Badger Magic

by Trudy Kawami

We know that Dachshund means “Badger dog” (Dachs is German for badger) and that Dachshunds are also used to hunt or track deer (Reh), fox (Fuchs), hare and wild boar (Wildsau). So why is it a Dachshund rather than a “Rehhund”. or “Fuchshund”, or “Wildsauhund”? The answer may lie in European folklore where the badger has a special place.

The European badger (Meles meles) is a member of the mustelid or weasel family. It is native across large swathes of Europe and parts of the Middle East. Although not terribly large, it is quite a powerfully built mammal.

The badger (Meles meles) is a magical animal. Badgers live in deep and complex burrows called setts which can be occupied by generations of badgers. Because they live so far into the earth and are often active at night, badgers were considered to know the secrets beneath the ground and hidden from the sun. As such they were powerful animals that could be active for good or for ill.

The Celts had a number of superstitions when it came to badgers. Like cats, badgers were seen as symbols of both good luck and bad. For example, a badger crossing an area you just passed was considered good luck. However, if one passed in front of you, it was a sign of bad luck, and even possibly death.

Should a badger cross the path Which thou hast taken, then Good luck is thine, so it be said Beyond the luck of men.

But if it cross in front of thee, Beyond where thou shalt tread, And if by chance doth turn the mould, Thou art numbered with the dead And owls plus badgers were even more portentious. Should one hear a badger call, And then an ullot (owl) cry, Make thy peace with God, good soul, For thou shall shortly die.

The badger lore of the Celts of Scotland has been extensively documented. They were especially respectful of the badger as a symbol of power and tenacity as it tunneled through the earth. Its body parts eventually became part of Scottish formal dress. The sporran, the leather pouch worn at the front of a man’s full-dress or formal kilt, is made from badger hide and may even include the skinned head and forepaws –what is called a full-mask sporran. Badger teeth were used as buttons, and the male or penile bone, fashioned into a tie pin, was given to a groom on his wedding day.

The supposed secret power of the Badger was used medicinally as well. The Native Americans, among other peoples, believed that badgers had special powers because they lived underground. Badgers were viewed as the protectors of medicinal roots. Badgers were also known to be continued on next page...

Badger Magic continued from age 17 resistant to snake venom, which added to their allure as medicine animals.

As late as 1810 The Sporting Magazine, (Great Britain, published from 1793 to 1870) reported that:

“The flesh, blood and grease of the badger are very useful for oils, ointments, salves and powders, for shortness of breath, the cough of the lungs, for the stone, sprained sinews, etc. The skin being well dressed is very warm and comfortable for ancient people who are troubled with paralytic disorders.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpx70ARA abo&t=250s

Germany has many folk anecdotes about badgers. The Germanic view of the badger is as a steady, companionable creature literally rooted in the earth of its home. The badger is a social animal in the formal sense, that is it likes to live in groups. Badgers groom each other. Thus it also became a symbol of friendship and cooperation. Badgers are also polygynous, that is only the dominant females in a sett breed. (And we though we invented feminism!) Though not as flashy and quick-witted as the fox, the badger is protective of its sett and fierce to defend its family with its teeth and formidable claws. It moral code, and a sense of right and wrong, and were usually accepting of everyone.

Which brings us back to our dear badger dogs. They are clever, tenacious, and hardworkers with a great affinity for the earth and its secrets. They are not flashy, as anyone who has brought up the rear in a Hound Group headed by an elegant Afghan can tell you. But in the field they get the job done whether it’s rabbit, woodchuck or rats. They are also companionable homebodies who enjoy their dinner and snuggle under the covers. They are, in their own way, quite magical. !

But the preventative power of the badger was most invoked against witchcraft.

“A tuft of hair gotten from the head of a fullgrown Brock (badger) is powerful enough to ward off all manner of witchcraft; these must be worn in a little bag made of cat's skin - a black cat - and tied about the neck when the moon be not more than seven days old, and under that aspect when the planet Jupiter be mid-heaven at midnight.”

Perhaps because Badgers live in the earth they are also associated with death.

Occasionally a badger’s network of tunnels or ‘sett’ may collapse, killing any animal that may have been caught inside. When humans found these buried badgers it led to the belief that badgers themselves buried their dead and held ceremonial funerals for their lost. The British naturalist Brian Vesey-Fitzgerald claims to have witnessed such a ceremony in his book A Country Chronicle (1942), but doubts persist.

For a remarkable view of a small clan of badgers in a man-made sett, see keeps its secrets to itself.

This view of the badger is echoed by its function as the emblematic animal of the House of Hufflepuff, Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, in the Harry Potter book and movie series.

The most inclusive among the four houses, Hufflepuff valued hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play rather than a particular aptitude in its members. Hufflepuff corresponded roughly to the element of earth; yellow and black were its house colorsyellow representing wheat, while black was the soil. Hufflepuffs were known to have a strong continued on next page...

Hustle has been shown twice (just turned 9 mos)...

12/15/22 FECDC Specialty, Orlando • Judge Ray Filburn - WD/BOW 5 pt major

12/16/22 DCA Specialty, Orlando • Judge Eugene Blake - WD 5 pt major Many thanks to Lucy Granowicz for letting me use Blaze.

Breeder Owner/Handler: Sandy Arnold 812-322-1842 jarbsydox@gmail.com

(DC Darshans Hummer v Jagies x GCH Barkerville Keyera)

Cissy is shown winning her most recent Best of Variety at the Desert Valley Dachshund Club specialty under breeder-judge Mr. Fred Vogel. She was BOV/BOS to BOB at the GPDC specialty under Mrs. Melody Fair in June and at her first stateside shows (after 2 litters), she was awarded an incredible Select Bitch at the CODC Host specialty during DCA week under breeder-judge Mr. David Peat!!

(Barkerville Phoenix Son x GCHS Barkerville Aula Palatina)

“Kate” did us proud by finishing her championship with 3 - 5 point wins over 2 specialty weekends this summer.

(GCH Barkerville Bow Street Runner x GCHS Barkerville Aula Palatina)

“Penny” is shown winning her first 5 point major under judge Mrs. Christie Martinez at age 11 months. She has since been awarded 2 more specialty major wins under breeder-judges Mrs. Mary Olich-Nie and Mr Fred. Vogel.

Ted

604.538.8512

(Barkerville Phoenix Son x GCH Barkerville Divine Secret)

Baby “Jane” was awarded multiple Best Puppy in Group wins in Canada and she was Best in Sweepstakes at the Desert Valley DC specialty under breeder-judge Mr. Travis Wright.