledermaus. The English term bat is taken from the Old English word bakke, which means to flutter.. Vampire bats were not discovered until the 16th century in Central and South America. If a bat flies into a house and then escapes, there will be a death in the family. If a man whose wife is nearing childbirth unthinkingly does so, some harm may befall the unborn baby [34]. Many people still believe this to be true in Mexico. (Above is from a variety of African mythology not just Sub-Saharan, but it's also the tiniest fraction of it) WebSpirits African mythology is filled with spirits, invisible beings with powers for good or evil. The study estimated that in the karstic Mahafaly Plateau some 50100 caves are exploited for bats and that between 70,000 and 140,000 Microchiroptera bats may be collected annually in the region. The myth states that a mouse came into a church and stole one of the wafers of the eucharistand then decided to keep it rather than eat it. The cookie settings on this website are set to "allow cookies" to give you the best browsing experience possible. Bat During this time eating food between sunrise and sunset is forbidden. is eaten in Laos. Bats are associated, in many cultures, with death and dying, which makes them a perfect representative of Samhain, the time when the veil is thin. Bats feature in many myths, legends and folklore from diverse cultures around the world, and are often associated with darkness, death and the supernatural. Often seen in movies and even written in books, bats have always been portrayed as mysterious creatures throughout the years. In Malaysia, a face-to-face survey was conducted in Penang Island to assess knowledge and awareness level toward bat conservation efforts. Despite all the sinister associations bats perform an essential role in the environment, adding greatly to the wellbeing of humanity. Bats are not associated with any diseases, and it was felt to be safe to eat bat meat, but both studies were conducted before the 2013 Ebola outbreak (Figure 2) [19, 20]. In its entire history, the state of New York has recorded only one case of bat-transmitted rabies [64]. In Nagaland between 7000 and 25,000 cave-dwelling bats (Cave Nectar Bat Eonycteris spelaea, Great Roundleaf Bat Hipposideros armiger, and Leschenaults Rousette Rousettus leschenaultii) have been annually harvested until recently [73]. Much of the folklore about bats relates to their way of life. Bat Myths The account is linked to the first trees created by roog. Zteve enjoys researching deep into the folklore, myths and legends that run through society and are part of our everyday lives. Tjinimin wanted to have sex with the Green Parrot-Girls (who were the consorts of the Great Rainbow-Snake) and, of course, the Great Rainbow-Snake objected to this. What are they? This persecution has been quite intense and has had negative effects on the whole environment. There are more than 1000 different species of bats in the world, making them the second-largest order of mammals. The tour includes a brief 20-minute conservation education lecture about bats, caves, and the history of the Montford Bat Cave Sanctuary. BUSTED! In 1332, a French noblewoman, Lady Jacaume of Bayonne [12], was publicly burned to death as a witch because crowds of bats were seen about her house and garden., William Shakespeare (15641616) also equated bats with witches, spells, and curses. Whereas in China, it was a sign of good fortune. Its unlucky to see a bat in the daytime. In fact they are mammals of the scientific order Chiroptera, meaning hand wing in ancient Greek, because their forelimbs have become adapted to be wings. Although bats already had long had a sinister reputation their addition to European vampire folklore came after that. In Jamaican folklore, bats are also perceived as death images [59]. A modern variation of the myth that bats arose from rodents comes from an Ohio woman of Polish ancestry who attested that the bat was from a mouse that had eaten blessed Easter food. (In Polish tradition, a representative food from the Easter dinner is taken to church to be blessed.) When Oyot went home his wife had to go out on an errand. This is because people thought that bats were associated with witches and black magic. Bats have been present in folklore and myth for quite some time. Their dark reputation is further enhanced with their association with Halloween and Samhain, the time of year when the time of long, light days begins to draw to an end and the dark time of the year begins. At the end of the story, Tjinimin hangs upside-down in a tree to admire the stars and decides never to try having sex with anyone againwhereupon his nose falls off. Bats were also persecuted because they were believed to be carriers of disease. The bat populations in Malaysia are decreasing in 26% of species and only 15% are still stable. He told her he would make some tasty soup like Emiong had taught him for when she returned. Cultural traditions and beliefs influence the future of the bats, which is threatened by human exploitation, both directly on bats and indirectly on the environment. Because they were four-footed, the mouse-like creatures first asked if they could play with the animals, which included a bear, a deer, and a terrapin. The idea that carrying a bats eye around with you will allow you to turn invisible. The bat begged to be spared but the weasel insisted that he could not do that because he was an enemy of all birds. Bat Conservation International 2023. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/legalcode. Repeatedly, the bats feathers were stolen by small birds, and repeatedly the bat returned to Jonayaiyin to ask for more. In many places, blood sacrifice was believed to benefit agriculture, and therefore, bats had agricultural, as well as death, connections for Pre-Columbian peoples and in Oaxaca, Mexico, a bat deity was associated with maize [51]. Out of over 13,000 species, there are only three that feed on blood.
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