Belemnite "darts" are indeed popularly
taken for "thunderstones", but REAL thunderstones, produced by the action of
lightning in sand, also exist. They are called fulgurites and
are irregular-shaped tubes of silica glass, sometimes branching, and up to
1 m long.
Regarding squirrels and raptor birds, I'm
not aware of any thunderbird folklore in Eastern Europe. Any opinions from other
list members?
Steppe sciurids are not called squirrels in
these parts. Glen's animal would be either the bobac (Marmota bobak,
closely related to woodchucks and other marmots) or one of the Eurasian "ground
squirrels" (Citellus). If it's any help, their local names are
Ukr./Pol. bobak, Rus. bajbak (perhaps of Turkic origin) or stepnoj surok
'steppe marmot' for Marmota bobak, and Slavic *susUl- for
Citellus.
Piotr
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Friday, January 19, 2001 6:03 AM
Subject: [tied] Re: Fire and the naughty little squirrel
The fallen-to-earth remains of Zeus' thunderbolts, so I read (Graves, I
think) were cuttlefish fossils, which explains its odd shape in Greek
art.