Title: Animals in Mythology | Encyclopedia.com
Headings: Animals in Mythology
Animals in Mythology
Animals in Mythology
Theme Overview
Major Myths
Mythological Animals in Context
Mythological Animals in Art, Literature, and Everyday Life
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Content: If the nagual is hurt or killed, the person suffers or dies. One myth says the naguals fought on the side of the Native Americans against invading Spaniards centuries ago. Sometimes a family, a clan, or a whole society feels a special attachment to a certain kind of animal, usually one they consider to be an ancestor or protector. This connection, called totemism, defines social groups and their behavior. Hunters are sometimes forbidden to kill their group's totem animal, for example. Among the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest, the beaver, the eagle, the raven, and the killer whale are all associated with particular clans. People display their identity and status with totem poles, which are tall standing logs carved with images of mythical animals. Totem poles mark village entrances, burial sites of chieftains, and the entrance of each clan house. In many societies, people believed that shamans had animal helpers who guided them through the supernatural realm. This idea is similar to the common image of a witch's “familiar”—an animal, usually a black cat, that gives the witch certain powers.