A European Squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)
Because of their tendency to tear up my tulips, eat my Christmas lights, and bore into the side of my dwelling, squirrels are not my favorite animal. But the indignities which I bear from these bushy-tailed arboreal rodents are nothing compared to the animosity roused by Ratatoskr, the squirrel of Norse mythology who dwells on the trunk of Yggdrasil, the universe tree (which is described in this previous post).
At the apex of Yggdrasil is perched the mighty eagle Hræsvelgr who causes the winds to blow through the world by flapping his wings. At the base of the tree, curled around the roots is Níðhöggr, the underworld dragon who eats away at the roots of Yggdrasil and thus undermines all of creation. Compared to giant eagles and chthonic dragons, squirrels are low-status monsters, yet Ratatoskr managed to stir up plenty of trouble. He would run up and down the tree between the dragon and the eagle telling each creature gossip about the other. At first, Ratatoskr made up slanders to tell the two monsters, but, in no time, the two haughty beings really were cursing each other (which made Ratatoskr even happier). To quote IO9, “Ratatosk has no grand scheme, and the eagle and the dragon aren’t prophesied to fight or do anything. Ratatosk is spending his free time perpetuating an animosity for no reason whatsoever.” As though this were not bad enough, the irrepressible squirrel is also reputed to gnaw at the great tree itself.
Ratatoskr on Yggdrasil (Art by Daniel Lieske http://daniellieske.com )
The Vikings regarded gossip as a low and churlish form of skullduggery reserved for thralls, slaves, churls and other such hoi-polloi. It seems appropriate that the embodiment of gossip and slander in their mythology was an annoying chattering squirrel.
ferrebeekeeper 
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June 4, 2014 at 2:44 AM
Neomys Sapiens
If nature hands you squirrels, make squirrel stew!
The naming of the sciuridae in German, where they are called Hoernchen (the common squirrel is a Eichhoernchen) can be used to explain their inherent suitability for consumption, as there are also Nusshoernchen, Schinkenhoernchen etc. (all crescent-shaped bakery goods are also called -hoernchen).
The curious mating habits of squirrels, where the male chases the female up, down and about the trees without any courtship rituals, until the latter succumbs to exhaustion short of a cadiac arrest, which is then followed by a mating that is rape in anything but the name, has led to a very funny german saying: When a person is encountered looking both disheveled or ragged and surprised, you can say:
‘Du siehst aus wie ein frisch geficktes Eichhoernchen’
(You look like a freshly fucked squirrel)
Greets
June 27, 2014 at 9:58 AM
eigenvals
Hi,
The “unknown source” art is from Daniel Lieske : http://daniellieske.com/exhibitions/retrospective_1998_2008/exh_retrospective_2005.php
June 27, 2014 at 2:25 PM
Wayne
Many thanks! I have credited him above.