Ferrets and human are said to have a long history of mutually fulfilling
co-existence and co-dependence.  Very long - going back to when humans first
began to domesticate animals, or so it is said.  As a relatively new ferret
owner (less than 2 years), and someone who never even *saw* a ferret until
age 27, I'm naturally interested where these little furry agents of chaos
had been all my life - and where they have been throughout history, for that
matter.  So I like to collect "ferrets throughout history" tidbits - facts,
actually, or documented evidence of human-ferret relationships in the past.
I have heard and read several times that the ancient Egyptians had tamed or
domesticated ferrets.  However, I've yet to come across some actual evidence
that this was the case, as opposed to speculations, theories or the mere
statement that the Egyptians had ferrets, with no supporting evidence or
sources.  If the ancient Egyptians did have ferrets, would they not also
have a pictograph for it that would be known as such today?  If not, how
would we know about ferrets in ancient Egypt?  Burial sites that include
bones or other archeological evidence?  Does anyone here know about any
clues or physical evidence that link ferrets to ancient Egypt?
 
Well, maybe ancient Egypt isn't the easiest place to look for ferrets and
their place in history.  Let's fast forward to 19th century England and the
rather odd belief that ferrets were capable of curing whooping cough, a
rather nasty and serious affliction in the days before vaccines.  I came
across this tidbit while looking through my "Dictionary of Superstitions"
(no joke - I.  Opie & M.  Tatem, Oxford Univ.  Press, 1989), which makes for
very entertaining reading due to the sheer weirdness factor.  The Dictionary
has an entry under "ferret", as in "Ferret cures whooping cough", a belief
engrained in British folklore illustrated by numerous literary citations,
such as:
 
1866 (from "Norther Counties" by Henderson):
'A boy came into my kitchen the other day with a basin of new milk, saying
his mother hoped I would let my white ferret drink half of it, and then he
would take the other half home to the bairn to cure its cough.' (bairn =
child in Scot/N.Engl.  dialect)
 
1867 (Gents Magazine)
'For the Hooping cough...let the patient drink some milk which a ferret
has lapped.'
 
1893 (from a book entitled "Folklore", a collection of oral histories):
'For Whooping cough - Milk to be poured into a saucer, a ferret to drink
some of it and the rest to be given to the patient'.
 
The most recent listed source on this particular ferret healing power dates
to 1924, none after that.  Once the vaccine came around, ferrets all over
England probably got to drink a lot less milk than they used to...
 
I wonder, though, did it work?  I mean, of course there is no rational basis
to this "treatment", and we are dealing with the dictionary of superstitions
here, but where do these beliefs come from, and how come they endure over
centuries?  While a ritual based in superstition may be better than no
"treatment" at all, I still wonder how did this "ferret cure" come about and
who first thought of it?  What were they possibly thinking?  Maybe this
superstition was initiated by the ferrets of England themselves, cunningly
assuring an ample supply of milk for themselves, especially during the rainy
and winter seasons?
 
And finally, to round out today's Ferrets in History Expedition, I refer you
the July 96 issue of Ferrets Anonymous Newsletter (in CA), or any art
history book featuring the complete paintings of Leonardo daVinci, one of
which is entitled "Lady With the Ferret" and shows exactly that - a woman
and a ferret from 15th century Italy as immortalized by daVinci.  Forget the
Mona Lisa (and I've seen the thing in person) the "Lady with the Ferret"
painting is a real treasure for the ferret historians.  Even though only the
ferret's (white, of course) upper body is shown, what stands out is that the
ferret is *huge*, nestled in the woman's arms.  Of course, people were
significantly smaller 500 years ago, on average, so the ferret may simply
appear huge, like any ferret does in the arms of a child.  The second thing
about the ferret that stands out is its extremely well-muscled body, namely
the front legs and jawline.  I mean, that ferret's body looks like that of
Arnold "Steroids" Schwarzenegger compared to the average contemporary
fuzzbutt.  Of course, daVinci was a passionate anatomist and obsessed with
anatomical details, so the ferret body lines may be slightly exaggerated.
Still, that 15th century ferret looks like an animal in the habit of hunting
and killing its own food.  I wonder what the average ferret diet was like in
Italy, ca.  1450....
 
Well back to the present and our late 20th century WeaselWoman, who can
easily overpower the most ferocious raisin in no time flat...
 
Claudia
[Posted in FML issue 1651]