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A Headful of Wolves

A Headful of Wolves:

The Story of two People sharing their Home and Lives with Wolves.

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Timber Wolf at the sanctuary of The Lupus Foundation, Tsitsikamma Forest, South Africa Photo courtesy of The Lupus Foundation

A wolf x dingo hybrid. Note the long muzzle, flat forehead, bare ears, and the dark stripe on the foreleg Photo courtesy Peter Musiol ©

Suspected wolf/dog cross of uncertain parentage, male, about 5 months old Photo courtesy Thomas Ulber ©

Suspected wolf/dog cross of uncertain parentage, female, about 6 months old Photo courtesy Thomas Ulber ©

"First Howl" Suspected wolf/dog cross of uncertain parentage, female, about 3 months old Photo courtesy Thomas Ulber ©

Suspected wolf/dog cross of uncertain parentage, female Photo courtesy Thomas Ulber ©

European Wolf (Canis lupus lupus), female Photo courtesy Monika Kubierske ©

Orca at Wolf Park Copyright Monty Sloan / Wolf Park

Photo courtesy of The Lupus Foundation

Wolf in Hiding Photo courtesy of The Lupus Foundation

Alyeska Copyright Monty Sloan / Wolf Park

Marion watches Erin fall into the pond at Wolf Park Copyright Monty Sloan / Wolf Park

Julia as a cub at Wolf Park Copyright Monty Sloan / Wolf Park

Groenendael (Belgian Shepherd), exceptional female, 7 years old Photo courtesy Thomas Ulber ©

Unspecified wolf x Siberian Husky wolfdog This is the left side of the same animal shown in the subsequent photo Photo courtesy of G ©

Unspecified wolf x Siberian Husky wolfdog This is the right side of the same animal shown in the previous photo Photo courtesy of G ©

Unspecified wolf x German Shepherd wolfdog, 9 weeks old Photo courtesy H.W. ©

Suspected wolf/wolf hybrid, possibly ("North American" X Mexican) X Polar, male, age 43 days. Photo courtesy Thomas Ulber ©

Suspected wolf/wolf hybrid, possibly ("North American" X Mexican) X Polar, male, age 9 months, same animal as on previous picture. Photo courtesy Heidi Wilcken ©

Unspecified wolf x German Shepherd wolfdog Photo courtesy of Anya ©

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Volume 14, Issue 176, June-July 2019 July 16, 2019
Volume 14, Issue 175, May 2019 May 20, 2019
Volume 14, Issue 174, April 2019 April 14, 2019
Volume 14, Issue 173, March 2019 March 17, 2019
Volume 14, Issue 172, February 2019 February 20, 2019

The wolf in Native American Tradition: The Wolf as the Teacher. The Wolf is the pathfinder, the forerunner of new ideas who returns to the clan to teach and share medicine. Wolf takes one mate for life and is loyal like Dog. If you were to keep company with Wolves, you would find an enormous sense of family within the pack, as well as a strong individualistic urge. ---->

<----> These qualities make Wolf very much like the human race. As humans, we also have an ability to be a part of society and yet still embody our individual dreams and ideas. ---->

<----> In the Great Star Nation, the Wolf is represented by the Dog Star, Sirius, which legend tells us was the original home of our teachers in ancient times. Sirius was thought to be the home of the gods by the ancient Egyptians, and is still considered so by the Dogan tribe in Africa. It stands to reason that Native American people would formulate this same connection and adopt Wolf people as the clan of teachers. ---->

<----> The senses of the Wolf are very keen, and the moon is its power ally. The moon is the symbol for psychic energy, or the unconscious that holds the secrets of knowledge and wisdom. Baying at the moon may be an indication of Wolf's desire to connect with new ideas which are just below the surface of consciousness. Wolf medicine empowers the teacher within us all to come forth and aid the children of Earth in understanding the Great Mystery and life. Unknown

RAINBOW BRIDGE. Just this side of Heaven is a place called the Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies who has been especially close to someone here, he goes to the Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all of our special friends so they can run and play together. ---->

<----> There is plenty of food, water and sunshine, and our friends are warm and comfortable. All the animals who had been ill and old are restored to health and vigor; those who were hurt or maimed are made whole and strong again, just as we remember them in our dreams of days and times gone by. They are happy and content, except for one small thing; they each miss someone very special to them, who had to be left behind. ---->

<----> They all run and play together, but the day comes when one suddenly stops and looks into the distance. The bright eyes are intent; the eager body quivers. Suddenly the animal begins to run from the group, flying over the green grass, his legs carrying him faster and faster. ---->

<----> You have been spotted, and when you and your special friend finally meet, you cling together in joyous reunion, never to be parted again. The happy kisses rain upon your face, your hands again caress the beloved head, and you look once more into the trusting eyes of your friend, so long gone from your life, but never absent from your heart. Then you cross the Rainbow Bridge together..." Unknown

"Perhaps it was the eyes of the wolf, measured, calm, knowing. Perhaps it was the intense sense of family. After all, wolves mate for life, are loyal partners, create hunting communities and demonstrate affectionate patience in pup rearing. Perhaps it was the rigid hierarchy of the packs. Each wolf had a place in the whole and yet retained his individual personality. Perhaps it was their great, romping, ridiculous sense of fun. ---->

<----> Perhaps it was some celestial link with the winter night skies that prompted the wolf to lay his song on the icy air. For the native people who lived with the wolves, and the wolves once ranged from the Arctic to the sub-tropics, there was much to learn from them. Is it any wonder that the myths of many tribes characterise the wolves not as killers but as teachers?" Unknown

"The plight of the wolf is uncertain. The key to survival is understanding. The ability to understand may surely come when each of us shed the fears and preconceived ideas that we have been taught in relation to "wildness." ---->

<----> When we take time to ponder the thought of beauty we hopefully will realize that beauty comes as a result of balance and balance is predetermined. We are surely guardians of a world that is changing rapidly and swallowing up wilderness at an unforgivable pace. ... The man or woman who spends time alone in the outdoors will find answers and sense a responsibility for those who cannot speak for themselves." Ken L. Jenkins (1996)

Timber Free of spirit, body and soul To her heart there was no key, Captured by nothing, nothing at all I wonder even by me. In her veins ran the ultimate symbol Of triumph over time, Her beauty was a picture Of the perfect design. Her eyes held the ghost of ancestors That roamed before, Strength, courage and grace She was to the core. <---->

<----> High upon a mountain She now stands so regally, A wisp of wind, she fades away But not from my memory. Shay Tankersley

"Intoxicated by too much of the homebrew he had drunk at the village's celebration, a violin player had to make his way back through the deep forest at night. ---->

<----> Therefore he did not see the wolf pit and fell into it, only to realize that it was already occupied by a huge male wolf called Geza. Not knowing how else to pacify the predator the man played his violin, and the wolf sang with him all night until both were discovered by the villagers the next morning. ---->

<----> Grateful for not having eaten their favorite musician the village council decided to release the wolf unharmed. Since then the song of the wolf is a reminder that too much celebration may end you up in trouble, in particular if you can't play the violin." Siebenbuergen (Romania) Folk Tale

Yellow Eyes. We've roamed the wild country My beautiful yellow eyes, Side by side we've hunted Shadows dancing on northern skies. ---->

<----> There have been times of plenty We were content and serene, Peacefully sleeping Dangers few and far between. We've also known much hunger Ribs protruding from each side, Mournfully we howled When our starving cubs had died. ---->

<----> And then there was our first winter Romping through the glistening snow, Tasting each crystal snowflake Falling gently to and fro. Ah my dear, sweet yellow eyes I've known no greater love, Without you, I am nothing Our wild souls are one. ---->

<----> And now you lay there dying Steel jaws upon your frame, Life's blood slowly seeping I whimper your sweet name. Helpless, I watch you struggle Chest heaving with labored breath, Steel jaws clenching tighter Winds whisper the song of death. ---->

<----> The blood has now stopped flowing I know the time is near, And you will forever leave me My love, my life, my dear. And now my world is silent Your struggles now have ceased, I lay my head upon you And know you are at peace. ---->

<----> Perhaps your soul has lifted To skies where eagles soar, And there you'll greet your brothers To run with them forever more. And someday I shall find you In the heaven's so far above, And when our wild soul's unite There'll be no greater love. Joan L. van Vels

Call of the Wild. He's been worshiped And he's been feared, He's been pushed from state to state through the years. But now we know him Now we understand, The fragile balance Between nature and man. ---->

<----> He's the call of the wild with a spirit strong and true, And each and every child Should have the chance To listen to the call of the wild. <---->

<----> Brother to brother Father to son, Have told the stories Of this noble one. Proud as an eagle And free as the wind, And you can hear him If you only listen. <---->

<----> You'll hear the call of the wild With a spirit strong and true, And each and every child Should have the chance To listen to the call of the wild. Please let them hear The call of the wild. Unknown

"Wolves, like all other wildlife, have a right to exist in a wild state. This right is in no way related to their known value to mankind. Instead, it derives from the right of all living creatures to co-exist with man as part of the natural ecosystems." ---->

<----> Paragraph 1 of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) Wolf Specialist Group's manifesto, 1973

"If we could live like wolves, we would never hate our brothers and sisters just for being of different colors. ---->

<----> We would live together in harmony, knowing that the wellbeing of the others would be the basis of our own wellbeing. ---->

<----> We would care for each other no matter whether young or old or healthy or sick. We would have a sensible order. <---->

<----> We would look after nature because we would understand that we need Her to survive, and we would kill for one reason only - for food. What a perfect place earth could be, if only we could be like wolves." A colorblind South African

"When a dog loves you, you will feel flattered. When a wolf befriends you, you will be moved close to tears." Anonymous

"Have you ever smelled at a wolf? It is the finest, most valuable perfume - pure, natural, and it never loses its intensity. A pity it can't be bottled." Anonymous

"You may feed the wolf as much as you like, but he will always glance toward the forest." Russian Proverb

"The eyes of a wolf are as deep as the sea, they let your mind dive into a different world. In them you see the sun glistening in the clear water of a forest lake, you smell the scent of the wild, and you hear the freedom. When you return you begin to understand that a wolf is more than just a bundle of fur and teeth" E.I. Westphal

"The romantic mind might note that sixty-plus years - the wolves' absence - is how long it would take for ninety-nine percent of the old-time Indian-killers, buffalo-killers, and wolf-killers to die off: as if the wolves could not bring themselves to return to a country where such wanton killers still ruled. There is no other word for our behavior, back then." Rick Bass

"In one Italian survey, researchers found that 'The farther we were from the areas in which wolves lived, the more dangerous they were believed to be.'" Robert H. Busch

"There always are more plant-eaters than there are meat-eaters because plants are the basic form of food. The prey controls the predator because it is closer to the source of life. A predator capable of exterminating its prey soon would be an extinct predator." David Rains Wallace

"In wildness is the salvation of the world. Perhaps this is the hidden meaning in the howl of the wolf, long known among mountains, but seldom perceived among men." Thoreau

"It seems almost something abnormal that over a portion of the earth's surface nature should be nothing and man everything." Albert Schweitzer

"Sometimes the Moon howls ... and the wolves are silent" Crimson Moon

"A wolf was persuaded to give up killing animals and lead a saintly life. He did just this for a long time, until one day, as he was walking down the road, a goose came up to him, flapping his wings and hissing noisily. The wolf quickly pounced. 'Geese should not hiss at saints,' he said." Lithuanian Fable

"The shepherd drives the wolf from the sheep's for which the sheep thanks the shepherd as his liberator, while the wolf denounces him for the same act as the destroyer of liberty. Plainly, the sheep and the wolf are not agreed upon a definition of liberty." Abraham Lincoln

"His [The Wolf's] eyes generally appear sparkling; and there is a wildness and a fierceness in his looks." Samuel Williams

"Now this is the Law of the Jungle - as old and as true as the sky; And the Wolf that shall keep it may prosper, but the Wolf that shall break it must die." Rudyard Kipling (1865- 1936) 'The Law of the Jungle'

"If having a soul means being able to feel love, loyalty and gratitude, then wolves are better off than a lot of humans." Unknown

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them." Bible

"Wolves are fiercely loyal to their mates, have a strong sense of family, yet maintain their individualism... qualities we admire in ourselves." Unknown

"But keep the wolf far thence that's foe to men, For with his nails he'll dig them up again." John Webster (1580-1625?)

"Can you taste me in the wind? I flow with the wolves They flow with me... They teach me how to see..." Unknown

"You ought to follow the example of shunk-tokecha (wolf). Even when he is surprised and runs for his life, he will pause to take one more look at you before he enters his final retreat. So you must take a second look at everything you see." Ohiyesa

"Respect the Elders, Teach the Young Cooperate with the Pack Play when you can, Hunt when you must, Rest in between. Share your affection, Voice your feelings, Leave your mark." Unknown

"We have doomed the Wolf not for what it is, but for what we have deliberately and mistakenly perceived it to be.. the mythologized epitome of a savage, ruthless killer.. which is, in reality no more than a reflexed image of ourself." Farely Mowat

"The wolf is neither man's competitor nor his enemy. He is a fellow creature with whom the earth must be shared." L. David Mech

"Throughout the centuries we have projected on to the wolf the qualities we most despise and fear in ourselves." Barry Lopez

"Wolf is the Grand Teacher. Wolf is the sage, who after many winters upon the sacred path and seeking the ways of wisdom, returns to share new knowledge with the tribe. Wolf is both the radical and the traditional in the same breath. When the Wolf walks by you - you will remember." Robert Ghost Wolf

"To look into the eyes of a wolf is to see your own soul - hope you like what you see." Aldo Leopold

"We humans fear the beast within the wolf because we do not understand the beast within ourselves." Gerald Hausman

"I've always said that the best wolf habitat resides in the human heart. You have to leave a little space for them to live." Ed Bangs

"I'm nothing but a lone wolf, misunderstood and labeled to be dangerous." Unknown

"For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" Rudyard Kipling

"Wolves are very resourceful. All they need to survive is for people not to shoot them." Bob Ferris

One prayer: Peace One hope: Harmony One dream: Understanding

"The caribou feeds the wolf, but it is the wolf who keeps the caribou strong." Keewatin Inuit Proverb

A Headful of Wolves – Submit Review

Please email your book review to headful.of.wolves [at] gmail.com

Read others’ Book Reviews

Please email your book review to
headful.of.wolves [at] gmail.com