Jackal People

Since the days of ancient Egypt and because of their close association with Anubis, god of the souls of the dead, jackals have been regarded as entities somehow connected with the underworld. In Hebrew tradition, jackals became symbols of destruction, and throughout a good portion of Asia, a jackal represents cowardice. Indian folklore dictates that if one hears the howl of a jackal and it appears to be coming from somewhere over the person's left shoulder, he or she has been given an omen of very bad luck.

In many parts of Africa, the jackal is very often regarded as a not very brave, but very wise, trickster figure. Those who become werejackals do so by wearing a strip of its hide across the forehead or about the waist. A witch doctor who has the ability to shapeshift will often choose the form of a jackal in order to travel secretly at night.
Sources: Larousse Dictionary of World Folklore. New York: Larousse, 1995.
Steiger, Brad. Totems: The Transformative Power of Your Personal Animal Totem. San Francicso: HarperSanFrancisco, 1997.