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A late-16th-century English illustration of a witch feeding her familiars. In European folklore of the medieval and early modern periods, familiars (strictly familiar spirits, as "familiar" also meant just "close friend" or companion, and may be seen in the scientific name for dog, Canis familiaris) were believed to be supernatural entities, interdimensional beings, or spiritual guardians that ...
It became a custom to take care of these animals when they were found within the area of the shrine. Normally, each kami had only one animal familiar, but sometimes, there were some exceptions where a kami had more than one. Even some of the "Seven Lucky Gods" like Daikokuten (a mouse) and Benzaiten (a snake) had animal familiars. [5]
The name Huay Chivo combines Spanish and Yucatec Mayan terms. Huay or Uay comes from Waay in Yucatec Maya, meaning sorcerer, spirit or animal familiar, while Chivo is Spanish for goat, literally meaning sorcerer-goat; it is also known as the Chivo Brujo, an entirely Spanish phrase meaning the same thing.
The West was also influenced by the Orient and dragons and griffins were grafted onto Western animals. Familiar animals are represented in particular through scenes of peasant life in 15th-century Books of Hours. [4] From the 9th century onwards, Muslim aniconism was respected for religious spaces, with rare exceptions, particularly Anatolian ...
Familiar – Animal servant; Far darrig – Little people that constantly play pranks; Farfadet – Small (some half-meter tall), wrinkled, and brown-skinned helpful sprites. The Fates – Three time-controlling sisters; Faun – Human-goat hybrid nature spirit; Fear gorta – Hunger ghost
In almost every animal there is some way to connect it to a lesson from the church or a familiar religious story. With animals holding significance since ancient times, it is fair to say that bestiaries and their contents gave fuel to the context behind the animals, whether real or myth, and their meanings.
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It is helpful to be able to understand the source of scientific names. Although the Latin names do not always correspond to the current English common names, they are often related, and if their meanings are understood, they are easier to recall. The binomial name often reflects limited knowledge or hearsay about a species at the time it was named.