Bob C spaketh thusly:
>An overemphasis is placed on large carnivores and domestic food animals.
>For example, stories about the weasel guild are infrequently found
>*ANYWHERE*, yet stories about the canine guild or cattle abound everywhere.
>Why?  That is a really good question.  I have read many good arguments
>from some really intelligent people, but the simple truth is, there is no
>correct answer.  Rather, the answer is as complicated as the human psyche
>and as complex as the relationships and perceptions of humans towards
>various animals.  As a general rule (*VERY* general), humans who lack a
 
In speaking of myth and folklore, there are very few things that can be
said with any amount of certainty - and this topic is no exception.
 
While Bob made some very good points about needing to understand a culture
to be able to understand the tales of that culture and the motivations
behind them, I personally go for a simpler approach to the lack of weasel
lore.  In my opinion, there is a lack of wild weasel (I'm excepting out
ferrets for the moment) stories because they were relatively infrequently
seen by humans as opposed to the canines, cattle, and even those rabbits
that frequent so many other stories.
 
People tell stories populated with either fantastic beings or the the stuff
of everyday life.  Weasels don't fit into either of these categories.  How
many wild mustelids has anybody on this list seen in their life?  I grew
up in a rural setting and in my life I have only seen 4 - 2 dead weasels
(killed by cats) and 2 mink (one live and one hit by the road).  You may
have seen more then I have, but my guess is that it is still an infrequent
sight.  It may have even been more common in the past, but I would guess it
was still a relatively rare sight and so a rare sight in the stories told
around the fire.
 
The fact that there was a superstition about it being an omen when a weasel
crossed one's path infers that this was not a common occurrence. (Source
is _A Dictionary of Superstitions_ by Iona Opie and Moira Tatem, IIRC.)
 
Because they were little seen and their impact little felt, weasels and
their ilk didn't capture much of anyone's imagination - that wolf or eagle
was so much easier to work with in a tale.  Those rare peoples who did take
notice of the weasels and the rest of their clan, probably included them in
their stories - Native American lore does come to mind here.
 
Now ferrets, on the other hand, were domesticated animals and so you would
imagine to find them in a few folktales, but they are strangely absent.  My
own opinion to their suspicious omission is that the folktales and stories
in which they were present lapsed into oblivion before they could be
recorded.  No co-opting of stories by felines or an intentional slight
against ferrets.  The stories were just lost to history as cats became more
common and the ferret's role diminished.  Stories about faithful tabby-cats
just became more popular as those stories about Hob the Quick and Jilly
Longtooth just didn't have the same appeal any more.
 
While I do base my opinions on my broad knowledge of myth and folklore,
they are only opinions.  Agree with them or not as you see fit.
 
-kim, squirt (Hob the Slow), pippi (the original Jilly Longtooth), atlas
 (Hob the Brawny), jinx (Jilly the Kissie), and rosie (the Jilly Terror)
 
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 2833]