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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 ...
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.
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
There are 107 classes of animals in 33 phyla in this list. However, different sources give different numbers of classes and phyla. For example, Protura, Diplura, and Collembola are often considered to be the three orders in the class Entognatha. This list should by no means be considered complete and authoritative and should be used carefully.
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.
When used without a qualifier, the modern meaning of cattle is usually restricted to domesticated bovines. [15] Cow is in general use as a singular for the collective cattle. The word cow is easy to use when a singular is needed and the sex is unknown or irrelevant—when "there is a cow in the road", for example.
Animals in mythology and religion. Animal deity, a non-human animal deity; Animal spirit, the spirit of a non-human animal; Familiar, a supernatural entity, interdimensional being, or spiritual guardian that protects or assists witches and cunning folk in their practice of magic, divination, and spiritual insight
Louis Le Breton's illustration of a grimalkin from the Dictionnaire Infernal. A grimalkin, also known as a greymalkin, is an archaic term for a cat. [1] The term stems from "grey" (the colour) plus "malkin", an archaic term with several meanings (a low class woman, a weakling, a mop, or a name) derived from a hypocoristic form of the female name Maud. [2]