Some of this from a Feb 9th article by Isabel George of The Guardian is perhaps questionable though possible, and some is truly nifty: http://shopping.guardian.co.uk/household/story/0,1587,646601,00.html >The early partnership of man and ferret is chronicled by Aristotle >in 350BC, and then in AD23-79 by Pliny, >who tells of ferrets being >used to hunt rabbits. Apparently, Genghis Khan used them in >Afghanistan in >1221, and in England these rodent killers earned >their first mention in 1223, when a ferreter is listed as >part of >the royal court. Genghis Khan used them? (Anyone have a reference on that?) Royal Court? >Medieval ferrets were quick to impress royalty and the church. In >fact, to stop peasants using them, >it was decreed that to own a >ferret you needed a minimum income of 40 shillings a year. etc. Okay, this one is about as a real as Paul Bunyon and Blue Belle: http://lamar.colostate.edu/~bkeyes/Ferrets/Ferret-legging.htm Of course, Joyce's site is ALWAYS a treat: >http://www.doctorbeer.com/joyce/ferrets/frhistpg.htm Hadn't seen this one before: http://hometown.aol.com/fscottg/page2.html but it does mention such things as: >- 450 B.C. - The famous Greek play-writer Aristophanes mentioned >ferrets in his satire 'The >Acheans', around the year 450 B.C.. He >compared these people with ferrets, who had already >established a >reputation for themselves as thieves. >- 350 BC - Aristotle wrote about 'iktis', which means domesticated ferrets. >- 6 B.C. - Caesar Augustus sent ferrets (named by Plinius >'viverrae') to the Balearic Islands to control >the rabbit plagues. ... >- 1221 A.D. - The great Mongol leader Genghis Kahn uses ferrets in a >hunting circle at Termed. and much more. Interesting page; glad I found it. Be sure to see it. I have often heard the Victoria thing but have not seen any refs on that. Still curious about refs on the Khan aspect. Then there's: http://home.attbi.com/~rthamper/html/body_roman_trivia.htm#AnimalAnchor http://www.buzzle.com/editorials/3-19-2002-14972.asp is supposed to have some ferrets in mythology stuff but I didn't find it, and has links to more such sites. ------ http://home-1.tiscali.nl/~wfu/ferret.html more historical ferret artwork, contacts, etc Okay found this by Bob Church so it gives the basis for the Khan speculation (about which I'd like to hear more details: >While the ferret's progenitor species is most likely the European >polecat, it is probable at least some >hybridization with the steppe >polecat and/or European-steppe polecat hybrids took place along >the >way (this is indirectly supported by the reported use of >ferrets by Genghis Khan-ca. 1221-who >came from an area were the >predominant polecat was M. eversmannii, the steppe polecat) >[Davison >et al. 1999; Zeuner 1963]. [Posted in FML issue 3843]