The History of The Wolf - Forest Ostrander (best non fiction books to read .txt) 📗

wolf. Because the wolf had “done evil out of hunger” the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly, and in return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator. Francis, ever the lover of animals, even made a pact on behalf of the town dogs, that they would not bother the wolf again.

In Canto I of Dante's Inferno, the Pilgrim encounters a She-Wolf blocking the path to a hill bathed in light. The She-Wolf represents the sins of concupiscence and incontinence. She is prophecised by the shade of Virgil to one day be sent to Hell by a greyhound.

Islam:

Wolves are mentioned three times in the Qur'an, specifically in the Sura Yusuf.

12.13: "He said: Surely it grieves me that you should take him off, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while you are heedless of him."

12.14: "They said: Surely if the wolf should devour him notwithstanding that we are a (strong) company, we should then certainly be losers."

12.17: "They said: O our father! Surely we went off racing and left Yusuf by our goods, so the wolf devoured him, and you will not believe us though we are truthful."

 

Modern folklore, literature and pop culture

The popular image of the wolf is significantly influenced by the Big Bad Wolf stereotype from Aesop's Fables and Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Christian symbolism where the wolf represents the devil, or evil, being after the "sheep" who are the living faithful, is found frequently in western literature. In Milton's Lycidas the theological metaphor is made explicit:

The hungry Sheep look up, and are not fed / But swoln with wind, and the rank mist they draw / Rot inwardly and foul contagian spread: Besides what the grim Woolf with privy paw / Daily devours apace

The wolf in the Scandinavian tradition as either representing the warrior or as a symbol of Odin, sometimes combined with the Christian symbolism as the wolf representing evil or the devil, came to be a popular attribute in the heavy metal music subculture, used by bands such as Sonata Arctica, Marduk, Watain, Wintersun, and Wolf.

Fun Wolf Facts

Average length: females: 4.5 to 6 feet (tip of nose to tip of tail) males: 5 to 6.5 feet

Average height: 26 to 32 inches (at the shoulder)

Average weight: females: 60 to 80 pounds males: 70 to 110 pounds

Average foot size: 4 inches wide by 5 inches long

Length of Life: up to 13 years in wild (usually 6 to 8 years) up to 16 years in captivity

Fur color: gray, but can also be black or white

Number of teeth: 42 teeth

Breeding season: February to March

Gestation period: 63 days

Weight at birth: 1 pound

Litter size: 4 to 6 pups

Pack size: 2 to 30 or more

Average pack size: 5 to 8

Pack territory size: 25 to 150 square miles in Minnesota 300 to 1,000 in Alaska and Canada

Average travel speed: 5 miles per hour

Sprinting speed: 36 to 38 miles per hour for short distances

Common food: ungulates (hoofed animals like deer, moose, caribou, elk, bison, musk-oxen)

Main threats to survival: loss of habitat due to destruction, development and encroachment by humans; persecution by humans

Wolf Spirit Animal

The wolf offers some of the most striking animal meanings in the realm of spirit animals. The power of the wolf brings forth instinct, intelligence, appetite for freedom, and awareness of the importance of social connections. This animal can also symbolize fear of being threatened and lack of trust. When the wolf shows up in your life, pay attention to what your intuition is telling you.

 

What is the wolf spirit animal meaning?

In the spirit animal kingdom, the wolf symbolizes:

Sharp intelligence, deep connection with instincts Appetite for freedom Expression of strong instincts Feeling threatened, lack of trust in someone or in yourself

 

Positive symbolism of the wolf spirit animal:

Positive meanings emphasize a deep connection with your intuition and instincts. On the negative side, the wolf could represent a perceived threat or a lack of trust in someone or your own feelings or actions. This spirit animal also reflects sharp intelligence in dealing with important matters.

 

Wolf spirit and connection with instincts:

When you have the wolf as a spirit animal, it could be an expression of your sharp intelligence and strong instincts. The wolf symbolizes a strong connection with instincts and when it appears as a animal spirit guide, it could point to a way of perceiving and understanding the world around you that works similarly.

Whether the wolf appears in physical form or in a dream or meditation, it may reveal that you’re using your instincts and intuition to grasp a situation well. The fact that your wolf animal spirit guide shows up could also be a call to use this capacity to deal with a recent challenge you’ve experienced in your life.

If the presence of the wolf feels threatening, pay attention to how your instinctual nature and raw emotions can jeopardize your balance or the balance of people around you. Your power animal may appear in such light to warn you about devouring instincts of those belonging somebody around you.

 

The wolf: A power animal symbolic of freedom:

Wolf power or spirit animals point to an appetite for freedom and living life powerfully, guided by instincts. When a wolf manifests its presence as a guide in your life, it could be a call to live your life more freely, to bring the intensity of passion in your everyday endeavors.

Wolves are wild animals that are not easily domesticated and when they appear as spirit guides, they could be an invitation to look at what supports your authentic self and the true expression of yourself.

The wolf totem is a reminder to keep your spirit alive and trust your instincts to find the way that will best suit you.

 

The dark side of the wolf spirit animal.

 

The dark side of the wolf totem: Sensitivity about feelings of threat:

A wolf totem animal can represent a perceived threat or feeling you are being threatened. The presence of this spirit animal could be a reminder of an event, situation or a person you feel threatened by.

The wolf could reflect something that may have a “predatory” feel to it and instill a feeling of vulnerability that is not reassuring. Encountering your spirit animal in such a way invites you to look at who or what in your life is having such an influence.

Perhaps your spirit animal is warning you about challenges with personal boundaries: You may feel you have exposed yourself too much with someone or in a certain situation and need to pull back or strengthen emotional or physical boundaries with that person or in the context of that experience. The wolf as a spirit animal could also remind you that you’re facing stiff competition at work or that the behavior of people around may feel like you have to deal with a “pack of wolves”.

 

The wolf as representation being guided or misguided by instincts:

Since a common meaning for the wolf spirit animal emphasizes the role of instincts, having this animal as a guide or totem could point to your relationship with how you live your life, and more specifically how you trust or mistrust your instincts and intuitive guidance.

Check whether you feel threatened by your own instincts and feelings. The presence of your wolf power animal could reflect your inner emotional landscape and bring to your awareness your own feelings about a matter that is highly emotionally charged.

 

Dream interpretation of the wolf spirit animal.

 

The dream meanings associated with the wolf point to powerful instincts or habits that could be experienced as aggressive or dominating by others. Wolves in dreams convey the energetic imprint of strong sexual energy or addictive behaviors of different kinds that would benefit from being kept in check.

If a woman dreams of a wolf in a nightmare or anxious dream, she may be getting in touch with anxiety relating to a male partner who may be pushing his sexual desires very strongly or pushing her boundaries. The intensity of the relationship can cause fear and be experienced as a threat that the wolf symbolizes in the dream.

If the dream has a positive tone or outcome, the wolf could be interpreted as a guiding symbol for trusting your instincts more or expressing them in a more balanced manner. If you have such a dream, ask yourself if you feel at ease and supported by your instincts, especially your sexuality or a partner’s sexual expression, or other types of “cravings” in your life.

 

Further connect with your wolf spirit animal.

 

Here are a few questions to uncover the meaning of the wolf as a spirit animal:

Do you need time for yourself to reconnect with your true, deep passions in life? Do you need to find more isolation to “collect” yourself and reconnect to your personal, spiritual quest? Do you need time or help in distinguishing what is true and authentic from lies and deceit in communications with someone? Within yourself? Like the wolf that howls, do you need to let some of the tension out and express yourself loud and clear in your circle of close relationships? Wolf Symbolism

Wolf symbolism... By: Presley Love. Calling upon a wolf