Badgers are members of musteline family, but they do not look like their slender relatives.
Their bodies are chunky, short, well built, heavy and strong. Badgers have a distinctive fur pattern, short tails, long noses and elongated skulls, built so to provide badgers incredible bite force in their jaws.
These stubby animals have short and strong legs and dangerous claws. Although badgers are indeed the thickest compared to other of their Mustelidae relatives, their thick and long fur make them appear fatter than they actually are.
Badgers are easily recognizable by their grayish black coat and distinctive long dark stripes, contrasted to white fur on their heads. Just as other musltelines, badgers have smell glands under their tail.
These unusual animals have delicate senses of hearing and smelling. There is much to know about them, in order to understand symbolical meanings of these animals. Badgers usually live in small groups or solitary and they are mostly active in the evening and over night.
They live under ground, digging very deep holes, not easily accessible to other animals. Their holes and hallways could be as long as about five meters deep in ground. Badgers are active during the whole year, even during winter.
They are less active over chilly months, but they do not fall into winter hibernation. Badgers are tough and resistant ones; they leave their shelters to find food, even if winter snows are deep and hard to walk through.
These forest and bush-areas animals are resourceful and modest, when it comes to feeding.
They are omnivores, so they feed both on food of plant and animal origin. Badgers eat worms, bugs, frogs and mice, but they also like sweet grains, such as corn, which is a true delicacy for badgers.
Badgers also feed on berries, mushrooms, roots, oak nuts and other. They produce various types of sounds, including growling, gasping, loud yelling vocalization and so on.
Badgers live all around Europe, except Iceland, northern Scandinavia, Finland and some Mediterranean islands. They like lively, fertile areas, such as forests, groves besides rivers and lakes, underbrush near meadows and other areas rich in both flora and fauna.
Badgers are amazing animals! They are associated with positive spiritual meanings and they are very popular fictional characters on a long list of literature works for both children and adults.
Amazing fictional badgers
While there are folk beliefs about badgers, we will focus on another important aspect that illustrates badgers’ symbolic values. It seems that there is no animal as popular as character animal in works of literature.
In these books, badgers are full developed characters, with ascribed various traits, similarly to human characters.
It is interesting to think about badgers that way. Badger characters are many and they are mostly seen kind, wise and calm.
The number one is, of course, Mr. Badger from one of the most popular novels featuring animal characters, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. In this beautiful story, Mr.
Badger is a kind, welcoming, a bit strict, but friendly and generous. In reality, a badger would me more likely to have some hedgehogs for breakfast, instead of offering one to them. Well, okay, it is a fiction, after all.
In Sam Pig stories by Alison Uttley, Brock the badger is kind and loving guardian of four little pigs and he takes care of this strange household. Trufflehunter is another of kind and wise fictional badgers.
He is a character from Prince Caspian and represents one of the positive figures in the realm of Narnia. However, not all fictional badgers are always that anthropomorphic and compassionate.
In Richard Adams’ Watership down, a couple of rabbits face a strange, savage looking animal they call lendri, in their fictional rabbit language. This lendri is described as a scary, bloodthirsty and dreadful animal.
It does not have anthropomorphic features as these previously mentioned. In addition to these fictional character badgers (and there are many more), these animals appear is several mythologies, usually as a shape-shifting spirits or deities.
In Irish folklore, they have the badger kinsmen of Tadg. In Japanese mythology, there is a shape shifting Mujina, appearing in the form of a badger.
There are also Japanese Tanuki, which is another term referring to Japanese badgers.
These terms could be a bit confusing, since mujina and tanuki are terms that could be used to describe different animals, badgers and raccoon dogs, depending on local conceptions and their dialects.
Badger symbolism
Badger symbolism depends on local beliefs, more than on these fictional portrayals. In some traditions, badgers are not seen kind and calm, but exactly the opposite, dangerous and aggressive.
However, symbolism of badgers is complex. This steady animal represents many values we humans appreciate the most.
Badgers stand for endurance, persistence, defense and protection. They do, of course, stand for kindness and love, as well.
This amazing animal symbolizes solitude, strength and persistence. Badgers are capable of surviving on their own and of taking care for themselves. Badgers are symbols of determination and persistence.
Having in mind how physically tough they are, no strange these animals stand for such values. Having this animal as your spirit guide should greatly encourage you to pursue your dreams and never give up.
Badgers symbolize self-confidence and independence. They are resistant, enduring and strong animals.
In fictional world, we see them being loyal, kind and generous, but also wise and strict.
Badgers represent authority and strong will. They embody the idea of justice and righteousness. These animals are often seen intelligent and patient in literature; symbolically, they represent calmness, self-awareness and harmonious spirits.
Sometimes, badgers are seen symbols of mysterious knowledge and secrets, because they live deep in the ground. That also makes them symbols of safety, security, self-protection and self-defense.
They are also seen aggressive animals and they do represent aggression. Badgers symbolize aggression in terms of boldness and determination, because they will always fight for themselves. They are symbols of persistence and not giving up.
Badgers symbolize insightfulness and knowing your priorities. One of the most important things in life is always to be aware of who you are and what your true qualities are. Badgers symbolize that sort of awareness. That is one of the most efficient survival mechanisms.
Not wasting your energy foolishly and being flexible and adaptable to various situations and conditions destiny has put in front of you, is what all of us should do.
These interesting animals also represent wisdom and patience. Most of fictional badger characters have something to do with learning, tutorship, guidance, protection and hospitality.
Fictional badgers are commonly seen as advice givers, amazing tutors and guides, figures that know many wise things about life.
Thus, badgers symbolize the idea learning through both theory and experience and wisely evaluating life’s opportunities and possibilities.
Badger totem and spiritual powers
Badger totem is an excellent one you can learn much from. This animal spirit offers protection, guidance and discipline. Badger totem teaches you to rely on your strengths and skill and to learn how to use them and develop to a higher level.
Badger totem is a kind, but strict tutor; it will make sure you always learn the lesson, even if you fail many times. That is, perhaps, the main lesson your amazing badger totem wants to share with you. Stand your ground, evaluate the situation, defend your causes, but do not be foolish.
Badger spirit makes an individual a brave, tough and determined personality.
However, the bravery Badger people possess is not the thoughtless, risky and foolish one. Badger people act boldly, even if they are aware things might not turn the way they would love to.
They are ready to face failure, if needed, and to take the best from it. They are grumpy and could be hard to get along with, but, generally, they have positive approach to life and they are capable of seeing the light in the darkness.
When faced with difficulties, badger people are not easily discouraged. They are usually solitary people, ones that best enjoy their own company. They love to travel, to meet new people, read good books, explore new places, but they would always return to their cozy home.
However, they are unlikely to share their life with another person for long. They find it hard to fall in love and commit to another person, not because they are afraid of doing so, but because they feel at best on their own.
People guided by the Badger spirit are intelligent, practical and tactful. They are extremely flexible, meaning they are not spoiled or attention seeking and they could easily make themselves comfortable everywhere.
However, they also put much effort in making their own home a safe haven. Badger people are well organized and steady in their plans.
They neither are leaders nor subordinated, because they like working on their own. They are their own bosses in all matters.
When it comes to socializing and having fun with others, Badger people are fine hosts. They love to invite others to come over and would always generously welcome them, but they really hate unexpected guests or things such as surprise parties.
Badger people are kind, polite, generous and wonderful hosts to others, but only under their own conditions. They like socializing, but in restricted range of time, because they need to recharge on their own.
Badger personalities are extremely protective of their loved ones, their parents, children, partners and best friends. If you had an intense argument or even make damage to a badger person’s dear one, whoever he or she is, you best stay out of their sight for some time.
Badger people are not enemies you would like to face. They are unforgiving, although not vicious or vengeful.
Badger people are fearless and capable of controlling things in their life. If the times are hard, they carry on; they do not give up that easily.
They are not stubborn when they have to accept things that they do not like, but perceive as out of their might to improve, at least for a time. They do not have problem with neither acceptance nor moving forward. In such matters, they are accepting, but not forgetting.