In Greek culture, a weasel near one's house is a sign of bad luck, even evil, especially if there is in the household a girl about to be married, since the animal was thought to be an unhappy bride who was transformed into a weasel.
Amulets from weasels were deemed to have strong magic; the period between 15 August and 8 September was specifically designated for the killing of weasels: 255.
In the Niigata Prefecture, the sound of a pack of weasels making a rustle resembled six people hulling rice, so was called the "weasel's six-person mortar", and it was an omen for one's home to decline or flourish.
Combined phylogenetic analyses indicate the stoat's closest living relative is the mountain weasel (Mustela altaica), though it is also closely related to the least weasel (Mustela nivalis) and long-tailed weasel (Mustela frenata). Its next closest relatives are the New World Colombian weasel (Mustela felipei) and the Amazon weasel (Mustela africana).