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The wolf is one of the many animal shapes
supposed to be taken by the corn spirit (along with fox, rabbit,
hare, mouse, fox to name just a few). At
harvest, the last person to reap the last sheaf
was considered to be the corn wolf. He made this
sheaf into the shape of a wolf, and burned and
buried in the ground at the spring planting.
To this day
in many parts of Europe when the wind blows
through the corn, they say that it is the corn
wolf running through the corn.
In Norse mythology
the wolf is one of the leader animals. While the
stag leads hunters, and the ox leads the
herdsman, the wolf leads the hero. It has been
suggested that the name Beowulf comes from 'beow': grain
and 'wulf': wolf , in fact, the corn wolf.
From
the Aberdeen
Bestiary (circa 14th c):
"...The wolf's eyes shine in the night like
lamps. It has this characteristic, that if it
sees a man first, it takes away his power of
speech and looks at him with scorn, as victor
over the voiceless. If it senses that the man has
seen it first, it loses its fierceness and its
power to run. Solinus, who has a lot to say about
the nature of things, says that on the tail of
this animal there is a tiny patch of hair which
is a love-charm; if the wolf fears that it may be
captured, it tears the hair out with its teeth;
the charm has no power unless the the hair is
taken from the wolf while it is still alive
..."
"...The word vulpis, fox, is, so to say, volupis. For it is fleet-footed and never runs in a straight line but twists and turns. It is a clever, crafty animal. When it is hungry and can find nothing to eat, it rolls itself in red earth so that it seems to be stained with blood, lies on the ground and holds it breath, so that it seems scarcely alive. When birds see that it is not breathing, that it is flecked with blood and that its tongue is sticking out of its mouth, they think that it is dead and descend to perch on it. Thus it seizes them and devours them.
The Devil is of a similar nature. For to all who live by the flesh he represents himself as dead until he has them in his gullet and punishes them. But to spiritual men, living in the faith, he is truly dead and reduced to nothing. Those who wish to do the Devil's work will die, as the apostle says: 'For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.' (Romans, 8:13) And David says: 'They shall go into the lower parts of the earth: they shall fall by the sword: they shall be a portion for foxes.' (Psalms, 63:9-10)"
All necklaces can also be
ordered as brooches
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Colour: amber/seal Size:
2"w x 1.25"
Inspiration
Artifact
Sardinia(?) 5th c BC finger ring
This variation was inspired by Charles de
Lint's book "Someplace to be
Flying" and is meant to incorporate fox and
crow
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ACCEPTED