Sacred and Mythological Animals - Yowann Byghan

Sacred and Mythological Animals

A Worldwide Taxonomy

(Autor)

Buch | Softcover
361 Seiten
2020
McFarland & Co Inc (Verlag)
978-1-4766-7950-1 (ISBN)
36,15 inkl. MwSt
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 common household cat to horses that can fly, a surprisingly wide range of animals feature in religions both ancient and modern and in mythologies all across the world. The same animal can take on different roles depending upon the sacred tradition. For example, 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 Huginn (thought) and Muninn (memory) come to perch on his shoulders and bring him news.

This informative and entertaining compendium 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. Sections are organized by the main animal classifications such as mammals, birds, reptiles, fish, amphibians, and insects. Within each section, each chapter covers one significant grouping such as dogs, cats, and horses. Each chapter first describes the animal scientifically and details the general mythological attributes. Then the chapter provides numerous examples, citing the text or myth. A final section provides additional coverage of references to animal hybrids, animal monsters, and mythical animals. An appendix about "animals in the sky" covers stars, constellations and Zodiac symbols named after animals. Another appendix lists and describes basic details of the religions and mythologies covered in the book. A glossary defines uncommon religious terms and offers explanations of scientific animal names.

Yowann Byghan is an author, poet and playwright who has been a practicing Druid for more than fifty 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
Verlagsort Jefferson, NC
Sprache englisch
Maße 178 x 254 mm
Gewicht 790 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
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