The history of bat symbolism
Bats have long been associated with various superstitions, myths and folklore across different cultures throughout history. In Western culture, bats have often been portrayed as creepy, evil creatures and harbingers of death and misfortune. However, in Chinese culture, bats are considered lucky symbols.
The association of bats with darkness, night time and caves has contributed to their spooky reputation in the West. Their nocturnal nature, sneaky flight patterns and stealthy behavior have led them to be associated with witchcraft, vampires and other supernatural evil forces.
In medieval Europe, bat wing charms were used to ward off evil spirits. This suggests that while still considered creepy, bats were also thought to provide some protective powers against dark magic and forces.
Bats were also featured in witchcraft, black magic rituals and potions, adding to their occult connections. Their representations in horror stories and films throughout the 20th century further cemented the bat’s reputation as an iconic symbol of monsters and malevolence in the Western imagination.
Good luck
In China, bats are strongly associated with good luck, happiness and prosperity. This traces back to the Chinese word for bat, “fu,” which is pronounced the same as the Chinese word for good fortune.
Bats are considered lucky in Chinese culture because the Chinese phrase “five blessings surround the fu” uses the same pronunciation as fu meaning bat. This phrase represents the five blessings of health, wealth, virtue, love of virtue and a peaceful death.
In Chinese art and handicrafts, bats are frequently depicted carrying coins or money bags in their mouths or claws, representing their association with prosperity. The number of bats portrayed often symbolizes the accumulation of blessings.
Red bats are considered extremely propitious as red is associated with joy and happiness. Bat motifs are common on Chinese New Year decorations and ornaments for inviting luck into the coming year.
Bats also symbolize happiness as the Chinese word for bat “fu” sounds similar to the word “fu” meaning happiness or blessing. So images and figures of bats are popular for Chinese weddings and birthdays.
Bad luck
In the West, bats are predominantly associated with darkness, death and misfortune. Their nocturnal habits link them to the night, which is often associated with evil and fear of the unknown.
In European folklore, bats were associated with witchcraft, black magic and darkness. Witches were believed to shapeshift into bats in order to sneak into victims’ houses undetected.
Vampire myths that proliferated in medieval Eastern Europe contributed to bats’ association with blood, death and demons. Fictional vampire figures were believed to transform into bats.
In ancient Rome, it was considered very unlucky if a bat flew into your house or came into contact with you.
Seeing or touching a bat has been considered an omen of impending doom, sickness and death in many Western superstitions. Killing a bat was also said to bring bad luck.
If a bat flies around you three times, some believe that is an alert for an impending death in your family. Finding a dead bat on your doorstep is also considered a bad omen.
Bat symbols in myth, folklore and culture
Dracula and vampires
The most enduring bat mythology comes from vampire legends originating in Eastern Europe. Vampire myths state that vampires have the ability to shapeshift into bats.
Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic horror novel Dracula established bats as a key association for vampires. Dracula could transform into a bat at night and back into a human form during the day.
Romania’s 14th century prince Vlad Tepes who impaled his victims was believed to have inspired the Dracula character. His nickname was Vlad the Impaler. However, there is no evidence Vlad had any connection to vampirism or bats.
Nonetheless, Dracula has cemented the link between bats and vampires in pop culture and folklore. Bat transformations continue to be a common trope for vampires in literature, film and television including Twilight and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Witchcraft and potions
During the Middle Ages in Europe, bats were associated with witchcraft, black magic and evil spirits. Witches were believed to shapeshift into bats in order to enter homes undetected.
Bats were also used in potion recipes and rituals by witches and practitioners of black magic.
Body parts of bats, such as bat blood, wings, saliva and bones, were incorporated into magical brews and potions to summon spirits, cast evil spells or give the witches magical powers.
In some folklore, witches would feed baby bats and keep them as pets or familiars. Their small size enabled bats to sneak into places unseen.
Witches would reportedly suck the blood of bats for nourishment or summon them to do their bidding as messengers and spies.
The connection between bats and witches has carried through in popular depictions like the evil Maleficent who can transform into a bat in Disney’s Sleeping Beauty.
Biblical meaning
In the Judeo-Christian tradition, bats have a largely negative connotation and are associated with darkness, death and demonic spirits.
The Bible includes several references to bats as unclean or impure creatures along with owls, weasels and rats.
In the Book of Isaiah, idolaters are described as going into caves with bats to try and escape the wrath of god:
“And they shall go into the holes of the rocks, and into the caves of the earth, for fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth. In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles and to the bats.” (Isaiah 2:19-20)
The demon Beelzebub was also known as “Lord of the Flies” which may have been derived from the Greek word for bat “nycteris.”
Native American and Mesoamerican meaning
In some Native American traditions, bats represent initiation, rebirth and visionary power because of their ability to navigate expertly in the darkness.
The Zapotec civilization venerated a Bat God who was believed to be the spirit form of a dead shaman.
For the ancient Mayans, the bat god Zotz represented night and death. Bats were thought to be messengers who carried souls from the mortal world to the underworld.
Some Southwestern Native American tribes believed that bats were associated with life-sustaining water and rains because they emerged from caves where water originated.
Chinese mythology
In Chinese culture, the bat is a profound symbol of good fortune, prosperity and happiness.
The Chinese pronunciation of the word bat “fu” sounds identical to the Chinese words for fortune and luck. So bats represent the 5 blessings: longevity, wealth, health and composure, virtue, and a peaceful death.
The bat is also a Yin energy animal associated with darkness but balance. Five bats together symbolize the “five fortunes” and protecting from evil spirits.
Bats frequently appear in Chinese art as symbols carrying jewels, peachs or coins in their mouths or feet representing their lucky association.
An ancient legend tells of an immortal who grants good luck by revealing the character for fortune on his writing tablet after being rescued from hunger by a bat.
Ancient Egyptian and Middle Eastern meaning
In ancient Egypt, bats were associated with the stars and nighttime transformations.
The Egyptian sky goddess Nut who swallows the sun each night was sometimes depicted with bat wings or the ears of a bat.
For ancient Egyptians, the bat also symbolized the soul and the afterlife transformation as it moved between the darkness and light.
In the Hellenistic period, some coins featured the Egyptian Open Hand symbol with bat wings showing influence from Greek mythology’s harpy creature.
In ancient Persia, bats represent the forces of both darkness and light. Bat amulets were used to ward off evil.
Japanese meaning
In Japan, bats are seen as a sign of good fortune, luck and happiness. The legend of the bat as a lucky symbol traces back to a folktale about a bat restoring a generous samurai’s fortune.
According to the story, the samurai rescues a bat from a mean man by cutting off the man’s hand. The grateful bat later returns with a bag of coins to thank the samurai for his kindness.
As in China, the Japanese word for bat “komori” sounds similar to Japanese words for luck and fortune. So bats represent good luck charms in Japanese art and culture.
However, not all of bat lore in Japan is positive. Giant monster bats known as obake appear in Japanese folktales to terrorize people and other supernatural creatures.
Celtic mythology
For Celtic cultures, the bat represents the bridge between life and death. Bats were considered highly symbolic animals that could move between the dark and light.
Some Celtic traditions linked bats with the otherworld and the dead. Seeing a bat was considered to be a sign from ancestors or spirits crossing over into the mortal world.
However, since they emerge from caves, bats were also seen as creatures of rebirth and spiritual cleansing. Killing a bat was considered taboo in case it carried a human soul.
Bats frequently appeared in Celtic artwork, jewelry and weaponry alongside other supernatural creatures like the raven and owl.
Australian Aboriginal meaning
In Aboriginal Australian mythology bats are associated with spirits, death and the afterlife because they are active at night and reside in caves and hollows.
For Aboriginal hunter gatherer cultures, bats were linked to fire and blood due to their red colouring and habit of swarming out of caves at sunset like smoke.
One tale speaks of how a blood-drinking bat takes a beautiful woman into the afterlife and makes her his spirit wife in the land of the dead.
Some giant fruit eating bats known as flying foxes appear as trickster characters in Aboriginal folklore.
Are bats biologically good or bad?
Benefits of bats
While feared in popular imagination, bats are ecologically vital mammals that provide critical benefits for ecosystems and humans. Here are some of the advantages bats bring:
- Insect control – Bats eat massive quantities of night-flying insects like mosquitoes, moths and beetles that damage crops or spread disease.
- Pollination – Fruit and nectar feeding bats pollinate important plants like bananas, mangoes, figs and agave.
- Seed dispersal – Frugivorous bats spread the seeds of rainforest trees and plants through their droppings which helps reforestation.
- Fertilizer producer – Bat guano has long been an excellent natural fertilizer and enriching soil additive for agriculture.
- Pest control – Bats help control pest populations of insects and rodents that wreak havoc on crops and stored produce.
Various scientific studies have calculated the enormous economic value of bats to agriculture. By reducing crop-damaging insects and pollinating plants, bats save farmers billions per year.
A 2011 study found the agricultural benefits of bats were valued at $3.7 billion to $53 billion per year in the US. The loss of bats would lead to huge economic impacts for farmers.
Potential harms
While most bats are perfectly safe, there are also potential downsides to bats:
- Disease carriers – A small % of bats can carry rabies or other viruses dangerous to humans and livestock.
- Parasites – Bat bugs, mites and bat fleas can invade homes from bat roosts and bite humans.
- Agricultural pests – A small number of bat species damage fruit orchards and commercial crops.
- Invasive species impacts – Some introduced bat species have contributed to declines of native bird and mammal populations.
- Infrastructure damage – Bat urine and droppings can damage buildings where large bat colonies roost over time.
However, research shows the economic benefits of bats dramatically outweigh the costs associated with these potential damages. Most perceived harms from bats are also manageable with proper bat control methods.
What does science say about bats and disease?
While bats can harbor dangerous viruses and parasites in some cases, the actual risk bats pose to human health is frequently exaggerated. Here are some facts on bats and disease:
- Less than 1% of wild bats carry rabies. Most infections come from contact with sick stray cats and dogs.
- Bats contract diseases from other species, including humans. Protecting bat ecosystems can reduce disease transmission.
- You cannot catch COVID-19 directly from bats. The virus evolved and jumped from an intermediate animal host.
- Histoplasmosis from bat droppings is rare and mainly a risk for bat cave explorers, not homeowners.
- Rabies transmission almost always requires direct contact through a bite or scratch. It cannot be spread airborne.
Simple precautions like avoiding direct contact, wearing gloves and masks, and proper roost disinfection greatly reduce any disease risks from bats.
Killing bats increases the spread of disease by disrupting colonies and ecosystems. Maintaining healthy bat populations through habitat conservation is a better approach.
Are bats good or bad for the environment?
Bats play a critical role in maintaining healthy ecosystems and provide enormous economic and environmental benefits. Here are some of the key advantages bats offer:
- Pest control – Bats eat insect pests that wreak havoc on forests and agriculture. This reduces the need for pesticides.
- Pollination – Nectar-feeding bats pollinate many plants, like agave, vital for biodiversity.
- Seed dispersal – Frugivores spread the seeds of rainforest trees and plants through their droppings.
- Soil nutrition – Decaying bat droppings called guano are an excellent natural fertilizer.
- Cave ecosystems – Bat colonies are crucial to nutrient cycles and organisms in cave environments.
According to Bat Conservation International, bats save U.S. agriculture an estimated $3 billion a year or more through natural insect control and pollination benefits alone.
However, bats may also damage some industries in localized cases:
- Agriculture pest – A few bat species damage fruit crops by feeding on orchards.
- Timber damage – Some bats chew and damage wood structures and timber for nesting.
- Invasive species – Introduced bat species can displace native wildlife in some ecosystems.
While bats may pose some economic challenges, their overall contribution to ecosystems is overwhelmingly positive. Protecting bats through habitat conservation and exclusion methods are preferable to lethal control.
Should I be afraid of bats?
The vast majority of bats are harmless to humans and provide enormous environmental benefits. Still, bats do inspire an instinctive fear response in many people. Here are some bat facts to put the risks in perspective:
- Less than 1⁄2 of 1% of wild bats carry rabies. Domestic dogs are a greater source.
- Bat guano and droppings pose a minor hazard which is manageable with proper cleaning and disinfection.
- Bat bugs and mites can invade homes but do not transmit disease and are treatable.
- Just 6-7 bat species feed on blood. The rest eat insects which benefits humans.
- Bat colonies help control insect pest populations that can spread dangerous diseases like West Nile virus and malaria.
While caution is warranted around bats, especially if handling them directly, statistically bats present a very minor threat to people. Their vital ecological contributions far outweigh potential harms.
Simple precautions like sealing up access points to your home, avoiding contact with bats, and safe removal and exclusion methods will mitigate any risks bats pose. Conservation policies that protect bat populations ultimately safeguard human health and economies.
Conclusion
Throughout history, bats have inspired an unusual range of mythological and folkloric interpretations across human cultures. They have variously symbolized good fortune, evil, the underworld and supernatural transformation.
Modern science demonstrates that bats are predominantly beneficial creatures that serve critical ecological roles through pest control, pollination and seed dispersal. The economic value of bats to agriculture likely totals tens of billions of dollars annually.
While bats can occasionally transmit diseases like rabies, their overall contributions to ecosystems and human interests outweigh potential downsides. Maintaining healthy bat populations through conservation practices represents the most sustainable approach for both bats and people.
With proper precautions, there is no reason to unduly fear bats. Their unique adaptations and behaviors may unsettle some, but biodiversity and sustainable ecosystems depend on the critical services bats provide. A nuanced, science-based understanding of bats shows they deserve appreciation and protection rather than demonization.