Cover

The Beginning

The moment the first wolf faced its fear and stepped into the circle of light cast by man's fire has been lost in time. In that now obscure moment, the history of man and wolf was forever changed. Since the moment wolf first trusted man, and man first trusted wolf, many things have changed. For centuries, the indigenous peoples of the Americas depicted the wolf in their art and stories. Most often, the painting or story displayed wolf and human joined as one powerful creature. In some legends, the wolf is given healing powers and in others the wolf saved the people from the great flood. Many Native Americans believed in man’s brotherhood with the wolf.

Not so long ago, wolves roamed nearly all of the United States. Between 250,000 and 500,000 wild wolves lived in harmony with Native Americans and the rest of the ecosystem.

Wolves are legendary because of their spine-tingling howl, which they use to communicate. A lone wolf howls to attract the attention of his pack, while communal howls may send territorial messages from one pack to another. Some howls are confrontational. Much like barking domestic dogs, wolves may simply begin howling because a nearby wolf has already begun.

Wolves are the largest members of the dog family. Adaptable gray wolves are by far the most common and were once found all over the Northern Hemisphere. But wolves and humans have a long adversarial history. Though they almost never attack humans, wolves are considered one of the animal world's most fearsome natural villains. They do attack domestic animals, and countless wolves have been shot, trapped, and poisoned because of this tendency.

In the lower 48 states, gray wolves were hunted to near extinction, though some populations survived and others have since been reintroduced. Few gray wolves survive in Europe, though many live in Alaska, Canada, and Asia.

Red wolves live in the southeastern United States, where they are endangered. These animals actually became extinct in the wild in 1980. Scientists established a breeding program with a small number of captive red wolves and have reintroduced the animal to North Carolina. Today, perhaps 100 red wolves survive in the wild.

The maned wolf, a distant relative of the more familiar gray and red wolves, lives in South America. Physically, this animal resembles a large, red fox more than its wolf relatives.

Wolves live and hunt in packs of around six to ten animals. They are known to roam large distances, perhaps 12 miles (20 kilometers) in a single day. These social animals cooperate on their preferred prey—large animals such as deer, elk, and moose. When they are successful, wolves do not eat in moderation. A single animal can consume 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of meat at a sitting. Wolves also eat smaller mammals, birds, fish, lizards, snakes, and fruit.

Wolf packs are established according to a strict hierarchy, with a dominant male at the top and his mate not far behind. Usually this male and female are the only animals of the pack to breed. All of a pack's adults help to care for young pups by bringing them food and watching them while others hunt.

Gray wolves once populated large portions of North America, Europe, and Asia, but were hunted to near extinction. Their numbers have rebounded due to conservation and reintroduction efforts.

Historically, hundreds of thousands of wolves roamed wild throughout North America. During the 19th and 20th centuries, as the human population grew, people began to compete with wolves for game and habitat. Wolves were also viewed as pests and vermin and were slaughtered by the thousands. As a result, wolves virtually disappeared from the American west. 

Wolves play a significant role in ecosystem health. They help keep large herd animal populations in check, which can benefit numerous other plant and animal species. The carcasses of their prey also help to  redistribute nutrients and provide food for other wildlife species, most notably other scavengers. Indeed, scientists are just beginning to understand the full positive ripple effects that large predators contribute in nature. 

Today, wolves can be found in many different regions of the United States. In some regions, like the Great Lakes district, wolves are thriving and people in the towns and cities near them have accepted them as part of the wild landscape. However, in other regions, wolves are facing serious threats to their existence. Click the links at right to see the specific threats facing the different populations around the country.

For decades, Defenders has been a leader in promoting wolf recovery throughout their natural ranges. We were one of the driving forces behind their successful reintroduction in 1995 and 1996 into the Northern Rockies and greater Yellowstone region and led the way to reintroduce wolves to the Southwest in 1998. Unfortunately, wolves today continue to face threats to their survival and Defenders continues to work on the ground, in the courts, and in state and federal legislatures to give America's wolves a lasting future.

Persecution and Extermination - 1960’s

Over a hundred years ago, people around the world began waging a war against the wolf. The U.S. government implemented a nationwide policy of wolf control. Wolves were seen as pests that posed a threat to the continued safety and prosperity of the American people. Theodore Roosevelt, a man widely known for his environmental activism, declared the wolf as "the beast of waste and destruction" and called for its eradication. Their skulls and skins were piled high for victory photographs and to claim the bounties. Most believed they served God and the United States by ridding the countryside of such vermin. The wolf is the only species to be deliberately driven to the brink of extinction by humans.

Through a systematic extermination of every wolf to be found, the US government won its battle against nature. By 1960, the once populous gray wolf was essentially extinct throughout its former range. The last 300 wolves in the lower 48 states roamed the deep woods of upper Michigan and Minnesota, only surviving by running and hiding at the first sign of humans.

Slow Natural Recovery - 1970’s

Even though the official war against the wolf had ended in the rest of the US shortly after 1960, hunters still searched for the few elusive remnant wolves remaining in the Great Lakes' region. Despite hunters' best efforts, the northern timber wolves held their ground and actually began to make a slight comeback. With the cover of a vast, dense forest and the immigration of dispersing wolves from Canada, Michigan and Wisconsin’s wolves persevered. By 1970, there were a few reports of wolf sightings father from the Canadian border than there had been in over a decade. The last of America's wild wolves were starting to win some public interest and concern... and talk of the Endangered Species List had just begun.

At the same time, the last of the Mexican grey wolves (a subspecies of gray wolf) were disappearing. Smaller than the typical gray wolf, the Mexican gray is usually sandy colored, lives in a small pack and is better adapted to its desert surroundings. They had already disappeared from the American South West by 1970, and the few living in Mexico were under serious attack.

The Magic Pack - 1980’s

After the monumental declaration that the gray wolf was protected under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) in 1974, wolf recovery became possible in new areas. The public's interest and fascination grew in leaps and bounds as the American culture became more and more removed from nature. It was only after the wolves were gone and people had to go in search of true wilderness, that we began to value what we had lost.

1980 marked the extinction of the wild Mexican gray wolf in both the US and Mexico. However, due to pressure from the ESA, the last 4 wild males and the very last female were captured and placed in a captive-breeding program. Through a breeding registry, biologists hoped to preserve the genetic diversity of these animals and save the unique subspecies.

While the Mexican gray faced oblivion, the northern gray wolf took a huge step on the road to recovery. The first pack of wild wolves crossed the border from Canada into Glacier National Park, Montana. In the celebration, this first wild group of wolves to return to the US became known as the Magic Pack.

Red Wolves - 1990’s

The red wolf is a completely separate species from the gray wolf, being smaller with reddish coloration and having the appearance of a gray wolf-coyote hybrid. In historic times, the red wolf is thought to have lived across the East Coast and Southeast of the US. However, like the gray, the red wolf was hunted to extinction throughout its range. By 1980, red wolves survived only in captivity, their breeding highly regulated in order to preserve precious genetic diversity. By 1990, the first red wolves were reintroduced to North Carolina.

At the same time the red wolves were making a comeback with the help of humans, gray wolves continued to do it on their own. The Great Lakes population continued to grow, spreading into northern Wisconsin. By 1990, Montana's Magic Pack had company in the form of other wolf packs migrating down from Canada, as well as the first wild packs formed by wolves born on Glacier National Park soil. The first substantial reports of wolf sightings in the Cascade Mountains of Washington State started coming in, and the US could now boast a possible population of wolves in seven states including Alaska.

Northern Rockies Reintroduction - 1995 & 1996

Perhaps the most monumental move in gray wolf policy over the past century was the decision to reintroduce wolves to Yellowstone National Park and Idaho. After years of political battles and local grassroots efforts to win over support from area ranchers, 31 Canadian gray wolves were released into Yellowstone and 23 into the Frank Church Wilderness of Idaho.

The reintroduced wolves in Idaho were "hard released" directly into the wild from their transportation crates. One female traveled over 60 miles in the first day looking for her Canadian home. In cooperation with the US government, the Nez Perce Nation took over the reintroduction effort.

Sixty years after the last two wolves were killed in Yellowstone, the first wild caught Canadian wolves destined for reintroduction entered the park. After the wolves spent three months in acclimation pens in the backcountry, the alpha male of the Crystal Creek pack worked up the courage to take his first steps of freedom in the US. Despite the disappointment of another wolf’s illegal murder outside of Redlodge, MT, biologists were overjoyed to find that it had fathered the first litter of wild wolf pups born in Yellowstone.

Today: Thirteen States and Counting

Over the past 30 years, the wild wolf population in the US had grown from less than 300 to over 4,000. Even two decades ago, it looked like wolves would probably disappear forever from the plains and forests of this country. However, as people have searched harder and harder for a true connection to nature, we have slowly learned the value of wild ecosystems and the animals that live in them. In the 13 years since wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone, we have learned that wolves are a keystone species that is an essential part of the “trophic cascade” and a balanced earth. 1998 saw the controversial reintroduction of Mexican gray wolves to New Mexico and Arizona. The red wolf population in North Carolina is continuing to grow. Yellowstone can boast a population of over 300 wolves, reaching its recovery goals. The Great Lakes’ wolves may soon be removed from the ESA because they are so abundant. In just the past year, there have been reports of wild wolves in Oregon, Utah, Washington, and even Maine.

The Future

The recovery of wolves to the US is no longer a dream, but we do have much work left to do...

It is estimated that over a million wild wolves once roamed across North America. Although we will never see numbers that high again, wild wolves have made a remarkable comeback over the past 50 years. If recovery efforts continue, we may one day see wild wolves successfully coexisting with humans in over twenty states. As the years pass, we are learning that it is possible to live in close contact with wild wolves. With cooperation from politicians, environmentalists and ranchers, we may not be made to chose between people, wildlife and cattle... the wild habitat that is currently left across the nation could support all three. As it stands, wolf depredations on livestock are lower than expected and wolf-watching brings in much needed revenue to rural areas. In only the past few months, wild wolves have been removed from the ESA in the Northern Rockies because the reintroduction was so successful. Now, the challenge will be to find a balance between hunting and preservation that prevents their return to the Endangered Species List and addresses the needs of local ranchers.

Recently, the Wildlands Project has proposed a plan called “rewilding” America. Under this plan, the less populated and primarily unused sections of the U.S. would be returned to its natural state. With fences removed and bison and elk allowed to roam at will, this could mean a huge recovery for wolves. Please see www.wildearth.org for more details. Despite the great challenges facing such a plan, we all like to dream of the day when wolves and people can live in harmony across all of North America.

Wolves in folklore, religion and mythology

The wolf is a common motif in the foundational mythologies and cosmologies of peoples throughout Eurasia and North America (corresponding to the historical extent of the habitat of the gray wolf). The obvious attribute of the wolf is its nature of a predator, and correspondingly it is strongly associated with danger, destruction, making it the symbol of the warrior on one hand, and that of the devil on the other. The modern trope of the Big Bad Wolf is a development of this. The wolf holds great importance in the cultures and religions of the nomadic peoples, both of the Eurasian steppe and of the North American Plains. In many cultures, the identification of the warrior with the wolf (totemism) gave rise to the notion of Lycanthropy, the mythical or ritual identification of man and wolf.

Indo-European:

 In Proto-Indo-European mythology, the wolf was presumably associated with the warrior class, who would "transform into wolves" (or dogs) upon their initiation. This is reflected in Iron Age Europe in the Tierkrieger depictions from the Germanic sphere, among others. The standard comparative overview of this aspect of Indo-European mythology is McCone (1987).

Greco-Roman:

 Mount Lykaion (Λύκαιον ὄρος) is a mountain in Arcadia where an altar of Zeus was located. Zeus Lykaios was said to have been born and brought up on it, and was the home of Pelasgus and his son Lycaon, who is said to have founded the ritual of Zeus practiced on its summit. This seems to have involved a human sacrifice, and a feast in which the man who received the portion of a human victim was changed to a wolf, as Lycaon had been after sacrificing a child. The sanctuary of Zeus played host to athletic games held every four years, the Lykaia.

According to some, the modern name of the mountain is Diaforti (Gell gives "Dioforti" or "Dioforte"), which is presumed to consist of two Greek words: "Dias", the name of Zeus in modern Greek, and "fero," a verb meaning "I bring," thus meaning that Mount Lykaion is a mountain that brings Zeus. According to Kourouniotes, however, the southern peak has never been called Diaforti, only "Ayios Ilias" after the chapel of St. Elijah below the summit. Cook distinguishes three summits, the highest Stephani, the next Ae Lias (=Ayios Elias), and Diaphorti.

According to the Roman tradition, a wolf was responsible for the childhood survival of the future founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. The twin babies were ordered to be killed by their great uncle Amulius. The servant ordered to kill them, however, relented and placed the two on the banks of the Tiber river. The river, which was in flood, rose and gently carried the cradle and the twins downstream, where under the protection of the river deity Tiberinus, they would be adopted by a she-wolf known as Lupa in Latin, an animal sacred to Mars. As a consequence, the Italian Wolf is the national animal of the modern Italian Republic.

The comedian Plautus used the image of wolves to ponder the cruelty of man as a wolf unto man.

Germanic:

Norse mythology prominently includes three malevolent wolves, in particular: the giant Fenrisulfr or Fenrir, eldest child of Loki and Angrboda who was feared and hated by the Æsir, and Fenrisulfr's children, Sköll and Hati. Fenrir is bound by the gods, but is ultimately destined to grow too large for his bonds and devour Odin during the course of Ragnarök. At that time, he will have grown so large that his upper jaw touches the sky while his lower touches the earth when he gapes. He will be slain by Odin's son, Viðarr, who will either stab him in the heart or rip his jaws asunder according to different accounts. Fenrir's two offspring will according to legend, devour the sun and moon at Ragnarök. On the other hand, however, the wolves Geri and Freki were the Norse god Odin's faithful pets who were reputed to be "of good omen."

In the Hervarar saga, king Heidrek is asked by Gestumblindi (Odin),

What is that lampwhich lights up men,but flame engulfs it,and wargs grasp after it always.

Heidrek knows the answer is the Sun, explaining

She lights up every land and shines over all men, and Skoll and Hatti are called wargs. Those are wolves, one going before the sun, the other after the moon.

But wolves also served as mounts for more or less dangerous humanoid creatures. For instance, Gunnr's horse was a kenning for "wolf" on the Rök Runestone, in the Lay of Hyndla, the völva (witch) Hyndla rides a wolf, and to Baldr's funeral, the giantess Hyrrokin arrived on a wolf.

Baltic and Slavic:

 According to legend, the establishment of the Lithuanian capital Vilnius began when the grand duke Gediminas dreamt of an iron wolf howling near the hill.

The Slavic languages share a term for "werewolf" derived from a Common Slavic vlko-dlak "wolf-skin".

The wolf as a mythological creature is greatly linked to Balkan and Serbian mythology and cults. It has an important part in Serbian mythology. In the Slavic, old Serbian religion and mythology, the wolf was used as a totem. In the Serbian epic poetry, the wolf is a symbol of fearlessness. Vuk Karadžić, 19th-century Serbian philologist and ethnographer, explained the traditional, apotropaic use of the name Vuk (wolf): a woman who had lost several babies in succession, would name her newborn son Vuk, because it was believed that the witches, who "ate" the babies, were afraid to attack the wolves.

Indic:

 In the Rig Veda, Rijrsava is blinded by his father as punishment for having given 101 of his family's sheep to a she-wolf, who in turn prays to the Ashvins to restore his sight. Wolves are occasionally mentioned in Hindu mythology. In the Harivamsa, Krishna, to convince the people of Vraja to migrate to Vrindavan, creates hundreds of wolves from his hairs, which frighten the inhabitants of Vraja into making the journey. Bhima, the voracious son of the god Vayu, is described as Vrikodara, meaning "wolf-stomached".

Altic-Turkic and Mongolian:

 In the mythology of the Turkic and Mongolian peoples, the wolf is a revered animal. The shamanic Turkic peoples even believed they were descendants of wolves. The legend of Asena is an old Turkic myth that tells of how the Turkic people were created. In Northern China a small Turkic village was raided by Chinese soldiers, but one small baby was left behind. An old she-wolf with a sky-blue mane named Asena found the baby and nursed him, then the she-wolf gave birth to half-wolf, half-human cubs, from whom the Turkic people were born. Also in Turkic mythology it is believed that a gray wolf showed the Turks the way out of their legendary homeland Ergenekon, which allowed them to spread and conquer their neighbours. In modern Turkey this myth inspired extreme-right nationalist groups known as "Grey Wolves". As with most ancient peoples' beliefs, the wolf was thought to possess spiritual powers, and that parts of its body retained specific powers that could be used by people for various needs.

In the Secret History of the Mongols, the Mongol peoples are said to have descended from the mating of a doe (Gua maral) and a wolf ('Boerte chino'). In Modern Mongolia, the wolf is still seen as a good luck symbol, especially for males. In Mongolian folk medicine, eating the intestines of a wolf is said to alleviate chronic indigestion, while sprinkling food with powdered wolf rectum is said to cure hemorrhoids. Mongol mythology explains the wolf's occasional habit of surplus killing by pointing to their traditional creation story. It states that when God explained to the wolf what it should and should not eat, he told it that it may eat one sheep out of 1,000. The wolf however misunderstood and thought God said kill 1,000 sheep and eat one.

Japanese:

 In Japan, grain farmers once worshiped wolves at shrines and left food offerings near their dens, beseeching them to protect their crops from wild boars and deer. Talismans and charms adorned with images of wolves were thought to protect against fire, disease, and other calamities and brought fertility to agrarian communities and to couples hoping to have children. The Ainu people believed that they were born from the union of a wolflike creature and a goddess.

Finno-Ugric-Finnic:

 Unlike fox and bear, the wolf has always been feared and hated in Finland, and wolf has been the symbol of destruction and desolation, to the extent that the very name of wolf in Finnish language, susi, means also "a useless thing" and the by-name hukka means perdition and annihilation. While bear has been the sacred animal of Finns, wolves have always been hunted and killed mercilessly. The wolf has been represented as implacable and malicious predator, killing more than it manages to eat.

Arctic and North America-Arctic:

 Wolves were generally revered by tribes that survived by hunting, but were thought little of by those that survived through agriculture. Some tribes, such as the Nunamiut of northern and northwestern Alaska and the Naskapi of Labrador respected the wolf's hunting skill and tried to emulate the wolf in order to hunt successfully. Others see the wolf as a guide. The Tanaina of Alaska believed that wolves were once men, and viewed them as brothers.

Plains:

 In the Cardinal directions of the Plains Indians, the wolf represented the west, while for the Pawnee, it represented the southeast. According to the Pawnee creation myth, the wolf was the first creature to experience death. The Wolf Star, enraged at not having been invited to attend a council on how the Earth should be made, sent a wolf to steal the whirlwind bag of The Storm that Comes out of the West, which contained the first humans. Upon being freed from the bag, the humans killed the wolf, thus bringing death into the world. The Pawnee, being both an agricultural and hunting people, associated the wolf with both corn and the bison; the "birth" and "death" of the Wolf Star (Sirius) was to them a reflection of the wolf's coming and going down the path of the Milky Way known as Wolf Road.

Wolves were not always portrayed positively in Native American cultures. The Netsilik Inuit and Takanaluk-arnaluk believed that the sea-woman Nuliayuk's home was guarded by wolves. The Naskapi's believed that the caribou afterlife is guarded by giant wolves that kill careless hunters who venture too near. The Navajo people feared witches in wolves' clothing called "yee naaldlooshii", literally "with it, he goes on all fours". Wolf in Navajo is mąʼiitsoh- lit. "large coyote". Wolves were feared by the Tsilhqot'in, who believed that contact with wolves would result in nervous illness or death.

Caucasian:

 In Chechen (and generally also Ingush) lore, wolves are almost always portrayed in a positive light, either as an equivalent for the nation, or as the loving "Wolf Mother". The Chechen people are symbolically said to be variously related to wolves (not in a serious way, but in an either symbolic or joking manner), probably in relation to the "Wolf Mother" legend. Hence, characteristics of the wolf are also frequently compared to the Chechen people in a poetic sense, including the most famous line that members of the Chechen nation are "free and equal like wolves". Given this reverence for the wolf, it is easily the most common symbol used by Chechen nationalists.

Wolf clans are often equated to Chechen teips. The wolf for Chechens is not only the national animal, but also the national embodiment, and the wolf is frequently used to show pride. It is notable that the equation of "wolves = Chechens" also in some ways relates to the Chechen character, as it reflects the way Chechens see themselves (and to a degree, how others see them): intelligent, organized in clans, loyal, and brave.

The point of Chechens being "related" to wolves even goes to the point of the national founding myth- Turpalo-Noxchuo, the "founder" of the Chechen nation in legend, was raised by the Wolf Mother. It is also said that Chechens are descended from Turpalo-Noxchuo and the Wolf Mother like "sparks off steel".

Abrahamic traditions

Christianity:

The Bible contains 13 references to wolves, usually as metaphors for greed and destructiveness. In the New Testament, Jesus is quoted to have used wolves as illustrations to the dangers His followers would have face should they follow him (Matthew 10:16, Acts 10:29, Matthew 7:15)

The Book of Genesis was interpreted in Medieval Europe as stating that nature exists solely to support man (Genesis 1:29), who must cultivate it (Genesis 2:15), and that animals are made for his own purposes (Genesis 2:18-20). By this perspective, nature was only acceptable if controlled by man. The wolf is repeatedly mentioned in the scriptures as an enemy of flocks: a metaphor for evil men with a lust for power and dishonest gain, as well as a metaphor for Satan preying on innocent God-fearing Christians, contrasted with the shepherd Jesus who keeps his flock safe. The Roman Catholic Church often used the negative imagery of wolves to create a sense of real devils prowling the real world. Quoting from Leviticus and Deuteronomy, the Malleus Maleficarum states that wolves are either agents of God sent to punish sinners, or agents of the Devil sent with God's blessing to harass true believers to test their faith.

However, legends surrounding Saint Francis of Assisi show him befriending a wolf. According to the Fioretti, the city of Gubbio was besieged by the Wolf of Gubbio, which devoured both livestock and men. Francis of Assisi, who was living in Gubbio at the time took pity on the townsfolk, and went up into the hills to find the wolf. Soon fear of the animal had caused all his companions to flee, but the saint pressed on and when he found the wolf he made the sign of the cross and commanded the wolf to come to him and hurt no one. Miraculously the wolf closed his jaws and lay down at the feet of St. Francis. “Brother Wolf, you do much harm in these parts and you have done great evil…” said Francis. “All these people accuse you and curse you… But brother wolf, I would like to make peace between you and the people.” Then Francis led the wolf into the town, and surrounded by startled citizens he made a pact between them and the wolf. Because the wolf had “done evil out of hunger” the townsfolk were to feed the wolf regularly, and in return, the wolf would no longer prey upon them or their flocks. In this manner Gubbio was freed from the menace of the predator. Francis, ever the lover of animals, even made a pact on behalf of the town dogs, that they would not bother the wolf again.

In Canto I of Dante's Inferno, the Pilgrim encounters a She-Wolf blocking the path to a hill bathed in light. The She-Wolf represents the sins of concupiscence and incontinence. She is prophecised by the shade of Virgil to one day be sent to Hell by a greyhound.

Islam:

Wolves are mentioned three times in the Qur'an, specifically in the Sura Yusuf.

12.13: "He said: Surely it grieves me that you should take him off, and I fear lest the wolf devour him while you are heedless of him."

12.14: "They said: Surely if the wolf should devour him notwithstanding that we are a (strong) company, we should then certainly be losers."

12.17: "They said: O our father! Surely we went off racing and left Yusuf by our goods, so the wolf devoured him, and you will not believe us though we are truthful."

 

Modern folklore, literature and pop culture

The popular image of the wolf is significantly influenced by the Big Bad Wolf stereotype from Aesop's Fables and Grimm's Fairy Tales. The Christian symbolism where the wolf represents the devil, or evil, being after the "sheep" who are the living faithful, is found frequently in western literature. In Milton's Lycidas the theological metaphor is made explicit:

The hungry Sheep look up, and are not fed / But swoln with wind, and the rank mist they draw / Rot inwardly and foul contagian spread: Besides what the grim Woolf with privy paw / Daily devours apace

The wolf in the Scandinavian tradition as either representing the warrior or as a symbol of Odin, sometimes combined with the Christian symbolism as the wolf representing evil or the devil, came to be a popular attribute in the heavy metal music subculture, used by bands such as Sonata Arctica, Marduk, Watain, Wintersun, and Wolf.

Fun Wolf Facts

Average length: females: 4.5 to 6 feet (tip of nose to tip of tail) males: 5 to 6.5 feet

Average height: 26 to 32 inches (at the shoulder)

Average weight: females: 60 to 80 pounds males: 70 to 110 pounds

Average foot size: 4 inches wide by 5 inches long

Length of Life: up to 13 years in wild (usually 6 to 8 years) up to 16 years in captivity

Fur color: gray, but can also be black or white

Number of teeth: 42 teeth

Breeding season: February to March

Gestation period: 63 days

Weight at birth: 1 pound

Litter size: 4 to 6 pups

Pack size: 2 to 30 or more

Average pack size: 5 to 8

Pack territory size: 25 to 150 square miles in Minnesota 300 to 1,000 in Alaska and Canada

Average travel speed: 5 miles per hour

Sprinting speed: 36 to 38 miles per hour for short distances

Common food: ungulates (hoofed animals like deer, moose, caribou, elk, bison, musk-oxen)

Main threats to survival: loss of habitat due to destruction, development and encroachment by humans; persecution by humans

Wolf Spirit Animal

The wolf offers some of the most striking animal meanings in the realm of spirit animals. The power of the wolf brings forth instinct, intelligence, appetite for freedom, and awareness of the importance of social connections. This animal can also symbolize fear of being threatened and lack of trust. When the wolf shows up in your life, pay attention to what your intuition is telling you.

 

What is the wolf spirit animal meaning?

In the spirit animal kingdom, the wolf symbolizes:

  • Sharp intelligence, deep connection with instincts
  • Appetite for freedom
  • Expression of strong instincts
  • Feeling threatened, lack of trust in someone or in yourself

 

Positive symbolism of the wolf spirit animal:

Positive meanings emphasize a deep connection with your intuition and instincts. On the negative side, the wolf could represent a perceived threat or a lack of trust in someone or your own feelings or actions. This spirit animal also reflects sharp intelligence in dealing with important matters.

 

Wolf spirit and connection with instincts:

When you have the wolf as a spirit animal, it could be an expression of your sharp intelligence and strong instincts. The wolf symbolizes a strong connection with instincts and when it appears as a animal spirit guide, it could point to a way of perceiving and understanding the world around you that works similarly.

Whether the wolf appears in physical form or in a dream or meditation, it may reveal that you’re using your instincts and intuition to grasp a situation well. The fact that your wolf animal spirit guide shows up could also be a call to use this capacity to deal with a recent challenge you’ve experienced in your life.

If the presence of the wolf feels threatening, pay attention to how your instinctual nature and raw emotions can jeopardize your balance or the balance of people around you. Your power animal may appear in such light to warn you about devouring instincts of those belonging somebody around you.

 

The wolf: A power animal symbolic of freedom:

Wolf power or spirit animals point to an appetite for freedom and living life powerfully, guided by instincts. When a wolf manifests its presence as a guide in your life, it could be a call to live your life more freely, to bring the intensity of passion in your everyday endeavors.

Wolves are wild animals that are not easily domesticated and when they appear as spirit guides, they could be an invitation to look at what supports your authentic self and the true expression of yourself.

The wolf totem is a reminder to keep your spirit alive and trust your instincts to find the way that will best suit you.

 

The dark side of the wolf spirit animal.

 

The dark side of the wolf totem: Sensitivity about feelings of threat:

A wolf totem animal can represent a perceived threat or feeling you are being threatened. The presence of this spirit animal could be a reminder of an event, situation or a person you feel threatened by.

The wolf could reflect something that may have a “predatory” feel to it and instill a feeling of vulnerability that is not reassuring. Encountering your spirit animal in such a way invites you to look at who or what in your life is having such an influence.

Perhaps your spirit animal is warning you about challenges with personal boundaries: You may feel you have exposed yourself too much with someone or in a certain situation and need to pull back or strengthen emotional or physical boundaries with that person or in the context of that experience. The wolf as a spirit animal could also remind you that you’re facing stiff competition at work or that the behavior of people around may feel like you have to deal with a “pack of wolves”.

 

The wolf as representation being guided or misguided by instincts:

Since a common meaning for the wolf spirit animal emphasizes the role of instincts, having this animal as a guide or totem could point to your relationship with how you live your life, and more specifically how you trust or mistrust your instincts and intuitive guidance.

Check whether you feel threatened by your own instincts and feelings. The presence of your wolf power animal could reflect your inner emotional landscape and bring to your awareness your own feelings about a matter that is highly emotionally charged.

 

Dream interpretation of the wolf spirit animal.

 

The dream meanings associated with the wolf point to powerful instincts or habits that could be experienced as aggressive or dominating by others. Wolves in dreams convey the energetic imprint of strong sexual energy or addictive behaviors of different kinds that would benefit from being kept in check.

If a woman dreams of a wolf in a nightmare or anxious dream, she may be getting in touch with anxiety relating to a male partner who may be pushing his sexual desires very strongly or pushing her boundaries. The intensity of the relationship can cause fear and be experienced as a threat that the wolf symbolizes in the dream.

If the dream has a positive tone or outcome, the wolf could be interpreted as a guiding symbol for trusting your instincts more or expressing them in a more balanced manner. If you have such a dream, ask yourself if you feel at ease and supported by your instincts, especially your sexuality or a partner’s sexual expression, or other types of “cravings” in your life.

 

Further connect with your wolf spirit animal.

 

Here are a few questions to uncover the meaning of the wolf as a spirit animal:

  • Do you need time for yourself to reconnect with your true, deep passions in life?
  • Do you need to find more isolation to “collect” yourself and reconnect to your personal, spiritual quest?
  • Do you need time or help in distinguishing what is true and authentic from lies and deceit in communications with someone? Within yourself?
  • Like the wolf that howls, do you need to let some of the tension out and express yourself loud and clear in your circle of close relationships?

Wolf Symbolism

Wolf symbolism... By: Presley Love. Calling upon a wolf spirit guide...."Wolf spirit guide is a shape-shifter he adapts to the energies of the forest, Wolf is a pathfinder by nature led by his intuition deep into the dark forests he knows the way."

 

Wolf is a powerful totem when you are feeling lost and do not know where to go...he guides you, he will be your protector as you make your journey on a new unexplored path, as you gain inner sight, wisdome, experience and confidence you will bond with the Wolf becoming on of the pack, or he on of yours. But to venture into the forest means that you must be willing to face your own deepest fears. Wolf must venture deep into the forest to find what he requires for sustenance and growth, long ago he cast away his fear of the unknown. He has faced and conqured his deepest fears and now he walks the forest at night with supreme confidence, this trait bears powerful meaning if you choose to call upon the Wolf totem.

 

WOLF SYMBOLISM AND MEDICINE...

 

Wolf brings the gifts of... self reliance, endurance, keen intelligence

Wolf brings the energies of... freedom and Companionship

Wolf bings the magic of... extrodinary intuition and telapathy

 

MYSTICAL POWERS AND SECRETS OF WOLF SYMBOLISM

As the supreme hunter of the forest, Wolf power animal teaches us how to find the resources we need, to be resourceful and to use the resources wisely, to keep moving forward, to keep evolving. Wolf symbolism and totem teaches us to assess each situation and adapt as needed, always ready...always prepared.

Wolf spirit animal is so very intuitive that he can sense your movements~anticipating your every move, he reads your mind as he is telepathic, you can learn this by bonding with his energy.

Wolf symbolizes the meaning of freedom, he is free to roam the vast valleys and mountians of the forest, he is capable of shape-shifting and walking the Spirit relm, he can teach us how to do the same.

Wolf is a great teacher, he is loyal and loving to his family, the family he hunts together with exquisite intuitive abilities they move together as one. As a family, there is order within the pack, each shows tremendouse descipline, and there is much delite in playing with young pups. All of the wolves in the pack protect and guard the family.

Wolf symbolism and meaning can teach keen intuition and can help you see and sense the unseen, having a deep awarness and perception of all that is around. The wolf can sense people and other animals for many miles around, he knows his terrain well. Wolf totem medicine of perception appears now to teach you how to discern others as you tap into the inner wisdom, strength and the relm of the beyond what is seen, knowing what is best for you and what to avoid.

 

Lone wolf symbolism and meaning...

Lone Wolf is strong beyond measure, he is the embodiment of the wild spirit surviving on his own. He is learning many things about himself, he is learning the balance of freedom and the need for family of his own. He is magical and majestic in his essence, in his freedom he roams the forest strong yet he seeks a mate, he yearns for a mate...a pack of his own. He is on his greatest hunt, he has within him the endurance to keep going until the journey bestows upon him the great gift that he seeks...and a new legacy of the forest.

 

Wolf symbolism for howling at the moon...

When Wolf is howling at the moon, this symbolizes that he or she is calling upon the guidence of the Great Spirit to awaken the mystical insights and intuition to locate the path of its heart desires. When you gaze upon the moon your are indeed doing the same, and Wolf spirit guide can be at your side as a totem spirit guide to amplify your requests.

 

When Wolf appears for you...

Wolf totem is asking for introspection, to face your depest fears...the fears that are holding you back from taking the journey that will lead you to your greatest destiny...freedom.

 

Wolf...shapeshifter, pathfinder.

Totem Wolf Symbols: Wolf Meaning and Symbolism

 

 

Totem Wolf Meanings and Symbolism

To understand totem wolf symbols, one must first understand the heart of the Wolf.  This takes time because the Wolf has had to endure many false stereotypes, misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Not at all the picture of ferocity or terror, the Wolf is a creature with a high sense of loyalty and strength.  Another misconception is that of the "lone wolf."  To the contrary, the Wolf is actually a social creature, friendly, and gregarious with its counterparts.

The Wolf is an incredible communicator.  By using touch, body movements, eye contact as well as many complex vocal expressions - the wolf makes his point understood.  Those with totem wolf symbols are of the same inclination - they are expressive both vocally and physically.  Those who have the wolf as their totem animal are naturally eloquent in speech, and also have knack for creative writing.

A quick-list of totem wolf symbolic attributes include...

Totemic Wolf Meanings:

  • Loyalty
  • Cunning
  • Generosity
  • Intelligence
  • Friendliness
  • Compassionate
  • Communication

Totem wolf symbols belong to those who truly understand the depth of passion that belong to this noble creature.  The Wolf is a representative of deep faith, and profound understanding.  

Further, the Wolf possess a high intellect, and have been observed using strategies about hunting, habitat and migration.

In history, the totem Wolf symbol appears with the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus.  Legend has it that the two founding brothers were raised and suckled by a she-wolf.

In Norse mythology, the Wolf is a symbol for victory when ridden by Odin and the Valkyries upon the battlefield.

As a Celtic symbol,  the Wolf was a source of lunar power.   Celtic lore states that the Wolf would hunt down the sun and devour it at each dusk so as to allow the power of the moon to come forth.

In Asia, the wolf guards the doors that allow entrance to heavenly, celestial realms.  The Wolf is also said to be among the ancestry of Genghis Khan.

When this gracious creature appears to us, and serves as a totem in our lives, the Wolf beckons us to ask these questions:

Potential Questions Your Wolf Totem May Ask You:

  • Are you thinking about a different form of education?
  • Are you being a true friend, and are your friends being true to you?
  • Are you communicating yourself clearly to others?
  • Are you being loyal to yourself?
  • Are you incorporating strategies and planning to achieve your goals?
  • Are you spending enough quality time with yourself, friends and family?

 

Take some time to know more about the Wolf, you will be amazed at the knowledge these regal creatures can share with you.

Wolf, Power Animal, Symbol of Wildness, Social and Family Values

Wolf, Power Animal, Symbol of Wildness, Social and Family Values, Intuition, Loyalty By Ina Woolcott.

Native American and Celtic custom regard Wolf as the way of find the deepest levels of self, of inner knowing and intuition. This is symbolized by the image of the wolf howling at the moon. Native Americans have long regarded wolves as teachers or pathfinders. In astrology, Wolf is represented by the Dog, Sirius, thought by many aboriginal tribes to be the home of the Ancients.

Wolves are probably the most misunderstood of all wild animals. Stories of cold-bloodedness abound, in spite of their friendly, intelligent and social traits. The wolf, once a much feared and hated animal, has lately become much more appreciated. They now stand a better chance of survival, where they haven’t been hunted to extinction, or near extinction, in some countries. In the USA this culling of wolfs, who are a symbol of wildness, was down to the process of taming the wilderness. Especially where farms were trying to be founded. They were seen as the enemy, especially when they ate farm animals! Perhaps nowadays people are becoming more aware that keeping the harmony of nature and its inhabitants intact is necessary as wolf’s are being reintroduced back into the wilderness in the USA. Of course, farmers are protesting profusely. On a deeper level our emotions toward Wolf reflect our muddled feelings of ourselves as humans. Although we consider ourselves ‘civilized’ we are still animals with our own wild spirit. Wolf reminds us of this, often uneasily.

The wolf, is a symbol of the night. This time can seem lonesome and scary to us. But it is also the time when through dreams, we may discover valuable things about ourselves. This is a lonely path. To truly come to understand yourself, you must be alone, undeterred by the beliefs, judgements and views of others.  The wolf teaches us to learn about our inner self and to discover our inner power and strength. However, to achieve this, we must take risks and face our deepest fears. Wolf requires sincerity. Though demanding a lot of us, much is given in return; a spirit helper that is always there to help, giving us extraordinary powers of endurance. Learn to hear the voice within yourself, which in silence is as clear as the sound of the wolf howling in the night.

Wolf is also an extremely gregarious animal, enjoying the company of others. Wolves mate for life. The clan has a solid social structure, in which all adults participate in the upbringing of the young. Wolves are fiercely loyal to their mates, with a strong sense of family whilst upholding individualism. Though their clans are highly organised, they are truly free spirits. They seem to go out of their way to avoid a fight. A shift in posture, a growl, or a glance gets the point across quite readily without violence. We are reminded not to waste resources and to learn how to avoid trouble and confrontations. People with Wolf as power animal have the ability to make quick and firm emotional attachments. Trust your insights about these attachments, wolf will be there to guide you. Take control of your life with Wolf’s assistance and do so with harmony and discipline.
 We can truly use wolf as an example in our lives. We can understand that there doesn't need to be a hard separation between the solitary and social paths. Wolf teaches you to balance between the needs your family has of you and the needs you have for yourself. Wolves are totally loyal to the pack but do not give up their identity to the pack. If wolf has come into your life you are must look at where you are being too dependent and where you may be too independent

Wolfs qualities, his medicine, are the ability to learn knew ideas and then teach them to others. Wolf is thought to be an independent explorer coming back to his pack to teach what he has discovered. We too in exploring the hidden paths of consciousness, may come across new truths to share with the rest of our clan, human beings. Wolf brings faithfulness, inner strength and intuition when he enters our lives, and also teaches us to live with ourselves.

If Wolf finds you, this may be an indication that you are a great teacher or thinker. Or if this is not so, perhaps you need to ponder whether there may be something you need to expand your mind about. Be receptive to new concepts/ideas. By doing so you can gain more wisdom. To increase your Wolf power, you can utilise your newly integrated wisdom and also share it with others. Wisdom is gained through experience, by walking the path. Another way to put it - practise what you preach.

When a lone wolf is spotted in the wilderness it embodies freedom. When seen in a pack it embodies a feel of community. If wolf appears to you alone or in a pack it is asking you to do the same within your own life.

The Wolf's senses are highly developed. They are extremely intelligent with excellent hearing, sense of smell and strong feeling. As well as being determined animals they are also cunning. A wolfs howl is primal and penetrating. The howl is used to locate clan members or to let wolves from outside of the pack know their territory boundaries. If you hear a wolf howl, this may be telling you to stand your ground and defend your boundaries.

Wolves express themselves a lot with body language. If  angry, they may stick their ears straight up and show their teeth. A suspicious wolf pulls its ears back and squints. Fear is often indicated by flattening the ears against the head. A wolf wanting to play, dances and bows playfully. Their body language is symbolic to you. Humans also uses body language to send out messages. The study of this art can increase your perception of this power animal.

Wolves hunt in packs, depending on endurance to run down weak and older animals. They have been known to cover 35 miles a day in pursuit. Wolf is a symbol of stamina and strength, teaching you to know who you are, and to develop strength and confidence in what you do.

Wolf's medicine includes death and rebirth, facing death with dignity and courage, Spirit teaching, guidance in dreams and meditations, instinct linked with intelligence, social and family values, steadfastness, skill in protection of self and family, outwitting enemies, ability to pass unseen, taking advantage of change.

The Wolf: Evil or Spiritual

Mariellen Griffith 

During the past few years the wolf in many forms has appeared in sandtrays, primarily from female clients, a few from children. My personal early experiences with wolves came from the Walt Disney cartoon, the three little pigs singing "Who's afraid of the big bad wolf", and fairy tales such as Little Red Riding Hood. The wolf was depicted as evil, out to kill unsuspecting and innocent people and animals. Was the wolf representing the evil shadow side of my clients? However, my clients interpreted their use of the wolf as a helpful creature, a guide, or companion. I was confused. I decided to do some research and find out the meaning of the wolf as symbol.

Natural History

First, I turned to the literature of natural history e. I found that the wolf, as we know it today, evolved from carnivores and roamed the earth over one million years ago. During those early years of man and womankind wolves were always competitors with humans for the same prey species. They were always rivals, and sometimes enemies, perhaps because they were close to humans in many ways (Branderburg, 1993; Mech, 1991).

Wolves have a strong social nature. Through gestures and body movement, they communicate their feelings. The "wolf" talk conducted by the Alpha or dominate male and female pair keep the pack together and working as a group. Wolves like to howl as a pack for several reasons. It may be to encourage their closeness, to celebrate a successful hunt, and to tell other packs to keep away. The lone wolf, a younger male, is usually in search of his own territory and a mate. He will skirt the territories of others but rarely howl. Leaving the pack allows for young males to differentiate from their families or pack and begin the cycle of life by finding a mate, and beginning their own family (Fox, 1980; Resnick, 1995).

While the wolf pack is led by an Alpha male and Alpha female, each wolf assumes his or her share of responsibility for the welfare of the pack. From the early playful experiences with the older wolves, pups are carefully trained to assume their part of the leadership of the pack as if their life, and that of the pack, depends upon it. It is the same with successful organizations and families. Each member of the family or organization must be prepared to carry their load and assume leadership at any time. In the book, The Wisdom of Wolves: Nature's Way to Organizational Success, the author, Twyman Towery (1997) suggests that there are twelve characteristics of wolves that relate to organizational principles. They are: teamwork, patience, unity through uniqueness, curiosity, attitude, failure, communication, perseverance, strategy, play, death & survival, loyalty, and change.

In her book, Women Who run With The Wolves: Myths and Stories of the Wild Woman Archetype, Clarissa Pinkola Estes (1992) suggests that healthy wolves and healthy women in particular share certain psychic characteristics: keen sensing, playful spirit, and a heightened capacity for devotion. Wolves and women by nature are relational, inquiring, and possess great endurance and strength. They are deeply intuitive, intensely concerned with their young, their mate and their pack.

Archetypal Significance of the Wolf

The archetypal significance of the wolf symbolizes evil as well as positive and spiritual aspects. The wolf also represents the union of opposites. From mythology and story telling from all parts of the world the wolf has carried a sense of contradiction: a wild and fearful animal that can represent death and Satan; but at the same time a companion to the goddess Artemis and Scandinavian god, Odin. The theme of opposites in the imagery of the wolf is also represented by the contrast between the masculine and feminine nature. The masculine nature of the wolf is depicted by many cultures as the protector or exhibiting war-like behavior. The feminine nature is symbolized as the goddess in she-wolf form nurturing the twins, Romulus and Remus, or in the Irish myth of Cormac, King of Ireland who was suckled by wolves and was always accompanied by them. Early Biblical sources present a contrast between the wolf symbolizing bloodshed and destruction versus the symbol of the wolf and the lamb lying down together representing peace and the coming Messianic rule. The middle ages also depicted a contrast between the image of the wolf as the Devil, versus the wolf as an "emblem of Saint Francis of Assisi who tamed the wolf" (Cooper, 1978, p. 194).

People from many cultures and traditions have interpreted the wolf as an instinctive creature. At some point in psychological development, most people struggle with integrating the spiritual and physical aspects of their being. The image of the wolf has been used to represent both aspects. The Chinese saw the wolf as a guardian of the heavenly palace. In Japan the wolf was admired for its ferocity, tenacity and swift attack. Also, they considered the wolf to be from heaven and to be venerated. Early Biblical sources represented the wolf as destructive and associated with the evening (Jeremiah 5:6, and dishonest gain, bloodshed and destruction (Ezekiel 22:27, The Holy Bible). However, when the wolf and lamb were depicted lying down even though they were considered traditional enemies, together they represented peace and the coming Messianic rule (Isaiah 65:25 The Holy Bible).

The association of the wolf with the goddess was seen in the primitive Roman cult of Lupa or Feronia, which was inherited from Sabine matriarchy (Walker, 1983). "Sometimes known as 'Mother of Wolves', she was also the divine midwife and mother of the ancestral spirits" (Rank, 1959, pp. 45-46). An ancient statue in the Lupercal grotto was later enhanced with images of the infants, Romulus and Remus, whom she was supposed to have nursed. She was annually honored at the Lupercalia, the festival of the She-wolf, when youths dressed in wolf skins ritually purified the Palatine towns. This legendary female wolf and the abandoned twins became the emblem of Rome. The frequent connection between goddess figures and totemic wolves may be taken as another indication that "it was women rather than men who first established relationships with wolves and eventually domesticated them" (Newmann, 1955, p. 275).

The wolf today still represents our "instinctive nature that is wild and natural" (de Vries, 1984, p. 505). Estes (1992) suggests that there is a wild and natural creature within every woman, who is filled with good instincts, passionate creativity, and ageless knowing. This wild woman within is seen as an archetype that carries images, ideas, and unique behaviors for humankind. The gifts of wildish nature come to women at birth, but society, in many instances, will attempt to civilize them into rigid roles which will destroy the inner treasure and muffle the deep, life-giving messages of the soul. As a result, women become trapped, over-domesticated, uncreative, and have fearful feelings. For women to find their soul, they will need to face their instinctive wild self so that they can become free, creative, and loving. Estes (1992) illustrated her ideas by telling the story of La Loba, the wolf woman. Her work was collecting bones of wolves and singing life into them. The story symbolizes the soul-voice. It conveys the truth of a woman's power and need to breathe soul over the thing that is ailing or in need of restoration. Women can do it "by descending into the deepest mood of great love and feeling, until one∂s desire for relationship with the wildish Self overflows, then to speak one's soul from that frame of mind" (p. 28). The wild woman is an archetype that carries images, ideas, and unique behaviors for humankind that help people to find their soul.

The wolf can be seen as a symbol on an intrapsychic level for individuation. The unique voice of the Self triumphs over the collective norms of society. Individuation suggests a commitment to inner growth and development.

Stages of Individuation as Stages of the Sandplay Process

The sandplay process can be illustrated with the stages of individuation as written by Estes (1992) when she describes the journey of the female to find her soul. She suggests that the child is born with a wildish, instinctive, and creative nature. As the child develops the mother and society teach the child to conform. The creative and instinctive self is buried and problems begin to develop. The stages are:

1. Cognitive Ego

During this stage we see the results of society's and the mother's role in civilizing the wildish and instinctive nature of the creative child into a rigid role, losing touch with the soul becoming over-domesticated, fearful, uncreative, and trapped. Sandplay pictures during this stage often are pretty and superficial, or rigid and stilted, or vegetation and animals are placed in the tray presenting a peaceful scene.

2. Chaos and Retrieval of Intuition as Initiation This stage includes the awareness of self-preservation, questioning early development and identifying cages. During this stage there appear to be thoughts and feelings of confusion and being trapped, depicted by meanderings, mazes, bird and animal cages, lone wolf, Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz, Jack and Jill, or symbols of opposites.

3. Deeper Uncovering of Feelings

The client becomes the lone hunter, facing the life/death/life nature of love, developing relationships that revive dead feelings that bring instincts to the surface again. Anger, hurt, loneliness, love, sexual and fears are expressed in symbols such as: the cross, tombstones, hearts, an animal or human alone or in couples. The client usually begins to play in the sand and reaches the bottom of the sandtray, or make hills and mountains. Anger may be depicted in battles, weapons, monsters, or the color of red in symbols.

4. Centering and Returning To Oneself

The client finds the clear water and begins to nourish the creative life and retrieve a sacred sexuality. Ponds, lakes and rivers, jewels, gold, rings, crowns, and mandalas begin to appear in the sand.

5. Finding One∂s Pack and Returning Home (Or Market Place)

The client, like the wolf, rediscovers her mate and family and begins to live creatively back into the environment or world. A wolf, dog, and other animal families may appear or realistic houses, neighborhoods, and people.

Themes of the Wolf Used in Clients' Sandplay Process

In reviewing the appearance of the wolf in sandtrays of women clients, seven themes emerged:

1. The nurturing and protective goddess mother appearing as the great she-wolf who nursed Romulus and Remus.

2. The lone wolf that is alienated by the family or pack of wolves which allows for differentiation of the young adult in becoming a mature adult.

3. The psychopomp conducting souls through the gates which had to be passed as in Egyptian mythology.

4. The wolf in sheep∂s clothing who attempts to hide its instinctive and wild self by developing a persona of meekness and innocence.

5. The howling wolf who has a voice to celebrate and share with others about successes or to encourage closeness.

6. The wolf and lamb lying together which represents inner peace.

7. The differentiated wolf who has accepted her role in life and is enjoying the present.

Symbolically the wolf appears to represent our instinctive nature that is wild and natural. The wolf can also represent the union of opposites and contradiction. The lone wolf may symbolize the acceptance of natural instincts that had been cut off by family and society and the process of growth and individuation. And the howling wolf illustrates the reclaimed inner voice of the soul.

References:

Brandenburg, J. (1983). Brother wolf: A forgotten promise. Minocqua: Northword Press, Inc.

Cooper, J. C. (1978). An illustrated encyclopaedia of traditional symbols. London: Thames and Hudson Ltd.

de Vries, A. (1984). Dictionary of symbols and imagery. Amsterdam: North-Holland Publishing Company.

Estes, C. P. (1992). Women who run with the wolves: Myths and stories of the wild Woman archetype. New York: Ballantine Books.

The holy Bible. King James Translation. (1947). Cleveland: The World Publishing Company.

Mech, L. E. (1991). The way of the wolf. Stillwater: Voyageur Press.

Neumann, E. (1955). The great mother. New Jersey: Princeton University Press.

Rank, O. (1959). The myth of the birth of the hero. New York: Vintage Books.

Towery, T. L. (1997). The wisdom of wolves: Nature∂s way to organizational success. Franklin, TN.: Wessex House publishing.

Walker, B.G. (1983). The woman∂s encyclopedia of myth and secrets. San Franscisco: Harper San Francisco.

Mariellen Griffith is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in Bloomington, Illinois.

This article is summarized from the published article, The Wolf in Sandplay, Journal of Sandplay Therapy, Vol, 2, 113-129, 1996.

© 2001Sandplay Therapists of America/International Society for Sandplay Therapy. All rights reserved.

Impressum

Tag der Veröffentlichung: 02.05.2014

Alle Rechte vorbehalten

Widmung:
To all the wolves both lost and returning.

Nächste Seite
Seite 1 /