Stephanie: 🎶 Hello and welcome to Season 2 Episode 3 of Expecto Podtronum, a podcast dedicated to all things Patronuses. 🎶 

I’m your host, Stephanie.

Amy: I’m Amy.

Carolyn: I’m Carolyn and today we will be talking about the shrew and the taming of it, I guess. 

[Laughter]

Carolyn: Sorry, had to, had to.

Amy: Cute little guys. 

Carolyn: They are adorable. 

Stephanie:Much cuter than I thought they were going to be.

Amy: A little bit about the shrew. According to Miriam Webster Dictionary, shrews are any of a family (Soricidae) of small chiefly nocturnal insectivores related to the moles and distinguished by a long pointed snout, very small eyes, and short velvety fur.

The common shrew is about 5 to 8 centimeters long with a tail that’s another 2 to 4 centimeters. And there are also pygmy shrews which are smaller and several other variations of shrews. There’s a lot of these. [Awww]  Depending on where you live you might see different versions.

Stephanie: I kinda want to pet it because it’s velvety fur.

Amy: He looks so cute.

Carolyn: It does look like a little puffball that my kids would have.

Stephanie: Pygmy puff of the natural world!

Carolyn: Actually, kind of.

Amy: Yeah, like a mini Niffler

Carolyn: That’s a good one too

Stephanie: That’s better. That’s better.

Carolyn: I like that better. I like that a lot better. It just needs a bottomless pocket. To put all its stuff in.

Amy: Yes. [Laughter] Shrews only live for about a year, it’s a very short lifespan, and it eats once every two to three hours. [Me as an animal.] So it’s like it’s on an accelerated timeline here. Maybe the time just goes by way faster for shrews.

Carolyn: That one year feels like 20.

[Laughter]

Amy: I mean they’ve had enough meals to be 20 years. [Laughter] Despite their short lives they have three or four litters of babies during their lifetime so three or four litters in a year, impressive. 

They’re protected in the UK under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 Which is interesting. I’m assuming people probably were treating them as pests because they can probably really dig up your lawn like moles. 

Carolyn: I mean if any of the folklore is any indication which we’ll get to, might be why too.

Amy: Yeah. They live in grassland, farmland, wetland, orchards, woodland, towns, gardens, and moors and marshes. Pretty much everywhere except the desert, rainforest, and arctic. 

[Laughter]

Carolyn: Basically, if it’s land, they live on it.

[Laughter]

Amy: Yes. If there is dirt they can dig in…

Stephanie: It would have been easier to say where they didn’t live.  

Amy: This is another one we need a map for and we can mark the places where they don’t live with a little ‘x’.  [Laughter] 

They are very territorial and aggressive considering their size which is interesting. And they can often be heard fighting which basically sounds like a bunch of squeaking. [Laughter]

Stephanie: That sounds really cute.

Amy: They try real hard to be tough guys.

Carolyn: Napoleon complexes all around.

Amy: They don’t know that they’re cute.

Carolyn: Okay, on to folklore everybody. In European folklore, they were at least initially associated pretty negatively. And medieval times they were associated with bad omens and witchcraft. Which I always think black cats, not little shrews, [Yeah] but apparently that’s the case. It was a little bit of a bad omen. And I also always think of Taming of the Shrew, which I know has a positive end, but they really give that girl, the main character, a really bad rap in that, in my opinion. 

Because of their small size and elusive nature, they came across as very mysterious and frightening. Probably goes along with the pests and pest-like associations. Many people would consider their bite poisonous, which I don’t know, I don’t see any venom dripping out of those cute little furry mouths, but you know.

Amy: Actually that’s interesting and I forgot to include that. Apparently they do have a small amount of venom. If they bite a human it’s not gonna kill you but when they’re biting insects and grubs and stuff, I guess it does poison them. [Okay] Which I never knew and I don’t know why I didn’t put that in there cuz that’s weird. I guess I forgot 

Carolyn: There you go. Nice little tie in. 

Amy: And then it went off. I was like, ‘oh yeah, I read that.’

[Laughter]

Carolyn: But then that leads me to be like, why would it?  I mean you said it’s not gonna kill a human, so why are people freaking out? [Right] I don’t know, whatever, that’s fine. This is folklore, this is a long time ago, people, at least as far as I’m concerned.

Stephanie: How do they even open their mouth wide enough to bite something so big?

Carolyn: A mouse could bite you. It’s possible.

Amy: It probably irritates and is weird, if you get bit by a poisonous spider or something where it’s not enough that the venom is gonna kill you but…

Carolyn: May get a rash or a bump. 

Amy: Yeah. 

Carolyn: Yeah, probably something like that. But anyway, and then more recently in modern times I guess they have been known for resourcefulness and adaptability which I think ties into all the places they can live

[Laughter]

Amy: Mm-hmm. They’re not picky.

Carolyn: They’re not picky, they will go pretty much anywhere. I think that’s why they’re given that association in a lot of folklore and cultures. In Native American culture, which is not necessarily where we are in the Harry Potter books, they’re seen as guides that teach important life lessons. 

In China, they are a symbol of energy and agility. Serving as a reminder of the importance of agility, quick decision making, and being adaptable to whatever circumstance comes your way. [Hmm] Then they also have a strong association with the earth in China. They then turn around and say it shows the importance of being grounded and practical in their culture.

Stephanie: Started off really negative with that one and we turned it around.

Carolyn: I yeah, I did put these in the doc very strategically for that reason. Yes, I did. Or it’s just the way it went through the doc on the article I found. It’s also possible.

[Laughter]

Amy: Take the credit, Carolyn.

Carolyn: It’s all me! It’s all me, people!

[Laughter]

Stephanie: Organization skills on point. For some of the mythology around the shrew, in Celtic mythology they are associated with the underworld and ancient wisdom. There are connections with the depths of the earth. 

They’ve become known for being able to navigate the physical and metaphysical worlds and they are considered a guide to those seeking knowledge or guidance.

Carolyn: A lot of similarities to some of the other stuff.

Stephanie: Yeah, I really love the connection with the depths of the earth, with it being an animal that tends to burrow and things like that, and the connection to grounding. 

Amy: Yeah.

Stephanie: In Native American mythology, it is seen as a protector of the earth and its resources. Some tribes believe that the shrew protects crops by controlling insects, and it’s seen as a guardian of the earth, maintaining balance and harmony with nature.

And then back in ancient Rome, sometimes it was associated with ill fortunes and evil omens. If one crossed your path, it was believed that something bad would happen. And some Romans thought the shrew was representative of strength in the face of adversity. Kind of a mixed bag back in ancient Rome.

Carolyn: Okay, now we’re gonna go on to symbolism. All right, in terms of symbolism, it kind of ties in with some of the stuff we’ve already said. Themes of adaptability, determination, and inner strength due to the fact that they are kind of known as animals that will adapt to any and every terrain. 

They’ve come to symbolize taking things head on and no matter how daunting that seems because they are able to survive in harsh environments they represent the ability to adapt but not only that they’re surviving and thriving in whatever environment and terrain they’re kind of put into [Mhmm] which in turn then kind of builds on and gives them the image of strength despite their size. 

They’re kind of associated with tenacity, determination, and adaptability. The shrew kind of also represents focus and inner strength and perseverance. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, seeing a shrew or being associated with a shrew is kind of there to remind you to remain focused and on task and not to let obstacles get in the way. 

They are adaptable and resilient as we’ve said before, but they’re also susceptible to predators. And so that duality symbolizes a need for protection and safety and shows an importance of asserting yourself along with preserving mental state a lot of times or your own kind of mental peace. 

They’re also known for constantly being on the move, which gets associated with energy and action and taking action, not really procrastinating and leaving things to the last minute or, kind of moving towards your goal. Something I could learn from the shrew a little bit personally. can be a procrastinator. [Laughter]

Stephanie: I’m right there with you, Carolyn.

Carolyn: I’m very much a, okay this needs to get done, I need to have it done yesterday. But then I want to go do this thing. Shrew would be a good animal for me probably, but yet not my Patronus. [Laughter] 

If you’re feeling stuck and you kind of see or I guess whether you see it in nature or you have a dream, it’s kind of supposed to be a wake-up call to make that choice and get moving.

And then when it comes to color meanings in the shrew, there are a few colors that then also symbolize different things. The more common coloring would be brown, and that is kind of the symbolism of groundedness. If you come across a gray shrew, it’s supposed to symbolize balance and neutrality. And finally the black shrew symbolizes that hidden knowledge and spiritualism a little bit more. 

They kind of hit on some of the main points of the underworld versus human world, some of the stuff we talked about in folklore and mythology and stuff. Different colors, different meanings. [Laughter]

Stephanie: Yeah, all the colors have different meanings.

Carolyn: Colors of the rainbow! 

[Laughter]

Stephanie: Alright, are we going to jump into the Patronus game?

Amy: I think we are.

[🎶Should this animal Really be a guardian? Find out on The Patronus Game.🎶]

Stephanie: Alright, so is it a good Patronus?

Carolyn: I mean, I’m leaning towards no.

Amy: I feel like I’m gonna be the only one who says yes.

Stephanie: No. Actually, Amy, I’m with you. I really like it as a Patronus.

Amy: I mean, if I’m thinking about the attributes of survival, being territorial, which is also protective, I feel it could be. And then aggressive for its size. So it’s not afraid to fight. I mean, yeah, I kind of like it.

Stephanie: I know, it’s not the segment, but right now I can kind of see it being Colin Creevy’s Patronus.

Amy: Yes,,,That would be cute. [Alright] Colin conjuring a shrew. I like that.

Carolyn: Or his brother. [Mhmm] I don’t get that kind of vibe. I think I can’t get past the negative connotations of shrew. All the ancient, bad omens, bad luck, and then as I said earlier, Taming of the Shrew, there’s a lot of negative.

I think it’s…the idea that speaking your mind and that kind of stuff is a negative thing. I mean, that’s kind of what I love about the characteristics of the shrew and it’s kind of appropriate. But watch, you’ll have a female wizard come out, cast her Patronus and shrew comes out and somebody’s gonna stop and look at them and go, ‘yeah, that’s about right. Like that’s you.’ [Laughter]

As someone who’s always been a loudmouth, I don’t like that association. The very negative one. I think that’s why I lean towards no. Though I do love with any of the smaller Patronuses we have the idea of a swarm of them coming out too. {Yes] [Laughter]

Swarm is probably not the right word for shrews, but you get what I’m saying. Multiple little shrews [Hord?} just going.

Stephanie: Hord sounds closer than swarm. 

Carolyn: Maybe. 

Amy: Army. 

[Laughter]

Carolyn: An army of shrews. 

[Laughter]

Carolyn: They are combative. Let’s go with it’s army of shrews. 

Amy: They come out squeaking. 

[Laughter]

Carolyn: Someone’s gonna email us at the pod and be like, ‘it’s not an army of shrews, it’s a blah blah blah.’ And then we’re gonna be like ‘we didn’t know.”

Stephanie: That’s content for Patronus Post episodes.

Carolyn: Exactly!

Stephanie: And I think going back through, has a lot more positive connotations than it does negatively in mythology and folklore and all of that stuff.

Carolyn: oh, True. 

Amy: I also like being a guide and the guidance part. [Mhmm] I feel that’s fitting for a Patronus like the guiding light

Carolyn: I do like the message of get off your butt and get moving. Come on. That’s the point. [Laughter] If I can handle any terrain, you can handle this. Get moving.

[Laughter]

Amy: It’s just a  thing in a cloak, come on.

Carolyn: Let’s do this people.

[Laughter]

Stephanie: I have so much to get done today, so the fact that this is the first one we are doing is very fitting with its ties to procrastination.

[Laughter]

Carolyn: It’s sending you a message Stephanie. Get your day going. People don’t realize we’re all fresh out of bed.

Amy: Yeah.

Stephanie: Seeing as how I got up five minutes before we were supposed to do this, procrastination at its finest. {Laughter]

Amy: Oh yes.

Carolyn: I did make my bed this morning. I’ll take the win..

Amy: Alright, that’s it for this episode. Join us next week when we talk about the Robin.

Stephanie: As always, you can find this on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram at expectopodronum. On Twitter, we are expectopod. 

We do have a Patreon, which is patreon.com/expectopodronum. We would love to see you guys there. We do a bonus episode every month. Tune in for some of those fun, crazy adventures.

 And we’d love to hear from you. Please send a patronus to any of our social media accounts or email us at expectopodronum@gmail.com. And please, please, please leave us a review. It helps more than you know.

Amy: Until next time, I’m Amy.

Carolyn: I’m Carolyn.

Stephanie: I’m Stephanie, remember a piece of chocolate a day will keep the dementors away!

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