Significance of the owl?


I wonder what people thought of the owl in the prospector tale. Not only does the prospector leave her most of her eggs, her hoot & passing are enough to distract the boy while in the act of murdering the prospector.

Symbolism?

Or just a bird of prey...?

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Many Indian tribes believed that an owl hooting was an omen of death. They would cancel raids if they heard an owl hoot. I know the prospector and the boy are not Indians, but maybe they had absorbed some Indian lore?

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I thought it was going to attack the claim jumper

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It was a reminder of the good deed he did for the owl in only taking one egg, and that good karma rewarded him later

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During the scene where the prospector steals the owls eggs, he asks “how high can a bird count anyway?” This is a call back to the previous story, and a hint that Liam Neeson’s character got conned.

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