Wolfssegen

 

A "wolfssegen" is a Bavarian name of a certain protection talisman against werewolves and wolves. It's a charm used mostly by being worn to prevent wolf attacks. It was also used to protect from malicious curses and spells that was popular in the Middle Ages. It was often believed now that these are folklore relics but also there were vocal wolf spells. During these centuries of the Middle Ages, wolf attacks were fairly common and most peasants were more vulnerable. 

Thomas Heiser was an elderly man accused of witchcraft and for being a werewolf. He confessed things under severe torture and mentioned that he performed wolf spells that a mentor had taught him when he was young. He used such a spell to cause a wolf attack on livestock in a village over many years. 

These wolf spells were condemned by the Church as heresy and tried to put a stop to it. Today we associate the metal silver as a protection against werewolves, such as the silver dagger, silver necklace and silver bullets. It's thought that the idea of silver bullets may come from silver metal charms of wolfssegen talismans.   

She Wolf Night

Wildlife picture of the month

Every month will be a picture of a British and European wild animal looking nice for the season. This month we'll be looking at common blackbirds ready for Spring. In the photo there is a blackbird sat inside a tree full of cherry blossoms. 

Facts about blackbirds include:

Male blackbirds are with black feathers, and they have yellow beaks and yellow rings around their eyes. Female blackbirds are brown with a few speckles and brown coloured beaks. They have nice songs and they're the most regular birds, that seem to be more active when Spring arrives. These small birds are omnivores, and they can eat bugs, worms and fruit. They belong to the family Tardus merula. Other members of this family includes thrushes and chats. There are different types of blackbirds in the world and not all of them are black feathered.  

Most are familiar with the whimsical English rhyme that includes blackbirds:

"Sing a song of sixpence a pocket full of rye, Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie. When the pie was open the birds began to sing. Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before a king."

In folklore blackbirds are associated with water and good luck. Seeing two of them together usually means even better good luck. And it would be special and a magical gift if they nested somewhere near your home. Ancient druids associated blackbirds with magic and goddess Rhiannon. 

Source: Info page on the common blackbird at Woodland Trust.  

She Wolf Night