BAT FOLKLORE
Bats and Halloween have a ubiquitous relationship. It maybe due to the nocturnal habits of the bat, that link the two - after all Hallow’s Eve is a festival that’s celebrated at nightfall. Or as Mayans believe, bats are the guardians of the underworld. Spookiness aside, the winged creature is known to conjure up high levels of anxiety, day or night, for folks with long hair! (Myth No. 1, they don’t get tangled in your tresses). That said, without doubt the humble Bat is steeped in myth, negative omens and superstitions. Yet in some cultures, the omen is of an auspicious nature.
Firstly, it’s suggested should the winged vermin simply fly near you - then apparently someone is trying to bewitch you. And if the nocturnal mammal should dare fly into your house, then it’s a harbinger of death and very bad luck. As is similarly associated with most winged creatures, like birds who enter your home. Bats are also used as a weather omen, so should one hit a building/window, it’s said to signal rain. Or if you spy a colony of bats well before twilight, then it’s a sign good weather is on the way. In Australian folklore, a bat represents an incarnation of a human and to accidentally or intentionally kill the creature, would lead to a shortening of your own life - or a heavy fine, I suspect!
Oh, and if you’re reading this at Halloween and love spooky ghoulish stories, then apparently the right eye of a bat - kept in a waistcoat pocket - will make a man invisible! Which must be rooted in the myth that Bats are blind. And finally if you fear a bat is eyeing you up for their next meal . . . rest assured it probably isn’t, as there are only three species that favour a diet of blood!
FAMILLE ROSE 'HUNDRED BATS' VASE above with GuanGx 6 character mark in Iron Red and of the period (1875-1908) sold for USD $43,750 in a Christie'
Double_Happiness_Five_Bats, courtesy of Cleveland Musuem
Dish with peaches and bats China. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art. public domain
Shou redbats by Patricia Bjaaland Welch. Creative commons
BATS IN FENG SHUI SYMBOLISM
Bat & peach Scroll - two bats, symbolizing Double Happiness while peaches and Bat pairings symbolize good fortune and long life. Pic via Invaluable
Known as a ‘sky rat’ in Asian communities, yet the Bat is a symbol of happiness and joy. The Chinese word for bat (fu 蝠) sounds identical to the word for good fortune (fu 福) making the Bat a popular auspicious symbol. It’s thought that an albino bat can live for a thousand years, thus its body parts have been used in TCM potions as longevity elixirs.
The number of bats depicted is equally as significant to one’s fortune - a pair meaning Double Happiness. While five in Feng Shui terms isn't a particularly favourable number, such a numbered grouping of bats represents the 'Five Blessings' (wufu 五福): long life, wealth, health, love of virtue and a peaceful death. And a bat with peaches as seen above, speaks to a wish for a long and happy life.
In Feng Shui terms, some practitioners use depictions of Bats or Bat shaped ‘trinkets’ as cures. Whilst I appreciate the highest quality artisanship, generally reserved for antiques and original pieces; I do however prefer to use cures/remedies in keeping with a property’s decorative aesthetic and an owner’s design tastes, selecting ‘cures/countermeasures’ that resonate with owners on a personal level.
However, if you do like Chinese antiques then take a look at how Chinese artists have long used Bat motifs to depict good fortune. With antique collectors paying vast sums of money for Chinese antiques, depicting bats. The FAMILLE ROSE 'HUNDRED BATS' VASE above with GuanGx 6 character mark in Iron Red and of the period (1875-1908) sold for USD $43,750 in a Christie's auction rooms in 2013.
ⓒ FENG・SHUi ・iSM 2025 #fengshuiism
