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According to the Catalogue of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, the "Numidian crane" represents the phoenix on the coinage of Antoninus Pius (r. 138–161 ). [ 11 ] [ 12 ] According to Harris Rackham, Pliny the Elder 's description of a phoenix in Natural History "tallies fairly closely with the golden pheasant of the Far East ".
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.
The ouroboros is often interpreted as a symbol for eternal cyclic renewal or a cycle of life, death and rebirth; the snake's skin-sloughing symbolises the transmigration of souls. The snake biting its own tail is a fertility symbol in some religions: the tail is a phallic symbol and the mouth is a yonic or womb-like symbol. [9]
Because cardinals are present in all seasons, from barren winter to fruitful summer, they may also represent renewal, transformation and manifestation, spiritual and otherwise.
J. E. Millais: The Return of the Dove to the Ark (1851). According to the biblical story (Genesis 8:11), a dove was released by Noah after the Flood in order to find land; it came back carrying a freshly plucked olive leaf (Hebrew: עלה זית alay zayit), [8] a sign of life after the Flood and of God's bringing Noah, his family and the animals to land.
Makara (Hindu mythology) – half terrestrial animal in the frontal part (stag, deer, or elephant) and half aquatic animal in the hind part (usually of a fish, a seal, or a snake, though sometimes a peacock or even a floral tail is depicted) Sea goat – Half goat, half fish; Selkie – Shapeshifting seal people
Hapi (Ancient Egyptian: ḥꜥpj) Also spelled Hapy was the god of the annual flooding of the Nile in ancient Egyptian religion.The flood deposited rich silt (fertile soil) on the river's banks, allowing the Egyptians to grow crops. [1]
The Four Holy Beasts (四靈、四聖獸、or 四大神獸) are Chinese astronomical and cultural Four Benevolent Animals that are spread in the East Asian cultural sphere. They are mentioned in the Chinese classic Book of Rites [ 1 ] and includes the Dragon (龍) in the East, the Qilin (麟) in the West, the Turtle (龜) in the North, and the ...