2. The Wolf

Available for 27 days

In past culture, the wolf had many roles. To the Romans, it was a benevolent beast because a she-wolf is said to have saved Romulus and Remus, the founders of Rome. But in Medieval bestiaries, wolves represented Satan and it was written that if a wolf saw a man before the man saw it, the wolf would become invisible. Joanna Pinnock explores the dual role of the enigmatic wolf, as protector and predator of our ancestors. Another in the series examining the importance of five groups of animals and birds to the ancient cultures of Britain. Producer Brett Westwood First broadcast on BBC Radio 4 in June 1999.