Animals of the Mythologies J-R

J K L M N O P Q R

J

Jackal

The Egyptian god Anubis is jackal-headed (or dog-headed). Ap-uat (Upuat) was jackal-headed.

Jaguar

• The jaguar was the Master of Animals in Central American mythology. It was the chief figure in Mayan rites and sacrifices were made to the Jaguar God.
• The Aztec warrior god Tezcatlipoca is depicted as a jaguar.

K

Kingfisher (Also know as the Halycon)

In Greek myth Alcyone, daughter of Aeolus (king of the winds), found her husband drowned and cast herself into the sea; the gods rewarded her devotion by turning her into a kingfisher, and Aeolus forbade the winds to blow during the "Halcyon Days" (the seven days before and the seven after the winter solstice, when legend has it that the kingfisher lays its eggs). Kingfishers are associated with Pallas, Hera, and Thetis, and are beloved by sea-nymphs.

L

Leopard

So called because it was thought to be a cross between a lion (leo) and a pard (a black panther with no white spots on it).
• In Egypt it was an attribute of Osiris.
• In Greece it was the traditional mount of Dionysus, and powered his chariot.
• In China it represents all that is warlike and fearless.
• In Africa it is a cult and totem animal, and an attribute of the storm god. It is sacred to the royal family in Dahomey, and among the Ibo it is revered/associated with fertility.
• In Hinduism, Shiva is sometimes pictured wearing a leopard skin, supposedly sent to him by jealous rivals who hoped it would destroy him.
• Tutankhamun's tomb has a scene depicted where Ay, wearing the magical leopard skin of the priests of Osiris, is opening the king's mouth so the soul could pass to the underworld.

Lion

• Cybele, mother goddess of Phrygia, rides a chariot drawn by lions.
• Hippomenes and Atalanta (lovers in Greek myth) were changed into lions by Cybele.
• Heracles (Hercules) is sometimes pictured clad in the skin of the Nemean Lion.
• Lions drew the chariot of Juno (Roman).
• In Tibet the lioness was an attribute of Tara.
• Hinduism has the lion as the fourth avatar of Vishnu, and it represents Durga as destroyer of demons, and is an attribute of Devi.
• Buddhism has the lion as Defender of the Law, and Buddha (who was called the Lion of the Shakya) is sometimes seated on a lion throne.
• The Chinese immortal Chiu-shou was a lion that took human form and fought in their wars.
• Mari-Jata, founder of the Mali empire, was called "the Lion of Mali".
• Sekhmet, the lion-headed goddess of Egyptian myth, guarded against disease and disaster.
• In Sumeria, the lion was the representative of Nergal, the god of war.

Lizard

• In Amerindian lore it is a manifestation of the Amazonian tribe's Master of Animals and Fish, and is the messenger of the gods who told men they were mortal.
• In Polynesia Moko, the King of Lizards, is generally held as a god, and protects fishing.
• Hawaii has lizard gods who are revered as animal ancestors.
• In Maori myth it was the lizard who drew the first of the race from the waters of creation.
• There is a lizard culture hero in Australian Aboriginal myths who first separated the sexes and then taught the people arts.

M

Monkey

• Hanuman (Hindu) The monkey is his attribute. Sometimes depicted as monkey-headed
• The Zodiac (China) One of the animals of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches
• Monkey (China) Hero of the classic Journey to the Western Paradise
• Three Mystic Monkeys Represent "See no evil; Hear no evil; Speak no evil"
• God of the North (Maya/Quechua) Depicted with a monkey's head
• The monkey is revered in Japan
• Monkeys guard shrines and temples in Cambodia
• African tribes have monkey servant-guardians

N

O

Owl

• (Greek) The emblem of Athens, and therefore the symbol of Athena.
  The owl was sacred to Demeter, and was regarded as prophetic.
• (Celtic) The magical aspect of the owl is prominent in Celtic myth. It was also an attribute if Gwynn, the Celtic god of the underworld. It was considered a bird of darkness, the "corpse bird".
• (Hebrew) It represents blindness and desolation, and is considered unclean.
• (Vedic) Yama, god of the dead has the owl as an attribute, and sometimes used it as a messenger.
• (China/Japan) It signifies crime, or ungrateful children. In China it is associated with thunder and the summer solstice.
• (Ainu) Eagle Owl is revered as a messenger between gods and men; Screech Owl warns against danger; Horned Owl and Barn Owl are demonic and evil.
• (AmerIndians) The owl is called the Night Eagle and is the bird of sorcerers.
• (Australia) The aborigines say the owl is the messenger of the evil god Muurup, who eats children and kills people.
• It was considered the bird of death in Central/North America, China, Egypt, India, and Japan.

P

Peacock

• Babylon & Persia Both had a peacock throne
• Egypt It sometimes accompanies Isis
• Greek The emblem of the bird-god Phaon. Associated with Hera, who is credited with scattering the "Argus Eyes" over its tail
• Hindu The myth is that the peacock "has angels' feathers, a devil's voice, and the walk of a thief." It is the mount of Sarasvati, goddess of wisdom and learning. It is also, sometimes, a vehicle of Lakshmi and of Brahma. When it is mounted by Kama, god of love, it represents desire
• Buddhism The emblem of Avalokiteshvara. It connotes compassionate watchfulness
• China Its feather is an attribute of the goddess Kwan-yin
• Japan Its feather is an attribute of the goddess Kwannon
• Myth has it representing fidelity, as it dies of grief, or remains single, if it loses its mate. Legend says it hates gold and will not go near it. It also is said to be able to foretell rain, and dances when rain is coming.

Pig

• The pig was held sacred by the ancient Cretans (Greek) because Zeus was suckled by a sow.
• It was a sacrificial animal in the Eleusinian Mysteries. (Greek)
• Was sacrificed to Hercules, to Venus and to the Lares by all who sought relief from bodily ailments. (Roman)
• The sow was sacrificed to Ceres. (Roman)
• The pig played an important part in Celtic lore. Its flesh was food for the gods at feasts in the otherworld and Manannan, god of the sea, had magic pigs which, eaten one day, returned the next to be eaten once more.
• There was a Celtic sow-goddess Ceridwin, the Old White Sow, who was a Mother Goddess.
• In Scandinavian myth the Black Sow typified coldness, death and evil.
• The pig was sacred to Isis (Egypt) as a great mother.
• The black pig was a form taken by Set (Egypt) in his typhonic aspect.
• Hinduism has Vajravarahi, Queen of Heaven, as the Adamantine Sow. She represents the feminine counterpart of the BOAR as Vishnu's third incarnation. She also appears in Tibetan Buddhism.
• The pig, as ignorance and greed, is depicted at the center of the Round of Existence in Buddhism.
• In Chinese legend the pig is used to represent untamed nature.
• The pig is a lunar animal for the AmerIndians and is a rain-bearer.
• Circe turned Odysseus' crew into swine for the seven years she kept him captive.

Q

Quail

In mythology and legend the quail is widespread and appears in many different cultures. It represents the coming of Spring in some places and Summer in others.
• It was a fighting bird and so depicted courage and victory in battle for the Romans. The term 'quail' was one of endearment; the bird was sometimes given as a gift from one lover to another.
• In Greek legend the jealous Hera turned Leto into a quail; she was the mother of Apollo and Artemis, so the bird was associated with them also. Asteria changed into a quail to escape Zeus. The bird is connected with Heracles/Hercules.
• The Phoenicians sacrificed the quail to Melkarth when he defeated Typhon (Sephon), as darkness.
• It was sacrificed to the Tyrian Baal.
• Hinduism associates the quail with the coming of Spring.
• Chinese myth associates the quail closely with the phoenix, both being birds of fire.
• In Russian legend the quail appears as solar, coupled with the Hare as lunar; they were the sun and moon found by the Dawn Maiden. In imperial times the quail was an emblem of the Czar.

R

Ram

Mostly represented male fertility. It was usually associated with sun gods, and sometimes with storm or thunder gods. There were a number of ram-headed gods;
• Khnemu and Amon-Ra among them. The ram was a solar symbol of creative heat and personified Amon-Ra. The Sacred Ram of Mendes embodied the souls of Ra, Osiris, Kephera and Shu. A ram was sacrificed to Amon at Thebes and at the Feast of Optet his boat was decorated with rams' heads.
• The Phoenician sun god Baal/Hamon is portrayed with rams' horns and the Babylonian Ea/Oannes, god of the deeps,has either goats' or rams' horns. The ram was sacred to Zeus/Sabazios as fertility; it was also sacred to Dionysus.
• The Ram of Mendes was also an attribute of Pan.
• Devotees of Attis were bathed in the blood of the ram at initiation. Phrixus and Helle were carried away across the sea by a ram with the Golden Fleece.
• In Rome the ram was often associated with the hearth and a ram was sacrificed to the domestic Lar in a rite of purification.
• The Vedic Agni, god of fire, has the ram as his attribute, representing the sacred fire in Hinduism.
• In Celtic myth the ram is associated with the hearth which is the entrance to the underworld. Andirons decorated with rams' horns were found near Celtic hearths and in Gaul, fire-dogs were made in ram effigy and rams' heads appeared on Gaulish tombs and monuments to gods of the underworld. The great god of the Gauls was Belin, the ram, and his consort Belishma was his earthiy manifestation. The ram was a Celtic and Gaulish sacrificial animal. There are supernatural rams and sheep in Celtic lore.

Rat

• The Egyptians and Phrygians deified rats. In Egypt the rat symbolized utter destruction, and also wise judgment, the latter because rats always choose the best bread.
• The Romans drew omens from rats and to see a white rat foreboded good fortune. Clothing or equipment gnawed by rats presaged ill fortune.
• In Hinduism the rat is the most powerful of the demons and represents foresight and prudence and as such is the vehicle of Ganesha, the elephant-headed god (of wisdom, prosperity and successful endeavour), and is an object of veneration.
• The rat is the first of the animals of the Twelve Terrestrial Branches of the Chinese Zodiac.
• In Japan a white rat accompanies the god of happiness and is also an attribute of the god of wealth.
  Among the Ainu of Japan a legend says that God created the rat to punish the Devil, the rat bit off the Devil's tongue and he was so enraged that he caused rats to increase until they became a plague and God had to create cats.
• Among the Australian Aboriginals the rat is a totem animal.
• It was an old superstition among sailors that rats deserted a ship before she set out on a voyage that was to end in her sinking.
• Apollo was sometimes called rat-killer; he received this derogatory title from the following incident: Apollo sent a swarm of rats against Crinis, one of his priests, for neglect of his office; but the priest seeing the invaders coming, repented and obtained pardon and the god had to annihilate the rats with his arrows.

Raven

A bird of ill omen; fabled to forbode death, and to bring infection and bad luck. As a prophet it foretells death but can also be helpful in finding lost property. Like many other birds, ravens indicate the approach of foul weather.
• According to Roman legend, ravens were once as white as swans; but one day a raven told Apollo that Coronis, a Thessalian nymph whom he passionately loved, was faithless. The god shot the nymph with his dart; but hating the messenger, turned him black as coal.
• The bird is a messenger of the sun god Apollo and is an attribute of Athena, Kronos and Aesculapius; it was also a symbol of fertility and as such was invoked at weddings.
• In Zoroastrianism the raven is a 'pure' bird as it removes pollution and in Mithraism it represents the first grade of initiation.
• Chinese myth has the three-legged raven in the sun, depicting its rising, noontide and setting.
• In Hinduism Brahma appeared as a raven in one incarnation.
• The raven-crow goddess, the Blessed Raven, is important in Celtic lore and has a threefold function as war, fertility and prophecy. The Raven of Battle, the goddess Badb, represents war and bloodshed and is ill-omened. Morrigan, Bran and Lugh are associated with the raven and the last had two magic ravens similar to those of Odin (The two ravens that sit on the shoulders of Odin are called Huginn and Muninn (Mind and Memory))
• Among Amerindians Raven is one of the chief and most widespread of the trickster-heroes and shape-shifters; he is not only the trickster but also a creator and appears as Raven Man, the Big Grandfather. He was one of the creatures which recreated the land after the Flood and stole the sun. Raven is also a messenger of the Great Spirit. The Inuits believe that Raven came from primeval darkness and taught the first humans how to survive. The Haida tell of the Raven finding a giant clam on a beach after the Flood; and how it was full of terrified little creatures who were persuaded to leave the shell by Raven, and to explore the world around them. These creatures eventually became the first people.