The hedgehog is a mammal that can be found in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Unlike some animals, such as fish or dogs, hedgehogs are not prominent in myths and folklore.

Nevertheless, certain cultures that developed in the places where these creatures are found have incorporated the hedgehog into their traditions.

In ancient Egyptian society, the hedgehog had a good reputation.

The ancient Egyptians were familiar with two types of hedgehogs, the desert hedgehog and the long-eared hedgehog.

This is inferred from the way the Egyptians depicted hedgehogs in the form of amulets, [right] a Desert Hedgehog pup (Paraechinus aethopicus) curled up in a man's hand.

(CC BY-SA 3.

0) [Left] A long-eared hedgehog, Heinicus aethopicus, in captivity at the Leningrad Zoo.

(CC0 1.

0) In addition to hedgehog amulets, which are probably the most common representation of the hedgehog in Ancient Egypt, hedgehogs can also be found in the tomb art of some ancient kingdoms.

In these scenes, hedgehogs are often depicted as offerings or in hunting scenes, and in some tombs, namely at Saqqara and Giza, there are also representations of "hedgehog boats".

These are ships that can be recognized by the image of a hedgehog's face on their hulls.

An example of a boat made of pottery was found in the Ancient Egyptian amulet Tell Ibrahim Awad (public domain) at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, but it is not entirely clear what was behind the decision of the Ancient Egyptians to designate the hedgehog as a "good" animal.

One popular explanation is that the hedgehog was a symbol of rebirth, like the well-known golden beetle.

This seems to make sense, as hedgehogs are known to retreat to their underground nests when food is scarce, only to reappear when food is available again.

It is likely that when the ancient Egyptians observed this behavior in hedgehogs, they believed that the creatures had risen from the dead.

Although the popularity of the hedgehog amulet is said to have peaked in the New Kingdom, it did not become a symbol of the resurrection in the same way as the Sacred Beetle, but the cult of the hedgehog in Ancient Egypt was not shared by other cultures.

In some cultures, the hedgehog seems to have been traditionally seen as a symbol of bad luck.

For example, in Mongolia, it is traditionally considered bad luck for a hedgehog to enter a person's home.

The reason for this is that hedgehogs usually walk with their heads down, thus covering their faces.

This is understood by Mongolians to mean that the hedgehog is not an open and honest animal, and that the hedgehog's cunning and crafty nature is also referred to in Mongolian folklore as the clever little hedgehog.

The story involves three friends, a wolf, a fox and a hedgehog, who compete for the right to eat a plum that fell from the bag of a passing caravan.

In this story, the hedgehog outwits his friends (not once, but twice) and wins the plums for himself.

Although hedgehogs were considered negative, the Mongols also believed that the creatures could be used to ward off "bad things" and therefore put their skin on the doorstep.

Although these "bad things" are not specified, it is possible that they refer to snakes, since these snakes are preyed upon by hedgehogs.

Incidentally, it is hypothesized that the ancient Egyptians believed that hedgehog amulets, which were man-made hedgehogs from the Middle Kingdom of Egypt, also protected them from poisonous snakes.

In Britain, hedgehogs have an even worse reputation.

In Irish, for example, hedgehogs are also known as Gráinneog, meaning "clown thing".

In the Middle Ages, peasants believed hedgehogs were thieves who stole milk from cows by sucking on them at night.

In addition to milk, hedgehogs were also believed to steal eggs.

There is some truth to this accusation, although the at eaten by hedgehogs is often cracked or damaged.

Hedgehogs simply don't have the strength to crack eggshells, and a European urban hedgehog went out to feed at night.

(CC BY-SA 3.

0) More maliciously, perhaps, the hedgehog is thought to be a witch in disguise.

So there is a desire to eradicate hedgehogs, which the authorities seem to support.

In 1566, the English Parliament paid a bounty of three pence on the head of every hedgehog captured and killed.

Churches also offered their own bounties for the slaughter of hedgehogs, and as a result, views on hedgehogs varied according to culture and era.

These strange little creatures inspire awe in some quarters and disgust in others.

Above: a small hedgehog (Christian Heilmann/Flick), by a university student majoring in archaeology.

My interests range from "traditional" to "radical" interpretations of archaeological/textual/image datasets.

I believe that intellectual input from advocates at both extremes will help. Read Mor.