In western Scotland it was once believed that seals had tremendous abilities, being able to come ashore at night. Before sunrise came up they would sing and dance, enjoying the opportunity to be in human form. It was said that if a man wanted to have one of the seal- maidens stay in human form, he must take the discarded skin and hide it, but if she were to get it back, she would leave him. The 'Offspring of the Seal' is a name given to people from the MacCodum Clan from the Outer Hebrides off mainland Scotland (UK). It was said that that an ancestor married a seal-maiden after he spied her dancing, hiding her skin for many years whilst she bore him several children. Some believed that seals were fallen angels whilst some thought seals to be the children of kings that had been unfortunate enough to fall prey to enchantments. In Lent, the Christian time for fasting, seal meat was considered to be similar to fish and therefore could be consumed.

SHARK
In many countries sailors believed that sharks could sense if a death had occurred or if it was imminent believing the animal could smell it. The sight of a number of sharks following a ship was considered a definite omen of death occurring to someone on board the vessel. It has been alleged that Christopher Columbus, the navigator once believed to have discovered America, believed in the power of sharks to sense such dangers.

SHEEP
Sheep were once central to the British community life before cattle and horses, and therefore much of the folklore was associated with the seasonal calendar. In Celtic times the counting of sheep had a special language, and perhaps this explains why to help people drop off to sleep, counting them was often practised. Evidence exists of two versions, from Cumberland and Sussex.

The black sheep has generally been accepted in British folklore as an animal which brings good fortune to the farmer and flock despite the many rhymes to the contrary. The majority of farmers in other countries have firmly believed that having a black sheep as part of a flock would lead to the farmer becoming a victim of disaster with events taking a negative turn of fortune. Twin lambs are usually seen as an omen of good fortune if they are the first to be born that year although this is normally restricted to white lambs (as twin black lambs were traditionally thought to be twice the misfortune and a sign of darker forces and even the Devil's foul play.

As the seasons change lambs are a sure sign that spring has arrived and the summer will soon be here in the northern hemisphere. In more rural parts of the UK and Western Europe it followed that the first lamb to be seen had great significance. When seen, should the lamb be turned towards you this was a positive omen. It indicated that the following twelve months would be positive with successful outcomes for the holding or farm, with no shortage of food and drink. If spotted facing away then the reverse was implied.

Sheep are seen to be useful indicators of changes in the weather, and the circumstances are similar to that of cattle although there are contradictions as to the actual meaning of events. In some places the sight of a flock of sheep laying on the ground or grazing close to one another indicates that rain is imminent, whilst fine weather will arrive in other countries. A period of clement weather can be expected if the sheep are seen grazing on high ground. The loud sound of sheep bleating though is almost universally accepted as a sign of a forthcoming storm.

Like cattle (See Mystical WWW Mystic's Menagerie : Calf, Cow), sheep are also said to turn towards the East on Christmas Eve to revere the baby Christ, bowing three times and able to have the gift of speech for this night. There has been an association made between this belief and the Christian religious expression the 'Lamb of God'.

To carry a piece of the skull was once thought by shepherds in Europe to encourage good fortune, so much so that many were buried with some wool in the coffin in preparation it was believed for 'Judgement Day'. It was believed that a good shepherd would never leave his flock and that therefore taking some of the wool with him would act as an indication of his love for the animal, carrying the wool close to him at all times, even in death.

SNAKE
Traditionally snakes were often associated with serpents usually known as water-bound creatures in the British Isles and Europe. Poisonous snakes were feared, with vipers often being the snake that was promoted as the most venomous of all upon those who were full of greed.

One morality tale tells of how if you suffer from avarice you should beware of the viper. One man dreamt of finding a beautiful necklace made of gold close to a freshwater spring. For three nights the dream came and was very vivid. Feeling that he knew where the spring was, the man climbed to it and felt underneath a stone. Suddenly he was bitten by a viper, that had not appeared in his dream. His greed had driven him too far, and as a result his desires caused his death.

Whitby Abbey in Yorkshire, England, was once plagued by snakes in Saxon times. St Hilda, the abbess, aimed to rid it of snakes and started to drive them towards the cliff edge. As they approached the cliff she whipped off their heads and cast them over the edge. According to folklore the remains of fossils found in the cliff wall are said to be the remains of these snakes.

The snake is associated in many countries with the Devil and dark forces. In the bible is was the Devil in serpent from that tempted Eve to take the Forbidden Fruit.

See Mystical WWW Mystic's Menagerie : Adder.

SPARROW
See Mystical WWW : Mystical Birds Introduction, Sparrow.

SPIDER
'If you wish to live and thrive, let the spider run alive'. This may be a familiar saying and in the Middle Ages spiders were highly prized. It was considered the height of good breeding and sanitation to have spiders in the house as they served the useful purpose of getting rid of any flies which carried many dreaded diseases.

If you were lucky enough to see a spider spinning a web then it was considered a sure sign that within a short amount of time you would receive new clothes. Webs have long been said to have the power to stop bleeding from a wound if laid over it. It is thought that this belief stems from the Bible and how the baby Jesus was hidden from Herod's soldiers in such a way.

In fact many of us today are still drawn by one of the most common of all beliefs in the 'money spider' - to find one dangling from your clothes or person was thought to be a sure sign of imminent prosperity in a venture.

The appearance of a web that was broken or was very small and unevenly made was thought to indicate that a terrible storm was about to arrive according to medieval weather lore.

When Robert the Bruce, King of Scotland (UK) 1306-29, was a fugitive it is said that he waited in a room, for his pursuers believing that the fight to save Scotland was at an end. He was ill, ready to accept defeat. Dangling from one of the roof beams was a spider spinning a web and attempting to secure it between seven beams. The spider struggled for some time with the seventh strand. Bruce watched closely and felt his strength return and his faith grow when the spider finally attached the web. This he took to be an omen that perhaps through hard toil success will be the outcome. It certainly affected Bruce as he came out from hiding and went on to ensure a separate identity for Scotland.

SQUIRREL
Also known in some countries as the 'tree rat' perhaps because of their success at breeding and living on vegetation which seems insufficient for other tree animals. Although the practice of culling numbers is a regular practice in many countries, in some parts of Europe the person actually killing a squirrel is believed to bring misfortune upon themselves, and by the same token lose any previous skills in hunting. Perhaps this is because of some of the earliest Creation myths which indicate the squirrel was a revered creature (See Mystical WWW Trees).

In some countries it is said that the squirrel was present in the Garden of Eden and witnessed the eating of the Forbidden Fruit. Of course the squirrel is known for having a beautiful tail. It is said that the squirrel was so shocked at what was happening between Adam and Eve that it immediately grabbed it's tail to cover the eyes. God is said to have been pleased with this response, and instead of the squirrel for ever after having a thin long bare tail as it was originally, God rewarded it with increasing the size and thickness of the brush.

STORK
See Mystical WWW : Mystical Birds.

SWALLOW
See Mystical WWW : Mystical Birds.

SWAN
See Mystical WWW : Mystical Birds.