Animal Symbolism
This page lists all the various symbols in the Animal Symbolism category.
Symbols in this category:
Bear
Even if they’ve never seen one in person, most people have probably come across bears, whether through movies, nature documentaries, children's characters or even stuffed animals. In any case, the human fascination with this animal is a truly ancient phenomenon, stretching back thousands of years and found in the traditions of many different cultures.
Boar
When it comes to symbolic meaning, the boar can be distinctly different from the “pig”, so this article will only address the former. While there are some general connotations to the boar that are fairly easy to understand, there are also innumerable cultural associations that follow in the tracks of this animal, wherever it happens to reside.
Brothers Symbol
The Brothers symbol is depicted in almost every creation story among the Native American Indians.
Bull
Powerful in all senses of the word, the bull has held symbolic importance for thousands of years across many different cultures.
Crocodile
The crocodile is one of nature’s premier predators; at home on land and in the water, crocodiles can remain motionless for hours while targeting prey, and their bite strength can reach over 3000 pounds of force per square inch. For these and other reasons, crocodiles have acquired a great deal of symbolism over the millennia.
Dove
With its pure white feathers, softly rounded body and gentle demeanor, the dove is one of the most ubiquitous symbols of peace, innocence and purity. On the other hand, the dove’s symbolism is considerably more complex than notions such as these, and in some cases those complexities can prove quite surprising.
Duck
Compared to other birds such as the peacock or the eagle, the duck seems like a rather unimpressive and unremarkable fowl. Appearances are often deceptive, however, and this creature has more symbolic importance than might be expected.
Elephant
As one of the animal kingdom's largest and most powerful members, the elephant carries important symbolism in many cultures.
Fox
The fox carries important meaning in a number of cultures, and the nature of its symbolism varies quite widely, both between cultures and sometimes within them. While some of these meanings are quite well known, the fox also possesses a number of less obvious associations.
Griffin
The griffin, griffon, or gryphon (Greek: γρύφων, grýphōn, or γρύπων, grýpōn, early form γρύψ, grýps; Latin: gryphus) is a legendary creature with the body, tail, and back legs of a lion; the head and wings of an eagle; and an eagle's talons as its front feet. As the lion was traditionally considered the king of the beasts and the eagle was the king of the birds, the griffin was thought to be an especially powerful and majestic creature.
Hippopotamus
The hippopotamus is an extremely powerful animal, both on land and in the water. Its massive size and fierce demeanor, yet also its association with fertility, all contribute to its potent symbolic meaning.
Jackal
In certain parts of the world, the jackal often carries negative meaning, and some would argue that even the word “jackal” sounds harsh to the ears. This, however, is not the complete picture, and here we’ll examine some of these symbolic meanings and pinpoint specific aspects of the animal’s nature that has led humanity to classify jackals the way they have.
Peacock
Although indigenous to the Indian sub-continent, the peacock has spread far beyond its native land and acquired symbolic meaning in a number of diverse cultures.
Raven
The raven is a very interesting creature in terms of symbolic meaning. Although it has a widespread reputation for ill fortune, this is not the case everywhere you go, and even where it is, there are subtle layers of meaning assigned to this bird that some may not be aware of.
Scarab
This little beetle may seem to be a rather innocuous creature, but the symbolism attached to it places this insect in the same rank as many far more impressive beasts, and in some cases above them.
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"Animal Symbolism Symbols." Symbols.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 22 Dec. 2024. <https://www.symbols.com/category/13/Animal+Symbolism>.
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