▁myth - making ▁about ▁such ▁prominent ▁figures , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁used ▁as ▁evidence ▁of ▁their ▁future ▁great ness . ▁ ▁St ories ▁of ▁abandoned ▁children ▁being ▁brought ▁up ▁by ▁animal ▁moth ers ▁such ▁as ▁she - wol ves ▁and ▁be ars ▁were ▁w ides p read ▁in ▁Europe ▁from ▁the ▁Middle ▁A ges ▁and ▁into ▁modern ▁times . ▁One ▁real - life ▁case ▁was ▁that ▁of ▁Peter ▁the ▁Wild ▁Boy , ▁found ▁in ▁northern ▁Germany ▁in ▁ 1 7 2 4 . ▁His ▁co arse , ▁cur ly ▁hair ▁was ▁attributed ▁to ▁his ▁being ▁( supp osed ly ) ▁su ck led ▁by ▁a ▁bear , ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁prem ise ▁that ▁characteristics ▁of ▁the ▁animal ▁fost er ▁mother ▁had ▁been ▁transm itted ▁to ▁him ▁via ▁her ▁milk . ▁( It ▁is ▁now ▁thought ▁he ▁had ▁Pitt - H op kins ▁synd rome , ▁a ▁condition ▁un ident ified ▁until ▁ 1 9 7 8 .) ▁ ▁Per ce ived ▁effect ▁on ▁character ▁The ▁belief ▁that ▁animal ▁characteristics ▁could ▁be ▁transm itted ▁via ▁milk ▁was ▁widely ▁held ; ▁the ▁Swedish ▁scient ist ▁Carl ▁Lin na eus ▁thought ▁that ▁being ▁su ck led ▁by ▁l ion esses ▁con ferred ▁great ▁courage . ▁Go ats ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁transmit ▁a ▁lib id in ous ▁character ▁and ▁some ▁preferred ▁to ▁employ ▁don keys ▁as ▁wet ▁n urs es ▁instead , ▁as ▁they ▁were ▁thought ▁to ▁be ▁more ▁moral ▁animals . ▁In ▁modern ▁Egypt , ▁though , ▁don keys ▁were ▁dis f av oured ▁as ▁wet