Minerva and her owl

The Roman goddess Minerva is well known as the goddess of wisdom and is often represented by the owl. Centuries later, we still associate owls with wisdom and knowledge, just think of Owl in A. A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh stories or Professor Minerva McGonagall in the Harry Potter series who turns into an owl. This link between owls and wisdom might just be because we associate large eyes with human like qualities of intelligence.

Minerva was not just the Goddess of wisdom but is also connected with medicine, trade, handicrafts, poetry, the arts and later war. The Roman writer Ovid called her the ‘goddess of a thousand works!’

In the ancient world many gods and goddesses of different cultures were often adapted and merged with each other. Minerva is often compared to the Greek goddess of wisdom, Athena, also identified by an owl but the Etruscans, who lived in the same part of Italy but before Rome was built, also had a goddess with similar characteristics.

Minerva was particularly popular in Roman Britain where she was associated with the local goddess of hot springs and healing – Sulis. The guests and visitors at Welwyn Roman Baths may well have worshipped or honoured Sulis Minerva. Many tools and jewelry from Britain at this time features Minerva’s image or her iconography, including the owl.

Download our colouring sheet to decorate your own version of Minerva’s owl.