Thanks, Bob, for the Egyptian info.  Your reporting was very interesting!
I'm disappointed, but not surprised, that the Egyptian ferret turns out to
be a myth.  As you pointed out, there are numerous representations of every
creature known to the Egyptians, be it in art, hieroglyphics, or mummified
remains.  One of my hieroglyphic dictionaries has the pictoral symbols
grouped by category, such as animal, animal parts, plants, etc., and there
were no polecats, weasels, or mongooses either.  I did notice several
animal-type symbols that were ALMOST ferret-like.  Gardiner interprets these
as "an animal of Seth, or a pig-like creature." Well, maybe he's never seen
a ferret eat raisins.  For anyone following this very off-topic discussion
(!) ancient Egyptian hieroglphics are not pictographic - that is, a symbol
incorporating a cow or bird does not mean the word "cow" or "bird." Instead,
like a rebus, each symbol represents a syllable or sound group, and the
combination of symbols creates a word or concept.  Some symbols have no
sound value at all, but are determinative, e.g.  male, female, possesive,
number, etc.  So even if this "animal of Seth" actually WAS a ferret or
mongoose, it might not be the translation for "ferret" or "mongoose." It
might be a syllable of another longer word, such as "carpet shark," sock
stealer," "toe-biter," etc.
 
Too bad I didn't also study Ancient Greek, so I could report on the words
and greek letters for ferritus ferritus.  I think I'll go back to graduate
school.  Let you know in five years!  <G>
 
Kat - Bast - Felix
[Posted in FML issue 1609]