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squirrel

squirrel

The squirrel's common name can be traced back to the ancient Greeks, where Aristotle used the word "skiouros," skia meaning shade, while "oura" meaning tail. Thus the meaning "he who sits in the shadow of his tail" was recorded for posterity. It is said that centuries later, the French created a noun "écureuil" to describe this animal. From this the word "squirrel" was derived. It is a symbol for the soul in Nordic myth and in medieval times it denoted one who was a provider toward the future. It is also said that the first bearer was a lover of woodland, trustworthy and with a strong sense of duty. The squirrel's nest is called a holt or a drey and the squirrel emblem may be an allusion to the family name of "Holt." The squirrel is one of the very few wild animals that is trusting enough to eat from a person's hand, so one of its lessons is for people to learn to drop their defenses, and learn to trust more. Another lesson is that there's time for everything in life. Squirrels teach us to rest, work, and play and balance life!

enthusiasm

Squirrels are highly energetic and enthusiastic. Most of a squirrel's time is spent feverishly foraging for seeds, nuts, fruits, and other foods. For Native American people, the squirrel's enthusiasm can cause trouble among the other animals.

greed

European culture associates the squirrel with voraciousness. The Old English word for this little creature is acweorna, which is associated with the verb meaning "to hoard up, store away."

obedience

In Norse mythology, a squirrel named Ratatoskr runs up and down Yggdrasil, the world tree, carrying messages between the eagle that is perched at the top and the dragon Nidhogg that lies among the tree's roots.