This is a poem and a prayer I wrote for Fortuna, a goddess of fate and abundance.
Ancient, shining, and
Clad with the
Gold colors of
Fortune lost and
Won, you turn
The wheel of
Destiny. You distribute
Gifts from your
Abundance with your
Eyes dimmed. Your
Favor falls upon
The righteous and
Wicked alike. You
Are generous and
Without the bindings
Of bias. You
Overhear the spinning
Work of the
Fates, the whir
Of their spinning
Wheels. Mighty and
Generous Fortuna, favor
Me.
This a poem and a prayer I have written for Elen of the Ways.
Antlered in the
way of ancient
shamanesses and beautiful
acolytes of Avalon.
Your power is
from beyond the
Ninth Wave. Your
power is in
the ground at
your feet. You
know where all
roads lead and
have walked them.
All with adventuresses
and merchants alike.
You alone know
all their secrets
and messages. Guide
me to favorable
paths, pathfinding Goddess.
This is an image I created of Diana, Greco-Roman goddess of the moon.
This is a poem and a prayer I wrote for Janus, Roman god of thresholds.
Friend of the
Many boundaries between
One movement and
Another, between prayer
And breath, between
One threshold and
The next. You
Were an ancient
King and now
There are infinite
Numbers of moments
Stretched before you.
Your ally brought
Them to you,
A gift. You
Protect gates and
Doors and archways
And borders. All
Who would ingress
Must prayer. Great
Janus protect my
Boundaries.
The fox is good (Noble, 2020) and evil (Uther, 2006) being cunning against the powerful (Uther, 2006) and often duped by it’s own plots by humbler characters. The fox has made it’s mischievous mark on stories (Gershom, 2023), advertisements, and cartoons. This essay will try to examine the role of the fox in European myth and folklore, so that we can better get to know this clever trickster (Uther, 2006). We will examine the roles of the fox in the Celtic, Norse, Greco-Roman, and Slavic countries.
The role played most often by foxes in Greek and Roman folklore, is that of a trickster (Gershom, 2023). The fox also appears in the popular fable ‘The Fox and the Sour Grapes’ where grapes are hung high above a fox, too high for him to acquire them (Kohler-Zulch, 1987; Dolby-Sthal 1988). Aesop also produced around 600 fables, some of which featured the wily fox (Baldwin, 2024).
The fox may also have played a role in spiritual activities in the Greco-Roman world (Uther, 2006). The fox is associated with the god Dionysus and may been perceived as a defender of vines (Papatheodoru, 2024). The fox’s service to Dionysus tells us many things about the fox, linking it to fermentation and the merger of different elements (Papatheodoru, 2024). (Papatheodoru, 2024) As the god of wine, Dionysus represents the transformative power of fermentation, the bringing together of disparate elements to create something new and powerful. The fox, as a symbol of this transformative process, holds an important place in the mythology of this culture (Papatheodoru, 2024).
Foxes also held some significance in Celtic cultures (Simard, 2017). The fox was seen as a cunning trickster who can think strategically and quick (Simard, 2017). Foxes are generally more benevolent in Western cultures (Windling, 2019).
Similar to it’s other European cousins, the fox can shape-shift (Simard, 2017). It is an animal with great significance to the goddess Brigid (Wild Paws Sanctuary, 2021), particularly St. Brigid (Wild Paws Sanctuary, 2021). Celtic foxes are boundary-crossing entities who can cross between the next world and this world (Wild Paws Sanctuary, 2021).
The cunning fox also played a role Norse mythology and folklore (Uther, 2006). Loki is a god often associated with foxes (2024). Foxes are also similar to wolves and dogs in Norse myth and folklore because they are considered a being with good and evil aspects to their actions and behavior (Uther, 2006). However, the fox is frequently duped by weaker animals (Uther, 2006).
This irony is particularly prevalent in Finnish myth (Jokinen, 2007). The fox is embedded in Finnish language; the Finnish word for the Aurora Borealis means “fox fire” (Jokinen, 2007). In Finnish myth, the Aurora Borealis is produced by a fox utilizing his tail to send snow into the northern sky (Jokinen, 2007). The fox was created by a goddess called Kareitar (Porthan, 2023).
The fox is often associated with the trickster-god Loki (2024) (Papatheodoru, 2024). Loki was a cunning god of fire (The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, 2024). Loki could change shape into animals like the clever fox (Papatheodoru, 2024).
In Eastern European mythology and folklore, the dual nature of the fox is evident (Noble, 2020). They have been known to aid a human’s quest or assist them in escaping peril (Gershom, 2017). However, they are still very much a trickster (Noble, 2020). Foxes also have connections to the deities and spirits of their culture (Noble, 2020). Dziewanna, the wife of the god Veles, is the goddess of hunting and the wild (Noble, 2020). She has a connection to foxes (Noble, 2020).
There are many Slavic tales that feature foxes (Noble, 2020). The fox has a role in the well-known tale of Kolobok (Terletski, 2024). Kolobok, according to the tale, is a bun similar to a pancake (Noble, 2020). Kolobok hopes to go swimming (Noble, 2020). There are several animals who try to eat him (Noble, 2020). However, Kolobok overcomes his enemies by singing songs (Terletski, 2024). This strategy works against many animals, such as the bear and the wolf (Noble, 2020). However, the fox cleverly tells Kolobok to sing… just after he hops onto his tongue (Noble, 2020).
The fox is a popular and mischievous character in European myth and folklore (Uther, 2006). The fox is clever and frequently outwits their enemies (Noble, 2020). Foxes are morally ambiguous; they can be good or evil (Uther, 2006). Ideally, this short essay has given you some idea of the roles that the fox plays in European folklore and myth.
Citations
Baldwin, M. (2024). Red Fox Interaction with Humans – Fox in Literature and Film. Wildlife Online. https://www.wildlifeonline.me.uk/about/about-the-author
C., R. (2023, May 11). Celtic Fox Mythology. Irish Wishes. https://irishwishes.com/celtic-fox-mythology/
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica. (2024, February 19). Loki: Mythology, Powers, & Facts. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Loki
Gershom, L. (2023, June 8). What Makes Foxes So Fantastic?. JSTOR Daily. https://daily.jstor.org/what-makes-foxes-so-fantastic/
Jokinen, A. (2007). Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights. https://www.luminarium.org/mythology/revontulet.htm
N., N. (2020, May 18). Foxes in Finnish Mythology. Illumination’s Mirror. https://medium.com/illuminations-mirror/foxes-in-finnish-mythology-and-folklore-641f0e7b902a
Noble, B. (2020, October 24). The Role of Foxes in Slavic Mythology. The Role of Foxes in Slavic Mythology and Folklore. https://brendan-noble.com/the-role-of-foxes-in-slavic-mythology-and-folklore/#:~:text=The%20early%20Slavs%20often%20had,often%20villains%20in%20folk%20tales.
Papatheodoru, A. (2024). Fox Symbolism Across Cultures. Triple Moon Psychotherapy. https://www.triplemoonpsychotherapy.com/archetypes-and-symbolism-myth-and-psyche/foxsymbolism
Porthan, T. (2023, June 25). Finnish Goddesses: Kareitar, Goddess of Foxes. Finnish Mythology Illustrated. https://finnmyth.wordpress.com/2023/06/25/finnish-goddesses-kareitar-goddess-of-foxes/
Simard, A. (2017, October 2). Vulpes, Vixen… and Vulpix? Foxes in Folklore and Popular Culture. https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/vulpes-vixen-and-vulpix-foxes-in-folklore-and-popular-culture/
Terletski, M. (2024). The Little Round Bun (Kolobok). https://russian-crafts.com/russian-folk-tales/kolobok.html
Uther, H.-J. (2006). The Fox in World Literature: Reflections on a Fictional “Animal.” Asian Folklore Studies, 65(2), 133–160.
Viking.Style. (2024). Beasts and Birds: The Animals Revered in Norse Culture. Viking.Style. https://viking.style/beasts-and-birds-the-animals-revered-in-norse-culture/
Wallner, A. (1998, April 3). The Role of the Fox, Lynx, and Wolf in Mythology. Wolf Song of Alaska. https://www.wolfsongalaska.org/chorus/node/351
Wild Paws Sanctuary. (2021, October 27). Foxes in Folklore. https://www.wildpaws.org/blog/2021/10/27/foxes-in-folklore-part-1
Windling, T. (2019, June 21). The Tang of Fox. Myth and Moor. https://www.terriwindling.com/blog/foxes-and-fox-lore/
This is a poem and a prayer I wrote for Airmed.
Show me the
Places that heal
The body and
Mind. Show me
The places where
Earth and humanity
Are broken and
Whole. Healing herbs
Grow in defiance
From the cracks.
Tell me every
Secret and hidden
Wisdom of each
Planet. How does
The motion of
The stars and moon
Impact the growing
World? Teach me
The knowing of
The growing and
Green world, kind
Airmed.
This is an acrylic painting of Medb, Queen of Connacht in Ireland and goddess of intoxication and sovereignty.
This is a poem and prayer written for Hera, Queen of the gods in Greek mythology.
Queen of heaven,
You know and
Wield all the
Powers of the
Atmosphere. Your grace
And beauty shine
Like stars and
Rain. The mortal
Mind can barely
Envision the heights
Of Olympus or
The depth of
Your magnificence. You
Are a fierce
And noble protectress
Of newly married
Women who look
To you in
Your lofty spaces
And know that
You will aid
Them. Bless and
Protect me, mighty
Hera.
This is an image I created with acrylic paint. It is an image of the Gaulish goddess Brixta.
This is a poem and a prayer I wrote for Macha, an Irish goddess of sovereignty.
You have been
The diligent wife,
The abused wife,
The victorious wife,
The defeated wife.
You have been
A clever monarch
Who subdues her
Rivals, all men
Who saw femininity
And disease as
Weakness. You know
Both. You are
As powerful and
As mesmerizing as
A racing red
Mare in full
Gallop. Wherever you
Go, power and
Victory follow you,
Fierce and radiant
Macha, grant me
Victory.
Wolf of the Dark Moon 