Albino Animals

Did a butterfly save two miners' lives in Chile?

Albino animals are rare.  That is probably why various cultures, from all across the globe, have developed superstitions based on finding, or breeding one.  I have seen several articles related to this phenomenon, the latest being the spotting of a white butterfly by a miner during the collapse of the mine in Chile.

In the above linked article, you can read the miner's tale.  The shyly told story reveals his belief that seeing the white insect was a good omen.  According to his own words, this belief stems from his knowledge of the ancestors' wisdom regarding the existence of such creatures in dark, harrowing places.

The miners' view of the white butterfly as a protector, an angel perhaps, is based on a combination of his Catholic upbringing, and his ancestral knowledge.  Seeing the creature gave the panicking man clarity in an otherwise chaotic situation.   He credits the butterfly with giving him the physical and mental strength to survive the collapse, and will forever equate it with his survival.

The story made me remember the tale of the white buffalo I read in anthropology class, and prompted me to start this post to track similar occurrences.  As I recall, in some northern Native American tribes, the birth of a white buffalo is a good omen.  During a drought, for example, it signifies the end of the dryness, and the coming of the rain. 

Whether this seemingly common idea stemmed from a single source ages back in our human history, or was developed from similar experiences of the world, is only mildly interesting to me.  What is truly intriguing is how these ideas have molded our modern superstitions, and actually determine our actions in the defining moments of our lives today. 
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