List of fictional badgers
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This is alist of fictional badgers.Badgersare short-legged omnivores in the weasel family,Mustelidae.The personality and behavior of the real badger has greatly informed the development of personality and characteristics of the badger character in fiction. Specifically, authors of fictional works employing badgers have often emphasized their natural reclusive privacy and their ferocity and courage when protecting themselves (this aspect drawing its origins from the early tradition ofbadger-baiting).[1]
The badger's role as a character in fiction can be traced back to the folklore of Europe and Asia where their nocturnal habits have given them an air of mystery. In Chinese and Japanese folklore, the badger character is ashapeshifter.[2]In European folklore the badger character is intimately associated with the bear and is considered a forecaster of the arrival of spring. Older versions of these stories ascribed similar powers to the bear, but as bear populations dwindled, the folklore shifted to use the badger (in Germany and England), and the groundhog (in the United States).[2]In England, the badger character has been adopted in many quarters as a mascot—an evolution from the historic practice of using the badger inheraldic design.[3]
Anthropomorphic badgers have frequently appeared in children's literature, although their personalities have never settled in one particular manner. Characters like Beatrix Potter's Tommy Brock represent the negative side of badgers and reflect the farmer's view of the real badger as a predator of small livestock.[4]On the other hand, characters like Kenneth Grahame's gruff and ascetic Mr. Badger[4]or Susan Varley's Badger (Badger's Parting Gifts)[4]represent the positive side of badgers and reflect the real badgers' purposeful privacy in a way that allows authors to project human characteristics on them. Rural Economy and Land Use Programme fellow, Dr. Angela Cassidy, has noted that the literary figure of the "good badger" has become dominant since the early 20th century, but that more recently the figure of the "bad badger" (now a verminous character usually defined by stench and disease) has made a slight resurgence.[5]Children's book critic, Amanda Craig, has also noted a modern trend away from any instances of the badger character in literature and has identified the lessening of interaction between humans and badgers in modern times as the underlying cause.[4]
In more recent years fictional badger characters have become increasingly abstract, with thoroughly human characteristics and only the appearance of the badger. Indeed, Dr. Cassidy has noted that since 1990, the tendency with badger characters has "accelerated into surrealism and comedy" with the most prominent example being the "Badger Badger Badger"meme arising online in 2003.[6]Modern badger characters have shown up in numerous visual media including animation, commercials, live-action film, the internet, and in video games.[6]
Badgers in mythology and religion[edit]
- Mujina,[2]shapeshifting badger inJapanese mythology
Badgers in literature, poetry, and comics[edit]
- Archibald "Archie" LeBrock, a British anthropomorphic badger who is the main character of the 2009 graphic novel seriesGrandvillebyBryan Talbot.[7]
- Badger, a character fromOne Snowy NightandPercy the Park KeeperbyNick Butterworth[8]
- Badger, Shadow, and Frond, from the children's novelThe Animals of Farthing Woodand its componentsThe Fox Cub BoldandBattle for the Parkall byColin Dann.[8][9][7]
- Badger,[4][10]the title character inSusan Varley'sBadger's Parting Gifts,aMother Goose Award-winning children's story that was showcased onReading Rainbowin season 18.
- Badger, fromRoald Dahl'sFantastic Mr. Fox.[10][7]
- The badger that Arthur meets[5]when he is transformed into a badger by Merlin inThe Sword in the Stone(collected intoThe Once and Future King).[10]
- "Badger", poem byJohn Clare[11]
- Badger Lords and Ladies of Salamandastron in theRedwallbook series byBrian Jacques[12][5]
- The badgers fromThe Disgusting SandwichbyGareth Edwardsand Hannah Shaw[10]
- The badgers fromStinkbomb & Ketchup-Face and the Badness of BadgersbyJohn Dougherty[10]
- The old male badger fromBrockbyAnthony McGowan[10]
- The mother badger[13]fromIncident at Hawk's Hill.[14]
- Bill Badger, friend ofRupert Bearin theRupert Bearcomic strips, originally created byMary Tourtel[10][12]
- Bill Badger in theBill Badgerseries (1957–1969) byDenys Watkins-Pitchford[12]
- Boomer Badger from the magazineRanger Rick.
- Brock the Badger inThe Epic of Brock the Badger(1960) byHenry Williamson[7]
- Brock the Badger inYours Ever, Sam PigbyAlison Uttley[10]
- Brock and his family fromE. H. Shepard'sBen and Brock[8]
- "The Combe", a 1917 poem byEdward Thomas[11]
- Frances, a preschool-aged badger in a seven-book series byRussell Hoban[12]
- Hazel fromHazel's Amazing MotherbyRosemary Wells[15]
- James Barkley from the first issue ofThe Adventures of Sly Cooper
- Meles Brock, Esq. from theOwlglasschronicles by Will Nickless[8]
- Mr. Badger, inThe Wind in the Willowsby Kenneth Grahame (1908),[4][9][10][11][7]and later sequels such asThe Willows at ChristmasbyWilliam Horwood[8]
- Mr. Badger, the main character in "Mr. Badger to the Rescue"[16]
- Old Brock,a badger from the tale of "El-ahrairah and the Lendri", and the lendri seen near the river (Ch 7), inWatership Down.[10]
- Tommy Brock fromThe Tale of Mr. Tod(1912) - Kidnaps the Flopsy Bunnies and gets into a scuffle with Mr. Tod.[4][11][7]
- Trufflehunteris a talking badger fromC. S. Lewis'sChronicles of Narniaseries,[5][10]particularlyPrince Caspian.[7]
- Martin Badger, fromThe Love of Simon Fox,byJonathan Schork(sms2, 2016), introduced in chapter 6 as an unnamed, ill-mannered, semi-wild beast, returns in chapter 7 with "a cane & good manners", and emerges as one of the heroic, ferociously loyal characters of the book.[17]
- The Badger-folk inJ. R. R. Tolkien'sThe Adventures of Tom Bombadil[18]
- Midnight the Badger, from theWarriorsnovel series.
- Badger, one of the titular characters from the Skunk And Badger book series byAmy Timberlake.
Badgers in animated movies and TV series[edit]
- BadgerfromBodger and Badger[9]
- The badger that launches an attack on all humans and nearly disembowels Homer in "A Tale of Two Springfields",an episode ofThe Simpsons.[9]
- Clive Badger, Mr. Fox's lawyer voiced byBill Murrayin the 2009Wes AndersonfilmFantastic Mr. Fox[9]
- Dante, the racist badger from "The Strange Tale of the Crack Fox"fromThe Mighty Boosh[9]
- Edwina Badger, appeared inBear in the Big Blue House.She is a musician who also goes by the name "The Great Bandini". She was voiced byWhoopi Goldberg.
- Leesdas, a badger from the Dutch educational puppet show with the same name.
- Mr. Badger, a badger from several film adaptations of Kenneth Grahame'sThe Wind in the Willows,includingThe Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad(1949),The Wind in the Willows(1983),The Wind in the Willows(1987),Wind in the Willows(1988),The Wind in the Willows(1984 TV series), andOh, Mr. Toad
- Mr. Digger, a minor character in theWalt Disney AnimationmovieThe Fox and the Hound.An old badger who hates animals barging into his home.
- Sticks the Badger, a supporting character in the animated seriesSonic Boom.[19][20]
- Badgerclops, one of the main characters from the Cartoon Network animated seriesMao Mao: Heroes of Pure Heart.
- Egbert, the main antagonist of the animated seriesPoppy Cat.
- Cornelius the inventor, and his niece, Michelle whose poisoning propels the plot and the protagonists' quest in theHanna Barbera1993 movieOnce Upon A Forest.
- Several badgers were featured in British comedianHarry Hill's 1996 TV programmeSaturday Live.The badgers (glove puppets) were expected to take part in a badger parade -- somehow always averted. The named badgers included Gareth Southgate Badger, Tasmin Archer Badger, Jools Holland Badger, Windsor Davies Badger, Gazza Badger, and Michael Owen Badger. There were also several unnamed badgers.[21]
- Lacey, a student of Charles Darwin Middle School in the animated series,My Gym Partner’s a Monkey.
- Dennis the Badger, one of the main supporting characters fromDoctor Snuggles,an animated children's television series produced in 1979.
Badgers in tabletop, card, and video games[edit]
- Captain Bayback, Bronco, Sery, Grandpa Ruskin, Chubb Chubb, and Pup, from theWales InteractivereleaseGravity Badgers[22]
- Gulo, the rare golden honey badger of the Kyrat region ofFar Cry 4,[23]as well as the nameless badgers in the Oros region ofFar Cry Primaland honey badgers in the Kyrat and Oros regions ofFar Cry 4andFar Cry Primal.
- InRoot,The keepers in Iron are a faction of exiled badger knights sent to the woodland to find and retrieve artifacts.
- In the gamePostal III,the Postal Dude can use a badger as a chainsaw with the unique name "Badger Saw".
Badgers in music and spoken word[edit]
- The badgers from theBadger Badger Badgerinternet meme[6]and the badger from theBadger phoneinternet meme.[9]
- Chunt, a shapeshifter in the popular podcastHello from the Magic Tavern,is most commonly in the form of a Badger.[24]
See also[edit]
- Badger (disambiguation)#Fictional characters- other non-badger characters named Badger
- List of fictional animals
- List of miscellaneous fictional animals- including some fictionalhyraxes(which are translated as badgers in theKing James Bible)
- Badger Badger Badger
- Hufflepuff- One of the four houses ofHogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardryin theHarry Potterseries has a badger mascot. The mascot features on the school's coat of arms.[9][12]
References[edit]
- ^Cook, John Douglas(ed.).Badgers.The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science, Art, and Finance.Vol.58. No.1499. pp.76-77. 19 July 1884.
- ^abcSax, Boria.The Mythical Zoo: An Encyclopedia of Animals in World Myth, Legend, and Literature - Beaver, Porcupine, Badger, and Miscellaneous Rodents.ABC-CLIO.Pp.32-33. 2001.ISBN978-1-57607-612-5
- ^The role of badgers in our culture may muddy policy decisions..Living With Environmental Change. April 2012.
- ^abcdefgDe Castella, Tom.Badger cull: Are we silly to be so sentimental?.BBC News Magazine.19 November 2010.
- ^abcdFlood, Allison.Badgers' fate influenced by books, research discovers.guardian.co.uk.24 April 2012.
- ^abcCassidy, Angela.Vermin, Victims and Disease: UK Framings of Badgers In and Beyond the Bovine TB Controversy.Sociologia Ruralis.Volume 52. Issue 2. pp.192-214. April 2012.
- ^abcdefgLowen, James (16 June 2016).RPSB Spotlight: Badgers.Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 125.ISBN978-1-4729-2781-1.
- ^abcdeHunt, Peter."Introduction" inThe Wind in the Willows(OUP Oxford; New edition). Pp.xxviii.ISBN0199567565.8 July 2010.
- ^abcdefghKrishna, Rachael. "The 9 Best Fictional Badgers".Sabotage Times.10 October 2013.
- ^abcdefghijkDougherty, John."John Dougherty's top 10 fictional badgers".The Guardian.9 October 2014.
- ^abcd"Human-Badger Conflict".Understanding Conflicts about Wildlife: A Biosocial Approach.Berghahn Books. May 2017. pp. 71, 84.ISBN978-1-78533-463-4.
- ^abcdeJustice, Daniel Heath (2014).Badger.Animals. Reaktion Books.ISBN978-1-78023-383-3.
- ^National Council of Teachers of English (1977)."Language arts".Language Arts.54.National Council of Teachers of English: 64.ISSN0360-9170.OCLC2244875.
- ^John Thomas Gillespie; Corinne J. Naden (2001).The Newbery Companion: Booktalk and Related Materials for Newbery Medal and Honor Books.Greenwood Village, CO: Libraries Unlimited. p. 295.ISBN978-1-56308-813-1.
- ^Marks, Diana F.The Essential Guide to Children's Books and Their Creators.Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.ISBN9780547348896.2006
- ^MacGregor, A. J. (1971).Mr. Badger to the rescue.Perring, W. Loughborough: Wills and Hepworth.ISBN9780721403151.OCLC16192627.
- ^Schork, Jonathan (2016).The Love of Simon Fox.sms2.ISBN9781523663477.
- ^"Book Reviews, Sites, Romance, Fantasy, Fiction".Kirkus Reviews.Retrieved2020-02-19.
- ^https:// sega /2014/05/29/introducing-sticks-to-the-sonic-boom-franchise/[permanent dead link]
- ^Archived atGhostarchiveand theWayback Machine:"Sonic Boom Sticks Announcement".YouTube.
- ^"Harry Hill's Badger Parade".
- ^"Review: Gravity Badgers (Wii U eShop)".28 May 2014.
- ^LaBella, Anthony. "Far Cry 4 Animal Guide".Game Revolution.18 December 2014.
- ^"Hello From the Magic Tavern Wiki".Hello From The Magic Tavern.Retrieved1 October2015.