Animal Symbolism - Hedgehog

 Hi Guys,

Going back to animal symbolism today with our little snuffly garden friend, the hedgehog.

Hedgehogs are largely nocturnal mammals; they usually hibernate during the colder months and eat slugs and snails in your garden.

There are seventeen species of hedgehog found across Europe, Asia and Africa. Due to their habit of curling up into a ball when they feel threatened, they have come to be linked very much with protection and defence.

Although people think of them as being related to the porcupine (which is a rodent) these little garden friends are more closely related to shrews!

Did you know that up until the Victorian era, they were considered a good source of meat, and that their meat is said to cure variously:

• Tuberculosis
• Arthritis
• Impotence
• Urinary tract disorders

Their blood was touted as a cure for ringworm, cracked skin and warts.

They are also said to be immune to snake bites.

In Finnish folklore, the hedgehog is a part of the creation myth, having bought soil and sand on its needles to create dry land.

In other European folklore, God created the Earth too big, and the hedgehog suggested to God that he shrink it to fit int the heavens, this not only created mountains, but earned the hedgehog his spines.

In Balkan and other folklores, the hedgehog is said to be capable of finding raskovnik, an herb said to unlock all things and find hidden treasures.

It is also said to have saved the world from starvation when he refused to acknowledge the marriage of the Sun and the Moon, resulting in the marriage being called off.

In Irish folklore, the hedgehogs were considered to be the result of baneful magicks.

In ancient Egypt the hedgehog was considered sacred, as its hibernation period was seen as a symbol of the life/death/rebirth cycle.

In modern Magickal works, the hedgehog is considered to be a creature of protection, with the spines being used variously in protection spells and wards. Wearing one around your neck is said to ward off the evil eye.

They are also widely used by garden and hedge witches as totem or spirit animals. 

Unfortunately, with the rise of modern gardening practices and mankind invading habitats, they are becoming an increasingly rare sight in British gardens. 

If you have a walled or fenced garden, make sure to leave gaps along the bottom for these delightful creatures to come and help rid your garden of pests.

and one side note NEVER FEED THEM MILK!! They are lactose intolerant, and you will cause them a great deal of pain.

Put cat or dog foods out instead, or even mealworms which are widely available in most shops and sold as bird food.

They also like to hibernate in wood piles, so remember to check and double check any bonfires before lighting them!

I hope this has helped you understand the humble hedgehog a little better.

As always, if we have missed anything, let us know in the comments below.

Kerenza x

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