Creature Comforts Trivia Quiz

Answer: Familiar

As mentioned in the question, the above definition is a very basic one and, particularly in the past, this did not necessarily mean a physical creature. In today's Neo-paganism the term has embraced the concept of the familiar being some creature in the physical form. Likewise, the concept that the animal is inhabited by a spirit being has faded and the bond these days tends to be more of an emotional bond.

Familiars can be traced back to the days of the fearsome witch hunts, so prevalent during the fifteenth century, where these creatures (familiars) were believed to have been the gifts of Satan. Then, the concept of animals being inhabited by good spirits, such as fairies, grew out of the Scandinavian countries. These spirits had strong links to nature and were viewed in a positive light. That changed with the spread of Christianity where any spirit not an angel was considered to be a demon, so the Pagan tradition went underground.

Answer: Dog

Within Pagan movements there are no laid down rules that you must have a power animal. The creature may surface while you're meditating but, even then, it is no guarantee that the creature is yours. The major issue with these communities is that for a number of people the choice of a power animal generally amounts to a case of wishful thinking. For example people would prefer to indicate that their power animal is a bear because it is a formidable creature, or an eagle because it has the power to see all. It is highly unlikely that you will see someone announce proudly that their power animal is a skunk.

Dogs are seen as symbols of protection and loyalty, cats are either aloof or mysterious, wolves carry the message of independence and birds are symbols of survival and freedom. The key here is that you do not choose the animal, the animal chooses you.

Answer: No

The website "Legends of America" defines a totem animal as "a spirit being, sacred object, or symbol of a tribe, clan, family or individual". They go further to indicate that these animals act as guides for the individual. A person is connected to nine different animals and these will move in and out of that individual's life, depending upon the direction they take and the tasks that they have accomplished along the way.

Whilst "traditional" Wicca does not incorporate these totems within their practice, in the constant evolution of modern Pagan practices, they (Wiccans) see themselves blending with non-mainstream spiritual paths, and that there will be a creeping in of different belief systems into their own practices. For example, whilst totem animals are not a part of the Wiccan way, it may not be unusual to have a Native American incorporating their totem within their Wiccan shamanic practice. This in turn gives rise to a new form of eclecticism, labelled the Neo-Wicca (or New-Wicca).

Answer: Snake

The snake (or serpent) is a familiar creature in various Pagan ceremonies across the globe as it is linked to the cycles of life, death and rebirth. In many cases this ties in with the creature's usual appearance during the first inklings of spring, a time when the ground begins to warm and the first signs of new growth in the surrounds emerge.

In Scotland the arrival of the snake is a sign of the earth waking up from the winter chills. As the serpent slowly uncoils it is meant to signify the fertility in the soil and the new growth that is set to burst from it. This is a time of festivals in the country and one of the unusual traditions that has emerged here is the filling of stockings with peat and arranging it to look like a snake. Metaphorically, the snake then has its head repeatedly beaten while a rune, called a Rann, is sung. Alexander Carmichael, a folklorist, produced a poem in honour of the snake's emergence. Recorded in his 1900 collection "Carmina Gadelica" it reads:
"The serpent will come from the hole
on the brown day of Bride (Brighid)
though there may be three feet of snow
on the surface of the ground."

Answer: Raven

There are many legends about the raven and its close cousin, the crow, within the tales of Native American people. Some see the raven as a stealer of souls and, similar to the coyote, a trickster that one should be wary of. In the realms of Welsh myth the raven is seen as the harbinger of death and this may stem from Celtic folklore where Mabinogion, who'd often take the form of a raven, is the goddess of death and battle. Witches, in Welsh myth, have also been mooted to take the forms of crows and ravens to enable them to escape from dangerous situations.

The Ancient Greeks would link the crow with the god Apollo as the god of truth and prophecy. Consequently augurs would use the bird as a sign. The divination would be dependent on the direction the bird flew. For example, a crow flying east was seen as a good omen.

The raven has significance in other religions. In the Christian Bible we learn that a raven was the first bird that Noah sent out to find land after the rains ceased. In the Jewish Talmud, Adam and Eve are shown how to bury the body of their murdered son, Abel, by a raven.

Answer: Spider Woman

The Spider Woman is seen in a positive light, generally as a teacher of mankind and a bearer of knowledge. It is believed that she taught humans the art of weaving. One of the traditions of the Navajos is to rub their hands with a spider's web, to absorb that creature's knowledge and skill, before sitting down before their looms.

In one of the Hopi creation stories, the Spider woman was in charge of the underworld while the skies were ruled by Tawa, the sun god. Together, the two created the earth, using just their thoughts. Spider Woman then molded animals from clay and then spread a white blanket over them. Tawa whispered words in their ears and they came to life. Humans were then molded by the Spider Woman. While Tawa sang a song of life, the Spider Woman bought the humans to her breast and they too came into being.

Answer: Yes

The owl is said to have foretold of the death of Julius Caesar. As a result, and in a bid to ward off death, it became a custom to nail an owl to one's door. In "MacBeth" (1623) and "Julius Caesar" (1599), Shakespeare wrote about an owl's prediction of death. Sir Walter Scott did something similar in his "A Legend of Montrose" (1819) where he casts the owl, amongst other birds, as an omen of ill will;
"Birds of omen dark and foul,
Night-crow, raven, bat, and owl,
Leave the sick man to his dream --
All night long he heard your scream."

Appalachian legends tell that if an owl hoots at midnight that death will arrive by the next morning. In a similar manner, be concerned if it circles during the day for bad news awaits someone in the vicinity.

Answer: Fertility

In the world of magic the energy of the rabbit was harnessed in an effort to foster good fortune and/or protection. In some western myths the rabbit is seen as mischievous and a trickster so I can understand leaning toward chaos, to a degree. However, it is the rabbit's sexual energy that is sought after to produce fertility magic.

It always confused me as a child as to why the Easter bunny was linked to eggs, especially seeing that they didn't lay them. The rabbit isn't so much linked to the egg but what the egg represents... new life. German immigrants bought the character that became known as the Easter bunny to America during the 18th century. This arose from German literature, written a couple of hundred years before that, where an Easter hare would reward good children with coloured eggs if they built him nest out of their caps.

As for the March hare being a symbol of fertility... this species is generally nocturnal but, in March, which is the mating season in Europe, they're everywhere, every day and they are (for want of a better phrase) hot to trot. The female has the ability to conceive a second litter while still pregnant with the first (hence the term "breed like rabbits") and they are constantly having to knock back the over excited males, who don't know how to stop. The males, in turn, get frustrated and bounce around like lunatics, hence the phrase, "mad as a March hare".

You would be mistaken if you believed that the latter term originated from Lewis Carroll's wonderful "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" (1865), as the idiom dates back even further. Whether it is the first time it was published or not is uncertain but Chaucer does raise the hare's madness in his "The Canterbury Tales" (1387), specifically, "The Friar's Tale", where he writes;
"For though this man were wild as is a hare,
To tell his evil deeds I will not spare."

Answer: Serpents

The snake can provide a range of symbolism in Pagan rituals. There are the positive aspects of its emergence after winter's hibernation bringing a sense of symbolic growth and fertility. The snake shedding its skin is considered to be a figure of transformation. Generally, though, there is a fear of snakes and its stealth and silent movement is often aligned with cunning or treachery. In some ritual it can also be utilised to bring forth harm. There is a belief in North American voodoo that the ingesting of snake blood can introduce snakes into the body. If one wished a person dead, legends tell of tying a piece of that person's hair to a snake, killing the creature and then burying it. Supposedly, the owner of the piece of hair will get progressively sicker until they die.

In Egyptian mythology, Isis, the goddess of magic, created a serpent to ambush Ra during his daily walk through the heavens. Once bitten, Ra had no antidote to the poison, and lay in agony. Isis then offered Ra a cure provided, Ra revealed his true name. In revealing his true name Ra allowed Isis to have power over him.

Answer: She-wolf

According to Roman Pagans, Rome was founded by Romulus and Remus, two orphaned children who were rescued and raised by a she-wolf. A similar story exists in respect to the rise of the Turkic empire. Chinese soldiers raid a small Turkic village and killed everyone, except of one small boy, so badly injured, he was left for dead. The she-wolf Asena found the boy and gave him succor. The lad was nursed back to health and Asena then bore him ten children that were half human and half wolf. The eldest of these would become known as Bumin Khayan (or Bumin Qaghan), the founder of the Turkic Khaganate.

The wolf has both fascinated and frightened humans for centuries that it is of little wonder that it appears in so many myths and legends. He has been linked with both the raising of empires and their destruction. In modern times though, the wolf has been on the raw end of the deal and has been portrayed more as a monster than a friend to man.

One of the stories that that, probably, shows a balanced view of the creature is the Cherokee tale of the dog and the wolf. The dog lived in the mountains and wolf lay by the fire on the lowlands. When winter came the dog came down from the mountain and drove the wolf away from the fire. The wolf found that he enjoyed the mountains and he prospered there, building a family of his own. The dog, in the meantime, walked at the heels of man. One day the wolf came down to sit by the fire and was killed by humans. The wolf's brothers descended on man and exacted revenge. A truce was reached. The wolf remained in the mountains and was not hunted, while the dog remained with man and became his friend.