Wyld Kingdom: hedgehogs

The hedgehog is covered in prickles. From this it gets its name, because it bristles, when it is enclosed in its prickles and is protected by them on all sides against attack. For as soon as it senses anything, it first bristles then, rolling itself into a ball, regains its courage behind its armour. The hedgehog has a certain kind of foresight: as it tears off a grape, it rolls backwards on it and so delivers it to its young. It is also called echinus, urchin.

Miniature of hedgehogs rolling on grapes to impale them on their spines. ^†

This ‘urchin’, thinking ahead, protects itself with twin ventilation ducts, so that when it thinks that the north wind is about to blow, it blocks the northern one, and when it knows that the south wind is giving warning of mist in the air, it goes to the northern passage to avoid the vapours blown from the opposite direction, which will do it harm.

Strange yet True.

^† Miniature of hedgehogs rolling on grapes to impale them on their spines., 2nd quarter of the 13th century, England, S. E. (possibly Rochester)

Digital images courtesy of The British Library

~ this page pub. 02 March 2014 ~
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