>An article in Modern Ferret, printed in the last year about ferrets in
>Ancient Greece suggests that as the cat was introduced to Europe it replace
>the weasel/ferret as the household mouser, and in turn the cat replaced the
>weasel/ferret in folk tales.
Modern Ferret, issue #9, "Ferrets and Humans in History" by Claudia Taake
and Modern Ferret, issue #15 "Grecian Weasels" by Adrienne Mayor both cover
weasel/ferret superstitions, folklore, and myth references.
I haven't read these articles in some while but I'll try to recall a few
details. I seem to recall that the first one covered a number of weasel
superstitions. I think that _A Dictionary of Superstitions_ by Iona Opie
and Moira Tatem cover the same superstitions. (My copy isn't with me at
the moment or I'd check.)
The second article, covered an ancient Greek animal bride story where the
animal in question was a weasel. (The animal bride motif can be found in
lore the world over. It is essentially where an animal takes human form
and marries an unwitting husband.) It also covered Aesop's fables,
superstitions, and the myth of the "weasel-woman" Galinthias. Galinthias
was connected with Hecate and Alcmene (Hercules' mother).
I think there were more weasel references in that same article, but the
memory isn't serving better and my copy of that ModFert issue is at home.
Other references in no particular order........
_Wildlife Folklore_ by Laura C. Martin contains minor references to
both the weasel and the BFF.
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Parabola, "Time & Presence" (Vol. XV, Number 1 - Spring 1990) contains
the Salish myth of "How Mink Stole Time". My synopsys of the story:
People were cold and miserable because they had no light. Mink, being
clever and hearing that there was a thing called a Sun on the other side
of the world, decided to help the people. He stole the Sun and put it
in the sky so all people could share the Sun's warmth and light.
This made Mink very proud and he wanted to steal something else for the
People. For a long tome time there was nothing worth stealing, but then
the Europeans came. These new people had a lot of power.
These Europeans had something they called Time and it gave them their
power. Mink decided he would steal Time. He snuck into their house and
found Time. Time was kept on a shelf in a shiny box. The box made noises
and had two arrows that moved in a circle on the front of it. Mink stole
it and took it to the People.
Now Mink and the People had Time. But Mink found it was not easy to have
Time. He had to watch the hands of the box constantly to see what time it
was, he had to wind the box with keys to keep it ticking, and soon found
that he had no time for hunting and fishing. He had to get up at a certain
time, go to bed at a certain time, and go to meetings at a certain time
because the box told him it was time. Mink and the People were no longer
free. Time now owned him and the People and it has been that way ever
since.
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someone once suggested the article by John Ewers in the Plains
Anthropologist (vol 22, #78, 1977) which discusses the use of weasel
skins and the symbolism of weasels on the Plains: "Notes on the Weasel in
Historic Plains Indian Culture"
-----------
_Symbolic & Mythological Animals_ by J.C. Cooper contains ferret, weasel,
ermine ref's
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Check an FML post from me dated April 7, 1997 with the subject of "Ferret
Myth (sort of)". It contains information about a myth motif found with a
number of peoples which in some forms feature a mongoose (ichneumon), a
weasel, an otter and a pole-cat. The information I quote is from _Myths
of the Middle Ages_ by Sabine Baring-Gould, ed. by John Matthews. The
creature in question in these stories is a loyal and faithful protector of
his infant human brother who meets an untimely end because of a
misinterpretation on his mother's (human) part. The Celtic story of Gelert
(a dog) is of the same motif.
------
Seems to me I remember someone saying _Weasels and Stoats_ by Carloyn King
had some weasel lore in it.
I have some other myth/folkore mustelid references, but I don't have them
with me. I'll have to check on them and get back to the FML if people are
interested. BTW, if anyone has any other myth or folklore sources, please
let me know. I would be very interested!! Thanks in advance!
-kim, squirt, pippi, atlas, jinx, and rosie
Kimberly Burkard | _ Everything I needed to know in life,
Eastman Kodak Company| _____C .._. I learned from my ferret:
Rochester, New York | ____/ \___/ Frolic and dance for joy often, have
[log in to unmask] |<____/\_---\_\ no fear or worries, and enjoy life.
[Posted in FML issue 2812]
|
