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Animal symbolicum ("symbol-making" or "symbolizing animal") is a definition for humans proposed by the German neo-Kantian philosopher Ernst Cassirer. The tradition since Aristotle has defined a human being as animal rationale (a rational animal ). However, Cassirer claimed that man's outstanding characteristic is not in his metaphysical or ...
Serpent symbolism. The serpent, or snake, is one of the oldest and most widespread mythological symbols. The word is derived from Latin serpens, a crawling animal or snake. Snakes have been associated with some of the oldest rituals known to humankind [ 1][ 2] and represent dual expression [ 3] of good and evil. [ 4]
Horse symbolism. The Horses of Neptune, illustration by Walter Crane, 1893. Horse symbolism is the study of the representation of the horse in mythology, religion, folklore, art, literature and psychoanalysis as a symbol, in its capacity to designate, to signify an abstract concept, beyond the physical reality of the quadruped animal.
As is the case with many animals, symbolism around dragonflies changes across countries, cultures and centuries. Once seen in Europe, in places like Portugal, Sweden, ...
Giant ibis ( national bird) Pseudibis gigantea. [ 13] [better source needed] Northern river terrapin ( national reptile) Batagur baska. [ 13] [better source needed] Giant barb ( national fish) Catlocarpio siamensis.
A tetramorph is a symbolic arrangement of four differing elements, or the combination of four disparate elements in one unit. The term is derived from the Greek tetra, meaning four, and morph, shape. The word comes from the Greek for "four forms" or "shapes". In English usage, each symbol may be described as a tetramorph in the singular, and a ...
Most depictions allude to the appearance and behavior of the wide-ranging common raven ( Corvus corax ). Because of its black plumage, croaking call, and diet of carrion, the raven is often associated with loss and ill omen. Yet, its symbolism is complex. As a talking bird, the raven also represents prophecy and insight.
However, exotic animals, which were difficult to observe, were in part imagined by the painter: La Chaste au tigre (The Tiger Hunt), a Baroque painting by Rubens depicting a hunt for big cats, including lions, is a work that was partly imagined by the painter; the composition of the picture, however, allowed realism to be breathed into these ...