The Monstrefact: Thiuime, the Black Squirrel

Monster Fact. This entity stems from the traditions of the Tabasco people of southeast Mexico, whose roots go back thousands of years to the old Mech civilization. To you, it may is described in the Encyclopedia of Religion, second Edition as a goddess presiding over women who died in childbirth within the region of Uruchao or place of women. In contrast to some of the emaciated death entities of the Mayans and the Aztecs, to Um takes on the form

of a black squirrel. You'll find a captivating modern interpretation of this goddess by Mexican engraver and painter Echo in the twenty twenty book, a pre Columbian bestiary by Elon Stevens, a black squirrel perched upon a human skull, a traditional

Makwait weapon toothed with obsidian teeth in its forepots. Stevens describes to Uma as a goddess of war who roams the battlefields, and includes a contemporary account from a veteran of Mexican descent who claimed to have experienced a visitation of to Uma during the Iraq War following an experience with a land mine. The black squirrel appeared to him, but the soldier pleaded with to Uma to let him

live in The goddess indeed moved on. Does the tradition of to Um at all connect with Objuru of squirrels as occasional scavengers or even hunters of flesh. It's hard

to say, but surely not impossible. Black squirrels certainly do exist as a rare melanistic subgroup in various squirrel species, with possible advantages for thermoregulation in northern climates or camouflage in dense forests, and some researchers think this adaptation may also aid squirrels in urban environments as well, And of course even in places where black squirrel morphs are not found or in the absence of their observation, humans are

still certainly capable of dreaming up black squirrels. After all, Black Swan theory ties directly into such considerations, either in reality or within the imagination, and indeed, in the realm of the imagination, black squirrels have been associated with magic, such as in a Celtic folklore, and indeed, in the writings of J. R. R. Tolkien, we are told that the squirrels of the haunted Forest of Mirkwood are in fact black furred and not good to eat, to say

nothing of the various traditions concerning black dogs, black cats, and other such animals. To you and may would seem to be another example in human traditions of the dark furred animal being positioned as a unique entity, an avatar of the night and mysteries of the other world. Tune in for additional episodes of the Monster Fact each week. As always, you can email us at contact It's Stuff to Blow Your Mind dot com.