Bats As Mystical Creatures

Macbeth's witches came up with an interesting recipe. "Eyes of newt and toe of frog, wool of bat and tongue of dog."

It was once believed that smearing the blood of a bat over one's face would improve night vision. The ancient Egyptians believed that bats could prevent or cure poor eyesight, toothache, fever and baldness, and a bat hung over the doorway of a home was thought to prevent the entry of demons that carried these "diseases."

To the Chinese, bats are regarded as symbols of happiness and good fortune (health, wealth, serenity, virtue and long life). At one time Chinese mothers would sew small jade buttons in the shape of a bat on the caps of their babies, a custom believed to impart long life. Ancient and modern-day art objects, tapestries, imperial robes and home furnishings often include bats as part of the motif. Full Story

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