Running Weasel myth? was Re: [HPforGrownups] ADMIN: New URL for "Fantastic Posts"

[Erica <cymru1ca@yahoo.ca>]

No: HPFGUIDX 49205

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "sjd914 <sjd914 at y...>" 
<sjd914 at y...> wrote:
> Susanne wrote:
> 
> > I was browsing through the posts and came across the one
> > taking about Ron and the Running weasel myth, something
> > about a yellow rat killing him.
> > 
> > I've seen this mentioned before and have searched high and
> > low for any reference that it exists, but have come up with
> > only posts about it in HP forums. None of the post contained
> > any links to the actual story and I'm starting to wonder if
> > it's just a manufactured rumor <g>.
> > 
> > Does anyone have any info about this myth?
> 

 Sajid wrote: 

  I am also pretty convinced that Running Weasel in completely made 
> up. I did a search on Google with the following requirements: Must 
> have the phrase "Running Weasel" and must not have the words: 
Harry 
> Potter, Ron Weasley. I found some results but only a couple 
mentioned 
> Running Weasel as a name. One mentioned his death but none of the 
> circumstances around it. A couple had him in a list of Native 
> American chiefs. I tihnk someone saw this name and made a story 
> around it. After the third book when we found out Scabberd was 
> Pettigrew a new detail popped up was that his rat killed him. So 
in 
> general I think that this story is also fabricated around the 
books.


I've been looking for something on that 'Running Weasel" legend too 
(on the web) and though I didn't find anything about *it* 
specifically I did find ...  that the word 'weasel' in Cherokee is, 
literally, "yellow rat'.  In chinese a (yellow) weasel is  
called 'huang shu lang' (yellow-rat-wolf(?)) and there is a story 
about a yellow rat being a portent of death for a king in the Han 
dynasty:

"Let us consider some specific examples of Han dynasty 
interpretations of alleged portents by examining a few passages from 
works of history compiled by official scholars. First:

In the first year of the Yuanfeng era [80 BCE] a yellow rat appeared 
in Yan holding its tail in its mouth and dancing in the main gate of 
the king's palace. When the king went to see it the rat continued to 
dance as before. Then he ordered one of his officials to offer it 
wine and dried meat, but still the rat went on dancing without stop 
all day and night until it died.  At that time King Ci of Yan  was 
plotting a revolt and this was a sign that he would soon die. In the 
same month, the plot was discovered and he was condemned to death."  

Perhaps this is where the supposed 'Running Weasel' ('Dancing Yellow 
Rat' ?) legend comes from.  

~Erica