Animal Wisdom: Connecting People and Animals

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WOOLLY MAMMOTH: Warmth and Hospitality

Best known of the Ice Age Mammals, Woolly Mammoth (Mammuthus primigenius) received her name from her outer layer of long hair. Underneath that layer, She had another dense inner layer of fur. To cope with the icy temperatures, Woolly Mammoth had a compact body, a high domed head and small ears.

Woolly Mammoth had a shorter but more flexible trunk than other Mammoths. At the end of her trunk was a finger-like appendage as well as another protuberance. She used these to gather grasses and other plants for eating.

The smallest of Mammoths, Woolly Mammoth had extra long tusks. These ornate twisting tusks had many uses. For example, She could dig up plants and clear snow with them. Also, Woolly Mammoth could fight off predators with her tusks by bashing the attacking animal with them. Her tusks were like tree rings, telling her age and life experience.

Meanwhile, Paleo-peoples used the tusks of Woolly Mammoth to construct their homes. Many of their houses were built from her large bones and woolly hides. In one homestead found in Ukraine, the skulls of Woolly Mammoths, placed in a semi-circle, formed the base walls. Then the jaws were used to erect the upper parts of the walls. For the entrance, they used the leg bones of Woolly Mammoth. She provided shelter for them on the flat, treeless plains.

The last known Mammoth lived about 4,000 years ago on a small island near Siberia during the Stone Age. Many people believe that Woolly Mammoth went extinct through overhunting. However others think that as the world’s climate became warm; She could not survive adequately on the new plants. Whatever the reason, Woolly Mammoth became the icon for extinction from overhunting during the Ice Age.

Woolly Mammoth exudes warmth and hospitality. Meeting others during migrations, She greets Them with touching and trumpeting with her trunk. Furthermore, Woolly Mammoth would wait for laggards as well, welcoming Them back into the herd.

Learn from Woolly Mammoth about proper hospitality and warmth. She teaches us how to care for and welcome others into our hearth and home. However do not so be taken advantage of that you end up giving up everything you have. You can be flexible but also wary.

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Virginia Carper, a Roman Polytheist, lives in the Washington D.C. area with her family. She navigates life with a traumatic brain injury which gives her a different view on life. An avid naturalist since childhood, she has a blog called “Nature’s Observations.” Having experienced the animals directly, she teaches on-line classes about the spiritual and natural aspect of animals. She has published articles on her brain injury, Roman polytheism, and working with extinct animals. In addition her writings on animals (including dragons and other mythic creatures) can be purchased her book site, Animal Teachers.  

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