Sacred and Mythological Animals

A Worldwide Taxonomy

Yowann Byghan (Autor)

Buch | Softcover

445 Seiten

2020
McFarland & Co Inc (Verlag)
978-1-4766-7950-1 (ISBN)

Artikel merken

Draws upon religious texts and myths to explore the different ways that sacred traditions incorporate animal images, themes, and associations into rituals, ceremonies, texts, myths, literature, and folklore from across the world.

From the household cat to horses that can fly, a surprisingly wide range of animals feature in religions and mythologies all across the world. The same animal can take on different roles: the raven can be a symbol of evil, a harbinger of death, a wise messenger or a shape-changing trickster. In Norse mythology, Odin's magical ravens perch on his shoulders and bring him news.

This compendium draws upon religious texts and myths to explore the ways sacred traditions use animal images, themes and associations in rituals, ceremonies, texts, myths, literature and folklore across the world. Sections are organized by the main animal classifications such as mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians and insects. Each chapter covers one significant grouping (such as dogs, cats or horses), first describing an animal scientifically and then detailing the mythological attributes. Numerous examples cite texts or myths. A final section covers animal hybrids, animal monsters and mythical animals as well as stars, constellations and Zodiac symbols. An appendix describes basic details of the religions and mythologies covered. A glossary defines uncommon religious terms and explains scientific animal names.

Yowann Byghan is an author, poet, playwright and a practicing Druid for 50+ years. He is a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, and speaks fluent Cornish. His knowledge of Scottish Gàidhlig, Irish Gaeilge and Welsh, as well as Latin, has allowed him to research source texts in the original languages as well as in translation. He lives on a small island in the Inner Hebrides in Scotland.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments

Preface

Sacred Animals and Animal Classification

1. Sacred Animal Traditions

2. Classification

Mammals (Mammalia)

3. Dogs (Canidae)

4. Wolves, Wild Dogs and Foxes (Canidae)

5. Cats and Wildcats (Felidae)

6. Big Cats, Hyenas and Mongooses (Felidae and Viverroidea)

7. Cattle (Oxen), Antelopes and Hippopotamuses (Artiodactyla: Bovidae, Hippopotamidae)

8. Sheep and Goats (Caprinae)

9. Deer, Elk and Moose (Cervidae)

10. Bears, Pandas and Raccoons (Ursidae, Procyonidae)

11. Horses and Rhinoceroses (Perissodactyla: Equidae and Rhinocerotoidea)

12. Camels and Giraffes (Artiodactyla: Camelidae)

13. Pigs and Hedgehogs (Suidae, Erinaceidae)

14. Elephants (Proboscidia)

15. Monkeys and Apes (Primates)

16. Hares and Rabbits (Lagomorpha)

17. Mice, Rats and Beavers (Rodentia)

18. Bats (Chiroptera) and Other Odd Animals

19. Weasels, Otters and Badgers (Mustelidae)

20. Seals and Walruses (Pinnipedia)

21. Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises and Sirens (Cetartiodactyla, Delphiniodae, Sirenia)

Birds (Aves)

22. General Birds and Crows (Several Orders and Corvidae)

23. Raptors (Several Orders and Families)

24. Freshwater Birds (Several Orders and Families)

25. Sea Birds (Several Orders and Families)

26. Chickens and Peafowl (Galliformes)

27. Perching Birds and Singing Birds (Passeriformes)

28. Cranes and Cuckoos (Gruiformae, Otidimorphae)

29. Hoopoes, Hummingbirds, Doves and Woodpeckers (Several Orders and Families)

Fish and Sea Animals (Several Orders and Families)

30. Sea Fish (Several Orders and Families)

31. Freshwater Fish (Several Orders and Families)

32. Crabs, Clams, Conches and Corals (Crustacea, Mollusca, Cnidaria)

Amphibians (Amphibia)

33. Frogs, Toads, Salamanders and Newts (Several Orders and Families)

Insects and Other Creepy-Crawlies (Insecta, Arachnidae and Gastropoda)

34. Flying Insects (Insecta, Several Orders and Families)

35. Creeping, Crawling Animals (Insecta, Arachnidae, Gastropoda, Several Orders and Families)

Reptiles (Reptilia)

36. Snakes and Lizards (Squamata)

37. Crocodiles and Turtles (Crocodylia, Testudines)

Mythical Animals, Hybrids and Animal Gods

38. Dragons

39. Animal Hybrids and Monsters

40. Human-Animal Hybrids

41. Animals in the Sky

Glossary

Appendix: World Religions and Mythologies

Chapter Notes

Bibliography

Index

Erscheinungsdatum	01.04.2020
Reihe/Serie	McFarland Myth and Legend Encyclopedias
Zusatzinfo	glossary, appendix, notes, bibliography, index
Verlagsort	Jefferson, NC
Sprache	englisch
Maße	178 x 254 mm
Gewicht	789 g
Themenwelt	Sachbuch/Ratgeber ► Natur / Technik ► Naturführer
	Schulbuch / Wörterbuch ► Lexikon / Chroniken
	Geisteswissenschaften ► Religion / Theologie
	Sozialwissenschaften ► Soziologie
ISBN-10	1-4766-7950-9 / 1476679509
ISBN-13	978-1-4766-7950-1 / 9781476679501
Zustand	Neuware