The weasel is such a ferocious fighter that in some places it was considered poisonous and unlucky. Carpathians believed that weasels would attack by the thousands to avenge the death of a single weasel. Instead of setting traps for this animal which threatened their livestock, they held weasel festivals on St. Matthew's or St. Catherine's Day to appease the fierce little beasts.
Weasels are known for their boldness and their tendency to attack and defeat animals much larger than themselves. Therefore they have become symbols of spiritual warriors who, in spite of their physical weakness are able to defeat the Devil with faith and the authority given to the followers of Christ.
The weasel was believed capable of killing the mythical basilisk, (also known as the cockatrice) with its purifying scent. The basilisk was a terrifying venomous creature which was born from Medusa's blood. It killed every living thing around it with its breath and split rocks with its stare. Its very presence poisoned any stream it drank from. Since the weasel had to give up its own life in order to get close enough to the cockatrice to kill it, this carnivore became a symbol of Christ who defeated Satan with His own death upon the cross.
Since weasels attack rodents and snakes which are symbols of vices, sins, and the Devil, they became symbols of purification and of Christ the Purifier. Aristotle reported that weasels ate rue (a purifying plant once used to treat leprosy) to make their breath offensive to snakes. It was thought that the weasel's scent was enough to chase vipers from their territories. Pliny considered its spleen an effective medication for snake bites and peasants wore its skin to protect themselves from contagions and poisonous vapors.
The following expression, based on a misconception, has been used for centuries to describe the perfect disciple or student: "The weasel conceives through the ear and gives birth through the mouth." According to this line of thinking, the disciple conceives the seed of wisdom through listening to the instructor. Then he gives birth to spiritual children with his mouth by giving speeches to instruct them. The image of the weasel's flexible body is also applied to the mental flexibility needed to become a good learner.
The weasel became a symbol of fickleness and inconstancy, but also of parental love, vigilance, and watchfulness because of its habit of frequently moving its babies to hide them from potential predators. Like the lion and the pelican, the weasel was thought to revive her mate or children if they died. Because of this, she is a symbol of resurrection and revivification. St. Jordan of Battberg had a pet weasel which became one of his attributes.
Human souls were believed to appear in weasel form and stories about people being turned into weasels were once popular. Galinthias was turned into a weasel by the Moerae or Fates. This was her punishment for startling them out of the magical pose they were keeping to prevent the birth of Hercules.
In Germany, weasels on the roof are considered good omens, but in other countries they are thought to be bad luck; evil creatures who can blind humans with a single glance; or even sorcerers and witches in disguise. In many stories weasels are depicted as fiends and raiders of nests, sheepfolds, barns, and hen houses. Israelites considered them unclean (Lev 11:29). To call a person a weasel is to imply that they are sneaky, speak evasively, or tend to evade their responsibilities.
The weasel in the old nursery rhyme, "Pop Goes the Weasel," is actually a hatter's tool. The word "pop" was slang for pawn. So "Pop goes the weasel" means the hatter's instrument is on its way to the pawn shop.
All scripture quotes are from the NKJV Bible unless otherwise indicated.
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Comments© 1998 by Suzetta Tucker
To cite this page:
Tucker, Suzetta. "ChristStory Weasel Page." ChristStory
Christian Bestiary. 1998. http://ww2.netnitco.net/users/legend01/weasel.htm
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