A bit of a digression, but while on things magical and ferrety ...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gef

(Gef the Talking Mongoose, possible inspiration for Lovecraft's Brown
Jenkin).

Peter.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:ACADEMIC-STUDY-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Kate Hodgkin
> Sent: 25 November 2013 23:22
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] an animal question
> 
> I always associate it with Saki's early 20th century story Sredni Vashtar,
> where the object of an oppressed small boy's religious fervour is a
"polecat
> ferret":
> 
>  a large polecat-ferret, which a friendly butcher-boy had once smuggled,
> cage and all, into its present quarters, in exchange for a long-secreted
hoard
> of small silver. Conradin was dreadfully afraid of the lithe, sharp-fanged
> beast, but it was his most treasured possession. Its very presence in the
tool-
> shed was a secret and fearful joy, to be kept scrupulously from the
> knowledge of the Woman, as he privately dubbed his cousin. And one day,
> out of Heaven knows what material, he spun the beast a wonderful name,
> and from that moment it grew into a god and a religion. The Woman
> indulged in religion once a week at a church near by, and took Conradin
with
> her, but to him the church service was an alien rite in the House of
Rimmon.
> Every Thursday, in the dim and musty silence of the tool-shed, he
worshipped
> with mystic and elaborate ceremonial before the wooden hutch where dwelt
> Sredni Vashtar, the great ferret....
> 
> And in the end it does away with the oppressive cousin:
> 
> out through that doorway came a long, low, yellow-and-brown beast, with
> eyes a-blink at the waning daylight, and dark wet stains around the fur of
> jaws and throat. Conradin dropped on his knees. The great polecat-ferret
> made its way down to a small brook at the foot of the garden, drank for a
> moment, then crossed a little plank bridge and was lost to sight in the
> bushes. Such was the passing of Sredni Vashtar.
> 
> OK, even more esoteric, but it's a good story!
> 
> Kate
> ________________________________
> From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [ACADEMIC-STUDY-
> [log in to unmask]] on behalf of Peter Edge
> [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 25 November 2013 20:57
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] an animal question
> 
> This side of the Atlantic (albeit mid-Irish sea) - colloquial connotations
of a
> vicious weasel as Nick says, but also perhaps with a hint of the sexual?
> 
> Peter.
> 
> From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:ACADEMIC-STUDY-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Forshaw, Peter
> Sent: 25 November 2013 19:42
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] an animal question
> 
> Ben Jonson mentions both ferret and pole-cat in The Alchemist, which might
> be a useful literary reference for a discussion of Yeats.
> 
> 
> ________________________________
> Dr Peter J Forshaw
> Assistant Professor for History of Western Esotericism in the Early Modern
> Period<http://home.medewerker.uva.nl/p.j.forshaw/>
> Center for History of Hermetic Philosophy and Related Currents University
of
> Amsterdam Oude Turfmarkt 141-147
> 1012 GC Amsterdam
> The Netherlands
> 
> Editor-in-Chief Aries: Journal for the Study of Western
> Esotericism<http://www.brill.nl/aries/>
> Webmaster ESSWE: European Society for the Study of Western
> Esotericism<http://www.esswe.org/>
> Webmaster SHAC: Society for the History of Alchemy and
> Chemistry<http://www.ambix.org/> Peter Forshaw | Universiteit van
> Amsterdam -
> Academia.edu<http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=forshaw%20acad
> emia&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CFYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fuva.academ
> ia.edu%2FPeterForshaw&ei=gyDFT5-
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> Currents<http://www.amsterdamhermetica.nl/>
> Twitter @PJForshaw<https://twitter.com/PJForshaw>
> ________________________________
> From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [ACADEMIC-STUDY-
> [log in to unmask]] on behalf of Nicholas Campion
> [[log in to unmask]]
> Sent: 25 November 2013 20:34
> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:ACADEMIC-STUDY-
> [log in to unmask]>
> Subject: Re: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] an animal question A ferret may be
> more weasely. I'd say a polecat veers towards to the more aggressive end
of
> the spectrum.
> 
> Nick Campion
> 
> From: Society for The Academic Study of Magic [mailto:ACADEMIC-STUDY-
> [log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan Johnston Graf
> Sent: 25 November 2013 19:28
> To: [log in to unmask]<mailto:ACADEMIC-STUDY-
> [log in to unmask]>
> Subject: [ACADEMIC-STUDY-MAGIC] an animal question
> 
> I am wondering if my colleagues across the water can help me out with a
bit
> of animal symbolism.  I am working on a Yeats poem, "the Gyres," and he
> references a polecat.  I did not know what that is because, as far as I
can tell,
> we do not have them in the US, at least not where I have lived.  We do
have
> weasels, animals with very definite connotations.  My question is whether
or
> not polecats have the same kind of weaselly reputation.  I have heard
people
> refer to unsavory, sneaky, self-interested, back-biting individuals as
> "weasels."  Would the same be applied to polecats?  Sorry for this
pedantic
> and not very esoteric question.
> Yours,
> Susan
> 
> Susan Johnston Graf, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor of English
> Penn State Mont Alto,
> Mont Alto, PA 17237
> 
> 
> 
> 
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