Shamanism ~ Ferret, Power Animal, Symbol of Keen Observation
by Ina Woolcott
Ferrets are members of the weasel family. Their medicine includes stealth, cunning, skilful hunters, cleverness, ingenuity, revenge, keen observation, ability to see hidden reasons behind things.
Archaeological and historical sources suggest that ferrets have been domesticated for 2,500 years at least. Greek historians give reference to the ferret about 450 BC. Roman documents refer to the use of ferrets to hunt rabbits around the time of Christ.
(editor's note: some other archaeological and anecdotal evidence suggests the egyptians and ferrets got along some 1500 years before either the cat or dog were domesticated... see my blog post on laughter)
Very skilful tunnel hunters, it is believed ferrets were used by the Egyptians as well as farmers and seafarers to get rid of rodents in barns and on ships. However, the history of the ferrets domestication is speculative, without any concrete evidence, giving this small animal an ellusive air.
Ferrets are cheerful, playful animals with the inquisitiveness of the raccoon and the amiableness of a kitten. They are also opportunists, quick to take advantage and will filch anything they can drag to a safe hiding place to be used at a later time. Brainy and cunning the ferret shows us how to use our creativeness to build a safe haven for ourselves, and to stock up with things that may be needed - always be ready for any situation that may come into existence. The ferret is a good, helping ally to have around in hard time.
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russian folklore about the ferret
When Genghis Khan’s “Golden Horde”, the descendants of his Tartars, turned
their eyes towards northern Russia, they met with an unexpected
adversary.
Fifteen year old wizard Volga Vseslavich decided to challenge the Tartars with
an army of barely 7000. First Volga turned himself into a ram to go
through the mountains undetected. When he neared Khan’s fortress, he
became a small bird and flew to the window sill of Khan’s bed chamber.
He heard Khan’s wife tell her husband of a dream she had where a small
Northern bird slew a Southern raven. She recognized the small bird in
her dream as a wizard and begged her husband not to attack the north. As
Khan laughed at his wife, Volga changed into a ferret, and entering
the armory, chewed through the arrows and bow strings. He then entered
the stables as a wolf and killed the horses of Khan’s army.
Volga then flew back to his army as a swift falcon. Marching his army from
Kiev, he changed them all into ants as they neared Khan’s palace. The
sentries therefore, saw nothing, until Volga’s soldiers were
retransformed into men, right at the gates. With no warning, weapons, or
horses, Khan’s army was defeated.
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now, in honor of the "big moon" i will turn into a wereferret and take everyone's socks.
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You don't have to be a wereferret to take our socks!
ReplyDelete*curling toes and hanging onto socks at the moment*
Cool info - I knew about the ferret being domesticated by the Egyptians - apparently, they turned to cats because the ferrets kept getting distracted from hunting mice....
Thanks, Sammy, for a neat post.
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ReplyDeleteit wasn't so much the fact that we don't want to catch the mice. but playing and jumping over each other hopscotch style seemed a bit more attractive in the long scheme of life and the Universe. but that was only for stress relief. it was the egyptian welfare state that did it. they spoiled the ferrets, and made them rulers over entire kingdoms and worshipped my ancestors, and well, it's been going on, we keep conning the world, and we've become rather lazy.
ReplyDeletenow, i know some ferrets who to this day sleep on the job, are rather shall we say "friendly" to mice, and actually sleep with them, play with them, and forget their ancestry as great "ratters".. these are the "twunemployed" of the world, those who are actually collecting unemployment checks, are on the dole, and sit around tweeting all day...
there is a second group friendly to mice, these are the self styled and self proclaimed "consultants" who are also unemployed but in denial, and can't seem to just tell everyone they are unemployed, and prefer to pose as social media experts and/or writers, and also sit around and tweet all day.
neither group of ferrets is quite frankly worthy of being called a true ratter anyway, since whether they are twunemployed or consultants, they never caught a rat in their lifetimes, and basically have trained their human pets to spoil them, let them be slackers and live the codependant lifestyle befitting the truly lazy, nap centric, bizzare, manic existence they require.
where will the madness end? probably when ferrets stop playing, and start chasing rats....
of course i am hoping to spur some activity by getting the ferret world focused on squirrels, which has garnered nothing much, a whole lot of nods, and profound shaking of paws at the squirrels, but the ferrets keep on napping and snacking, and the whole culture of rat chasing i think has degenerated into the hinterlands of forgotten lifestyles.
so no, the cats didn't get their esteemed status by any special skill ...they didn't win, ferrets just sort of forfeited the game.
i think i need a massage
You ferrets definitely got the better end of the deal. If not for your ultimate nemesis race - squirrels - life would be totally peachy-keen. Nap-centric is a perfect description of the ferret outlook on life. Sock-centric would be a close second.
ReplyDeleteI have a sad, funny story to share about ferrets and rodents. Our very first ferret companion, Frodo (he of the head-stuck-in-toilet-paper-tube fame) couldn't resist a closed box, including the dwarf hamster habitat. He worked himself into their plastic box - we still don't know how - and didn't know what to do with himself because he was too big to turn around in it. One hamster panicked and wound up drowning in his water dish; the other hunkered down and waited for this scary creature to leave.
No, Frodo! BAD boy!
Thank you, Sam, for putting me on your blog roll! You are the bestest ferret ever. Between your wily ways and my hoop skirts, those evil squirrels will be no match for us, LOL.
ReplyDelete