The hedgehog is a clear symbol of self-defense, because in case of danger it rolls into a tight thorny ball.
In ancient civilizations, due to the rounded shape of the protective spines, the hedgehog was considered as a symbol of the great mother-goddess, the Babylonian Ishtar. In other traditions, the bearer of spines, the hedgehog is considered as a solar symbol. It is also an allegory of the Renaissance and is associated with the sense of touch. According to Christian belief it represents a greedy and short-tempered hedgehog-robber that identifies greed, gluttony, anger, and it was compared to Satan who steals the souls of men.
In the East, the hedgehog is a symbol of wealth.
On the other hand, the hedgehog was once considered to be an enemy of the chthonic forces of evil, because it eats rodents, grubs and earthworms. Like many other animals, hedgehogs are affected by weather changes and they are particularly sensitive to changes of wind direction. According to some superstitious notions of the peoples of the West, the witches have the ability to turn into hedgehogs and under this guise suck all milk of cows.
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