sacred animals
Divinely protected beasts
Sacred animals are creatures held in special religious or spiritual reverence, often believed to embody divine qualities or serve as intermediaries between humans and gods.
Different traditions honor different animals: cows in Hinduism, cats in ancient Egypt, ravens in Norse mythology.
The designation typically protects these animals from harm or slaughter within that culture: The temple monkeys are considered sacred animals and fed by devotees.
- holy cowExpression of amazement
- oxCastrated male cattle
- golden calfSymbol of misplaced worship
- sphinxMysterious, unreadable person
- phoenixSelf-immolating, regenerating bird
qilin · griffin · animism · dog · totemism · shamanism · serpent · snake deity · goat · eagle · Anubis · cat goddess · scarab · falcon · Garuda · elephant · worship · Quetzalcoatl
- cultural associationslucky colors, wedding traditions, religious icons, national symbols, superstitions
- mythsmyth, legend, fable, fairy tale, folk tale
- ancient religiongods, goddesses, pantheon, deity, polytheism
- Egyptian mythologyRa, Osiris, Isis, Horus, Anubis
- Egyptologypyramids, pyramid, pharaohs, pharaoh, hieroglyphs
- African folkloreAnansi, folktales, ancestors, spirits, trickster stories
sacred animalsunclean animals
Creatures forbidden by scripture
vermin · pests · abominations · rats · swine
sacred animalslivestock
Domesticated farm animals
beasts of burden · farm animals · game animals · draft animals · working animals