Bat

Pewter Celtic Bat Pendant, available at the Spiral Online Shop

• The bat is the only mammal that can fly.  Contrary to popular belief, it is not a rodent but of the family Chiroptera.
• Throughout Europe and Africa, it is associated with dark powers and the Devil.
• They are frequently found in graveyards and crypts, so they also carry an association with death.
• Thanks to Bram Stoker's Dracula, it is associated with vampires (although only a few species drink blood)
• The Chinese word for "bat," fu, also means "happiness," so bats can be a positive symbol in China.  They are frequently depicted flying around the sacred Chinese Dragon.
• In Native American cultures, bats flying from their caves can be symbolic of emergence from the womb and are used in initiation rites.
• In modern culture, the bat is an icon of all things dark and spooky, including Halloween, the Goth subculture, and of course, Batman.

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