An owl. In the Middle Ages, owls were generally viewed with suspicion. They were thought of as bloodthirsty creatures of the night... [click image for larger view]   The darkness of night was like the darkness of sin. What kind of creature would want to live in darkness? Only the ignorant and those up to no good! So owls were often persecuted - their nests destroyed and their young ones killed Today owls are more likely to be viewed as beautiful and beneficial creatures, important players in the ecosystem of the countryside. Many types are protected. However, even in the 1990s, big business got away with clearing forests for timber at the expense of an endangered species of owl. Perhaps things haven't changed that much! Even in the Middle Ages, owls didn't get an entirely bad press. In one medieval 'Bestiary' the Night Owl, which lives in old and ruined buildings, was likened to Jesus Christ. Jesus was able to bring sinners out of the 'darkness' of sin, because he had experienced the world's darkness himself, for example when he was tempted in the desert and died on Good Friday.