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I was reading through some books on England during the Civil War, and I came across a political cartoon that caught my eye. Here it is:



What really caught my eye is the Owl on the bottom right. Along with having racing goggles, and a collar with a candle (making him the damn coolest owl I have ever seen) it's captioned "This is an Owl", making the entire thing hilariously surreal. What I've been able to find out through my research, and it isn't much, is that this is a dutch text done for a broadsheet, and that there's an accompanying bit about Cromwell (all available here.) Also, I've found an earlier draft of the picture which lacks some of the shadows, minor details, and the owl along with the Swan next to the Speaker of the House's chair in center right.

What I have not been able to find out about, however, is the Owl and what the hell the Owl is supposed to represent or why he's decked out the way he is. So does anyone have any ideas about that, or have any suggestions on books that might have answers?

Owls usually symbolise bookish wisdom, especially with the spectacles. The Dutch were a Republic at the time and Protestant, but supported the Royalists in the 1st Civil war. The point, of course, is that the candle (which should be a means of illumination) is actually blinding the owl.

I would suggest tentatively that it might signify the blinding of parliamentary and governmental officials to reason through subjugation by religio-political (more the latter) extremists. The collar both ensures service (through the candle) and is the means through which it is carried out (leading the MPs out). But all this is just off the top of my head.

There might be something in Michael Hattaway's "Companion to Renaissance English Culture and Literature" (OUP, early 2000s) & I will post more if I think of it.

Androsphinx wrote:Owls usually symbolise bookish wisdom, especially with the spectacles. The Dutch were a Republic at the time and Protestant, but supported the Royalists in the 1st Civil war. The point, of course, is that the candle (which should be a means of illumination) is actually blinding the owl.

I would suggest tentatively that it might signify the blinding of parliamentary and governmental officials to reason through subjugation by religio-political (more the latter) extremists. The collar both ensures service (through the candle) and is the means through which it is carried out (leading the MPs out). But all this is just off the top of my head.

I thought of that, actually. But I rejected it tentatively because the Owl is being turned out of Parliament as well. While the Dutch artist certainly wasn't pro-parliament I would doubt he'd be pro-Cromwell either (though, if he were, it would explain the dog that looks sort of like the Dutch lion) so having Cromwell turn out blinded wisdom (Mr. Kickass Owl) and vanity (Maybe? The swan with Peacock feathers) doesn't make much sense to me.

Sometimes I wish I could read Dutch, it'd turn out really helpful in cases like this. :p

(Also, wouldn't you know, the book you recommended is on order from the Library I use, and isn't in stock yet. Blast and tarnation I say!)

I thought that the owl was leading them them out, as a Parliamentary clerk might have.

But even going by what you were saying, you can have blinded wisdom as a creature of the ousted Rump without any problems - the satirist clearly has it in for them, regardless of who else he supports.

Cromwell is definitely driving out vanity, and the poodle-cum-lion is surely Cromwell's pretensions to rank and stature?

The book is on Google Books, though a quick search for "owl" doesn't find this image (but does find a similar depiction of a scholastic owl blinded by light).

Isn’t “led by a blind owl” an old expression? Maybe I’m sure imagining it but I distinctly recall hearing that a few times. Not even sure what it meant, but an owl with a candle in front of it would surely be blind.

Androsphinx wrote:I thought that the owl was leading them them out, as a Parliamentary clerk might have.

Oooh, my apologies for this. I drafted my post a couple times and screwed up, the title of the comic is Cromwell's Dissolution of the Rump of the Long Parliament I must have removed it accidentally.

Anyway, if the Owl was part of the Parliament he's being kicked out too.

But even going by what you were saying, you can have blinded wisdom as a creature of the ousted Rump without any problems - the satirist clearly has it in for them, regardless of who else he supports.

That does make sense.

Cromwell is definitely driving out vanity, and the poodle-cum-lion is surely Cromwell's pretensions to rank and stature?

It could be his pretension. But I'm not sure... and I don't want to make the deconstructionist's mistake of ascribing meaning without understanding context. :p I'm also not sure about Cromwell driving out vanity. Because the earlier draft I mentioned (available here) is essentially the same, sine swan and owl. Which leads me to believe Cromwell isn't so much as specifically driving out vanity in the eyes of the artist as the swan is a a representation of parliament and its actions. (Splitting hairs, I know, but an important split I think.)

Straha wrote:

Androsphinx wrote:I thought that the owl was leading them them out, as a Parliamentary clerk might have.

Oooh, my apologies for this. I drafted my post a couple times and screwed up, the title of the comic is Cromwell's Dissolution of the Rump of the Long Parliament I must have removed it accidentally.

Anyway, if the Owl was part of the Parliament he's being kicked out too.

No, I understand what the scene is depicting. Parliament has employees - namely clerks - who worked in the administration, drafted documents, managed protocol and kept records. They would have kept their jobs as part of the administrata - remember that the Rump was followed by the Barebones Parliament (they really had good names back in the day).

Androsphinx wrote: No, I understand what the scene is depicting. Parliament has employees - namely clerks - who worked in the administration, drafted documents, managed protocol and kept records. They would have kept their jobs as part of the administrata - remember that the Rump was followed by the Barebones Parliament (they really had good names back in the day).

I loved that name. Back in high school I thought it was the damn coolest thing ever. Anyway, I don't think the artist would display clerks and, considering the owl was added in after the initial draft, I don't think it could be anything but symbolic forparliament in part or whole.

A group of owls is called - you guessed it - a parliament. The author probably made a play on those words and of course there is always the symbolism of owls as already stated in this thread.

I don't think that you get the collective term "parliament" specifically for "owls" until later, but "parliament of birds" (or technically, 'birdes') is from Chaucer. That would seem to wrap up the swan as well...