In
Cantabrian mythology, a ramidreju (
Cantabrian:
amiˈdrehu is a creature said to inhabit the mountains and forests of
Cantabria
Cantabria (, ; ) is an autonomous community and Provinces of Spain, province in northern Spain with Santander, Cantabria, Santander as its capital city. It is called a , a Nationalities and regions of Spain, historic community, in its current ...
in northern
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
. This animal, which resembles a
weasel
Weasels are mammals of the genus ''Mustela'' of the family Mustelidae. The genus ''Mustela'' includes the least weasels, polecats, stoats, ferrets, and European mink. Members of this genus are small, active predators, with long and slend ...
, is born once every hundred years from a weasel or a
marten
A marten is a weasel-like mammal in the genus ''Martes'' within the subfamily Guloninae, in the family Mustelidae. They have bushy tails and large paws with partially retractile claws. The fur varies from yellowish to dark brown, depending on ...
. These mythological creatures have a very long body, like a
snake
Snakes are elongated limbless reptiles of the suborder Serpentes (). Cladistically squamates, snakes are ectothermic, amniote vertebrates covered in overlapping scales much like other members of the group. Many species of snakes have s ...
, and their fur is slightly green-colored. Its eyes are yellow, its nose is like that of a hog and its tusks are like those of the boar, which it uses to dig very deep holes. Ramidrejus are a very sought-after animal in Cantabrian folklore because their fur heals every sickness and the animal has a strong desire for gold.
See also
*
Kamaitachi
is a Japanese yōkai from the oral tradition of the Kōshin'etsu region. It can also refer to the strange events that this creature causes.
They appear riding on dust devils and cut people using their sickle-like front claws, delivering shar ...
, another species of mythological weasel from
Japan
Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...
References
External links
* https://web.archive.org/web/20070815223432/http://www.terra.es/personal/l.agua.l/animales.htm
Cantabrian legendary creatures
Legendary mammals
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