Badgers work together to dig their underground dens in the mountains. One will lie down at the entrance to the hole, holding a stick in its mouth, while the others dig out and pile earth on its belly. Two badgers then take hold of the stick with their mouths and drag the loaded badger away.

Badgers love honey and constantly look for honeycombs. To avoid injury from blows and the bites of dogs, they can inflate their skin. Their legs are longer on the right side and shorter on the left, which allows them to run in ruts in the earth by putting their right legs into the deeper part. Their bite is poisonous because they eat dead animals and the poison enters their teeth.

The usual illustration shows a badger lying on its back, with two badgers gripping the stick in its mouth and pulling, while others dig the hole and pile up dirt.

An ointment can be made from the skin of a badger to soothe pain in the kidneys and the pain of injuries. The fat of a badger will cure a fever. Its brain when cooked with oil soothes pain in the loins. Its blood when mixed with salt and smeared on the limbs prevents pestilence for three days. The power to withstand cold can be gained by eating a badger's testicles cooked in honey.

Hildegard von Bingen says, "There is also great power in its pelt. Make a belt from it, and cinch it against your bare skin. All disease will go from you, just as a great storm is checked in good, mild, tranquil air. Dangerous illness will not fall upon you. Also, make shoes and boots from badger skin. Wear them, and your feet and legs will be healthy." (Throop translation)