Did Little Red Riding Hood's Wolf Have Wings?

[NatureBoff]

It's a classic tale that is replicated around the world Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf. The picture of 'grandma' with her tightly wrapped shawl reminded me of a flying-foxe's wings wrapped around itself. Could the real wolf beast with an interest in menstruating young girls be able to fly?!

Edited November 19, 2009 by Smugfish

[when.i.am.queen.]

I tip my hat to the weird post of today. Or on the 19th. whatever.

[NatureBoff]

I tip my hat to the weird post of today. Or on the 19th. whatever.

Thanks.

[maximaldecimal]

Could have been. A talking flying fox of wolf like size and appearance. Not the wierdest take on red riding hood I've heard.

[minuteman]

Could have been. A talking flying fox of wolf like size and appearance. Not the wierdest take on red riding hood I've heard.

seriously? you've heard weirder than that?!?

[ShadowSot]

seriously? you've heard weirder than that?!?

Yep. :shudder:

[The Big Boss]

I suggest you undergo psychological evaluation. Then you might get some answers.

[_Zombie_]

why.... the hell... would a wolf.. have wings..

[NatureBoff]

why.... the hell... would a wolf.. have wings..

My latest best guess is that it descended from tree mammal gliders over 165 million years ago. Not only does it have body skin gliding ability, but also its fingers could evolve into four individual bat wings in addition!! I'll try to photoshop what I mean when I have time tomorrow.

[Cetacea]

Or it could be a story about a girl being attacked by a wolf.....without wings.

In which part of the story does it allude to the wolf flying exactly? Must have missed it, please point me to it. If, as I presume it is not actually mentioned, why flying (apart from the fact it seems to be a pet idea of yours), why not a rare species of talking wolf haunting the forests of Europe, at least that is a characteristic actually mentioned in the story.

Red Riding hood is a fairy tale of European origin. Last time I checked there was no European species of sugar glider or any gliding mammal of a similar description, let alone myths about a huge flying one that would be rather conspicuous. If it was so prevalent and well known to be put into a fairy tale you would also expect it to crop up somewhere else. But it doesn't. Wolves and wolf attacks on the otherhand were something that was actually greatly feared in Europe eventually leading to their local extirpation which is why the wolf is a villain in many folk tales and stories to this day. A wolf. Without wings. Not a tree glider.

A tree glider of the size you are alleging would most likely also greatly suffer from heat conservation issues due to the size and number of it's wings, the surface area to volume ratio leading to high levels of heat loss.

[GreatFenris]

It's a classic tale that is replicated around the world Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf. The picture of 'grandma' with her tightly wrapped shawl reminded me of a flying-foxe's wings wrapped around itself. Could the real wolf beast with an interest in menstruating young girls be able to fly?!

What in the world O_o

Ar you trying to beat That Other Member in sheer weirdness of posts and reading your own wishes into myths?

How did we go from; "Wolf that talks and eats people" to "LMAO IM A FURRY WITH WINGS KKTNXBAI!" ?

[TheSearcher]

Yep. :shudder:

Seriously? Weirder? Ok now you'll have to explain.

[NatureBoff]

Seriously? Weirder? Ok now you'll have to explain.

Gigantic tree glider with bat-wing fingers!!

There's plenty of advantages of a flexible wing were just discovering: Wings That Waggle Could Cut Aircraft Emissions By 20% and Wing Morphing Of The Swift Could Inspire New Aircraft Designs

Edited December 3, 2009 by Smugfish

[Drago]

Next Bre'er Rabbit will have had to have had wings to constantly outsmart and evade all his enemies.

And El'ahrairah will actually have to have had wings to escape the Black Rabbit of Inle.

And lets not forget Rikki Tikki Tavi. He had to have wings, how else was he going to surprise and attack two smart, intelligent big black cobras and survive?

[667-Neighbor of the Beast]

It's a classic tale that is replicated around the world Little Red Riding Hood and Big Bad Wolf. The picture of 'grandma' with her tightly wrapped shawl reminded me of a flying-foxe's wings wrapped around itself. Could the real wolf beast with an interest in menstruating young girls be able to fly?!

I think this is where you went wrong.^^^^

It is a fictional story, and the author wanted an unwinged wolf to pose as grandma, that's it. And where in Little Red Riding hood does it mention menstruation??

Edited December 3, 2009 by 667-Neighbor of the Beast

[+HerNibs]

I always thought it was a lesson in "don't talk to strangers" and if your grandma smells like wet dog, leave.

Nibs

[Drago]

I think this is where you went wrong.^^^^

It is a fictional story, and the author wanted an unwinged wolf to pose as grandma, that's it. And where in Little Red Riding hood does it mention menstruation??

Those who take the stories seriously enough to (sometimes over-)analyze them often put forth the idea that the girl's red riding hood was symbolic for her period, meaning she was 'of age' - which makes the wolf symbolic of a sexual predator or men in general, depending on how you want to go with it.

Edited December 3, 2009 by Drago

[Queen in the North]

Those who take the stories seriously enough to (sometimes over-)analyze them often put forth the idea that the girl's red riding hood was symbolic for her period, meaning she was 'of age' - which makes the wolf symbolic of a sexual predator or men in general, depending on how you want to go with it.

Oh, why must all my childhood memories be slowly desecrated, one by one? Why, internets, why?

[Cetacea]

Oh, why must all my childhood memories be slowly desecrated, one by one? Why, internets, why?

Well it could just be a cautionary tale about wolves that got over-interpreted, or both, there are a lot of interpretations, so you can choose the more innocent one if that makes you feel better

I am fairly sure however it's not a reference to a winged animal of any kind

[Queen in the North]

Well it could just be a cautionary tale about wolves that got over-interpreted, or both, there are a lot of interpretations, so you can choose the more innocent one if that makes you feel better

I am fairly sure however it's not a reference to a winged animal of any kind

I can has innocent, not-too-thinky versions of fairy tales now?

[Cetacea]

I can has innocent, not-too-thinky versions of fairy tales now?

Yes, yes you can

[NatureBoff]

Or it could be a story about a girl being attacked by a wolf.....without wings.

In which part of the story does it allude to the wolf flying exactly? Must have missed it, please point me to it. If, as I presume it is not actually mentioned, why flying (apart from the fact it seems to be a pet idea of yours), why not a rare species of talking wolf haunting the forests of Europe, at least that is a characteristic actually mentioned in the story.

Red Riding hood is a fairy tale of European origin. Last time I checked there was no European species of sugar glider or any gliding mammal of a similar description, let alone myths about a huge flying one that would be rather conspicuous. If it was so prevalent and well known to be put into a fairy tale you would also expect it to crop up somewhere else. But it doesn't. Wolves and wolf attacks on the otherhand were something that was actually greatly feared in Europe eventually leading to their local extirpation which is why the wolf is a villain in many folk tales and stories to this day. A wolf. Without wings. Not a tree glider.

A tree glider of the size you are alleging would most likely also greatly suffer from heat conservation issues due to the size and number of it's wings, the surface area to volume ratio leading to high levels of heat loss.

It's the "wolf-in-clothing" aspect of the stories which I think is allusive. Wolf dressed as a grandna, wolf dressed as a sheep..it's a common theme. Link this in with the eternal "dragon" myths, or something elusive and scary which flies in the dark and you have a hypothesis. Wings wrapped round like a fruit-bat does give a sense of a cloak or shawl, it's human nature to make the connection. As to the size, early fossils of tree gliders are 3 feet tall!!

[:PsYKoTiC:BeHAvIoR:]

I always thought it was a lesson in "don't talk to strangers" and if your grandma smells like wet dog, leave.

Nibs

Best story interpretation ever!

[Bunny Munro]

I'd like to say that there has been a lot of legitimate writings about fairy tales often being representational metaphors associated with stages of puberty. Anyone who is interested looking further into this I suggest should read Bruno Bettelheim's Freudian interpretation of fairy tales, anyone with a good knowledge of the modern western literary cannon knows that there are some quite interesting comparisons and parallels between the two.

Edited December 4, 2009 by Bunny Munro

[Cetacea]

It's the "wolf-in-clothing" aspect of the stories which I think is allusive. Wolf dressed as a grandna, wolf dressed as a sheep..it's a common theme. Link this in with the eternal "dragon" myths, or something elusive and scary which flies in the dark and you have a hypothesis. Wings wrapped round like a fruit-bat does give a sense of a cloak or shawl, it's human nature to make the connection. As to the size, early fossils of tree gliders are 3 feet tall!!

Or they could be in clothing because they are trying to deceive people.... Hence wolf in sheeps clothing, wolf posing as sheep to eat sheep. Not wolf with wings swooping down to eat the sheep, it wouldn't have to pose as a sheep if it could do that. Why bother posing as grandma when it can just swoop down from the sky. Why for that matter live in the woods if you're a giant flying predator, open areas adjacent to cliff faces would be much easier to hunt in.

The size of fossil gliders is irrelevant unless they a) lived in temperate regions too (as you are alleging these do) b ) there is any evidence of any animal like that.