Table 2. Eleven systems of knowledge containing animal symbolism

by Wim van Binsbergen

 (0) species, object, concept

(1) animal demons world-wide[1]

(2) symbols of Egyptian nomes[2]

(3) major Egyptian gods[3]

(4) figurines in the Chokwe divining basket, Angola, Zambia and Zaire

(5) nomen-clature of Nkoya clans, western central Zambia

(6) nomenclature of Tswana clans, Botswana and South Africa

(7) Chinese zodiac

(8) Chinese lunar mansions

(9) the 36 Babylonian stars

(10) modern international constellations

(11) major Greek gods

abstract concept

lie; imminent misfortune; folly; folded heart (lack of sociability)

nleya (= ‘provided with’)

space; emptiness; danger; straddling

Death; Mistress of life; Lord of death

ant-eater, aardvark, pangolin

ant-bear, pangolin

ant-bear

tapir

antelope, deer

U16 (oryx)

Seth, Anukis, Satis (gazelle)

antelope (‘s horn); duiker (‘s hoof)

duiker; impala; kudu; reedbuck; eland antelope; hartebeest

unicorn, deer

deer

Unicorn; Giraffe

Dionysos, Artemis, Aphrodite, Athene, Apollo

bear

Great Bear; Little Bear

Artemis (she-bear)

birds, aquatic

L15 (ibis)

Thoth, Chonsu

wild duck (‘s foot); white heron (‘s claw); kingfisher

Crane, Swan

Hera (kingfisher); Aphrodite, Zeus (swan)

birds, eagle

eagle[4]

eagle (‘s claw)

eagle

Eagle

Zeus

birds, falcon

U2, U5, U18?

Horus, Montu, Anti, Antywey / Antaios, Re Horachti, Haroeris, Harmerti, Sokar, Chonsu

(symbolic but not in basket)

[5]

birds, hawk[6]

hawk[7]

hawk

Apollo

birds, sylvan & general; also bat

laughing-bird(‘s beak); mason bird ( symbolic but not in basket); owl ( symbolic but not in basket); touraco bird; unspecified little bird

owl (morubisi, thubisi); red-billed quelea bird; weaver bird; any bird of small or moderate size (nonyane)

swallow; crow; bat; bird star

raven; swallow;

Crow; Dove; Toucan; Phoenix

Apollo, Athene, Kronos, Athene (crow or raven); Hera, Zeus (cuckoo); Aphrodite, Zeus (dove); Athene (owl); Herakles, Leto (quail); Aphrodite (swallow); Ares, Zeus (woodpecker)

birds, terrestrial (fowl)

U3 (double ostrich feathers)

Amon (goose); Maat, Shu (ostrich feather)

cock (paw); guinea fowl (symbolic but not in basket); partridge

guinea fowl

bustard

cock

pheasant; cock

Peacock

Apollo, Athene, Hermes (cock); Apollo, Ares, Hera, Hermes (goose); Hera (peacock)

birds, vulture

vulture[8]

Nekhbet, Mut

vulture

Apollo, Ares, Kronos

body parts, animal (mammal)

L2 (foreleg of oxen)[9]

buck’s rib (or other mammal’s); kneecap, tibia, ear, of unspecified mammal

marrow

horn; tail; beak; wings

bull’s jaw

Athene glaukopis with owl’s eyes; Hera boopis with cow’s eyes,

body parts, human

lungs (L17)

Jusas (hand); Min, Amon (penis); Aton (hand at end of ray); sons of Horus (various organs); Mut, Tefnut (sun’s eye)

penis; vagina; heart; folded heart (lack of sociability); woman with distended belly; handicapped person

vulva; heart; penis

neck; heart; stomach

kidneys

Berenice’s Hair

Aphrodite Comaetho, Cybele (hair); Artemis Orthia= upright, Dionysos lame, Zeus Velchanos= ‘who drags his foot’ (body); Athene glaukopis, Aphrodite peeping, Hera Europia broadly seeing, Hera boopis with cow’s eyes, Herakles Bright-eyed, Hades sightless (eyes); Herakles Nose-docker; Herakles of the Wounded Thigh; Herakles the Dactyl (finger); Hermes (phallus)

bovine

[10]

U11, U10 (black bull); L6, L3 (two-headed bull); L12 (cow with calf)

Buchis, Mnevis, Apis, Chentechtai, Serapis (bull); Hathor (cow)

ginger ox;

cattle; heifer (tshelwana); buffalo

oxen

oxen

bull

Bull

Poseidon, Artemis Tauropole= ‘bull-killer’ (bull); Hera boopis, with cow’s eyes; Herakles Bouphagos= ‘cow-eater’, Athene (oxen, cow)

canine

dog; wolf[11]

U17, L11

Anubis, Chenti Amentiu, Chent cheti, Wepwewet, Serapis

hunter’s dog

wild dog

dog

fox; wolf; dog

wild dog; fox; great dog

Fox; Great Dog; Hunting Dogs; Little Dog; Wolf

Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Zeus (wolf); Artemis (dog)

chameleon

chameleon

Chameleon

colour

L10 (black); L1 (white)

Uto =Wadjit (White crown); Nechbet, Satis (red crown); Neith (blue crown); Osiris, Wadjit (green); golden (Re and all gods)

white bead

Aphrodite (dark, black); Apollo, Artemis, Zeus of the White Poplar (white); Athene Chryse (golden); Athene Colocasia = of the red water-lily (red); Zeus (green)

crocodile, dragon

crocodile[12]

U6, L14, L5, L4

Sobek, Chentechtai

(symbolic but not in basket)

crocodile (kwena,

Maebu)

dragon

scaled dragon; smooth dragon

Dragon

Apollo, Artemis, Athena, Dionysos, Herakles, Hermes, Kronos, Pan, Poseidon, Zeus (fight against)[13]

directions (n, e, S, w)

U13, U14, U20, U21, L19, L18 (Anterior/ Posterior); L14 (Eastern); L8, L7 (Eastern/ Western); L5, L4 (Northern/ Southern); R13 (Western)

Chenti Amentiu (West); Tefnut (South); Seth (East); Neith, Uto (North); Nekhbet (South)

Southern Fish; Northern Crown, Southern Cross, Southern Crown

Apollo, Artemis (northern)

drink

Hathor, Isis (nursing the king)

Hebe (ambrosia); Poseidon = ‘he who gives to drink from the wooded mountain’

earth, sand, land

Land (U1);Great land (U8);

Re (earth mound in sun temple), Geb

naga (veld / penis)

basis

field; mistress of the enemy-land

Rhea (earth); Poseidon (earthquakes); Zeus (mount of earth on top of Mt. Lukaios); Pan (pasture)

elephant

elephant

elephant

equine

horse[14]

Seth (ass)

zebra

horse

horse

Centaur; Foal; Pegasus

Ares, Herakles Horse-binder, Athene, Poseidon (horse)

feline

lion; cf. Sinhika; panther[15]

[16]

Mehit, Tefnut, Pachet, Horus lord of Mesen, Shu Anhuret, Ma-hesa, Sakhmet (lion); Bastet (cat)

lion or leopard’s claw or tooth

lion

lion; leopard (nkwe); predator (sebata)

tiger

tiger; leopard

lion; panther

Little Lion; Lion; Lynx

Artemis, Hekate (cat); Dionysos (leopard); Cybele, Herakles (lion)

fish (also dolphin, whale)

fish[17]

Lepidotos (L16); unspecified fish (L15); Tilapia[18] (L4, L5); oxyrynchos (U19)

Neith (Tilapia fish); Hatmehit (‘first of the fishes’); Shu (Lepidotos fish); Atum (eel)

electrical fish’s vertebra

barbel

any kind of fish

fish

Dolphin; Fishes; Flying Fish; Sea-goat; Southern Fish; Swordfish; Whale

Aphrodite the Fish; Poseidon, Apollo (dolphin)

frog

Hekat

Aphrodite

gastropod

belemnite (U9)

Min (belemnite)

cowry; snail’s shell; mother-of-pearl shell of long snail

Aphrodite (Cypraea =cowry)

hare

U15 (hare, female hare)

Unut

hare’s tail or paw

hare

hare

hare

Hare

hippopotamus

hippopotamus[19]

Taweret

hippopotamus

humans and gods

prince (L19, 18); ‘ruler of Anzeti’ (L13); Anzeti (L9)

nuclear family (father, mother, child); Jinga fertility archetype; spirit of mask dancer; male ancestor; female ancestor; slave; child; human being; couple; wailing-woman; handicapped person; sorcerer; woman with distended belly; polluting spirits of the wild; group of people on their way; spirit associated with menstruation and conception; forest spirit; Suku protective archetype; Cisola fertility archetype; sick child; the double person (who treacherously incites conflict); true witness; hunter’s spirit

spear-hunter

virgin; demons

old man; Anunitu; faithful herdsman of Anu; twins; Shulpa’e; great twins; Shu.pa; Ninmah; EN.TE.NA.BAR.‡UM; king; mouth-opening demon; Numu?da; Damu; Marduk; hired labourer; king of the sky-gods; Enlil; ...of Sharur; Enlil; Ishtar mistress of the enemy-land; herald; Great...; Ishtaran, Anu; [...] of Enlil; [Sin (moon)] and Nergal; Mistress; Anu, Enlil, Ea, all three (?); Lord of Death; Lord (?) Shamash [ sun ] ; Queen of the Igigi-gods; Queen of the Igigi-gods; Enlil (?); Goddess of heaven and earth; King, Lord of the Igigi-gods; Mistress of Haruspicy; Lord of the Sources, Ea; Dwelling of Anu; Hero among the Igigi-gods; the two gods Adad and Marduk; Mistress of Life; The three gods (?), Ea; Lord who kills; King of the Igigi-gods

Andromeda; Archer; Cassiopeia; Cepheus; Charioteer; Hercules; Herdsman; Indian; Orion; Painter; Perseus; Sculptor; Serpent-bearer; Twins; Virgin; Water-bearer

Aphrodite the Stranger; Apollo the Hunter; Persuasive Artemis; Artemis Saviour; Athene Mother; Dionysos Saviour; Herakles= ‘glory of Hera’; Athene Guardian; Herakles Saviour; Herakles Victor; Leto= ‘lady’; Ares= ‘male warrior’; Earth= ‘Mother’; Zeus Deliverer; Zeus Morios= ‘distributor’; Zeus Preserver; Zeus Reliever; Zeus Saviour

hyena

hyena

hyena

insect, spider, centipede (, arthropods)

L4?, L5? (bee); U18 (centipede)

Chopri (beetle); Sepa (centipede)

insect nest made out of wood; insect’s external skeleton; piece of a termite-hill; praying mantis (its egg depository)

bee?

locust

Bee, Fly

Apollo Parnopios (locust); Artemis, Demeter, Rhea (bee); Herakles Cornopion (locust); Herakles Ipoctonos (grub-killer); Zeus Averter of Flies; Athene (spider)

lizard

lizard (riverine )

lizard

Lizard

luxuries (incl. precious stones)

Hathor, Ihi (menat[20]; Uto (White crown); Nechbet, Satis (red crown); Neith (blue crown)

white bead

regalia?

tobacco;

wealth; iron

Northern Crown, Southern Cross, Southern Crown

Dionysos Plutodotes; Athene Chryse, golden

monkey, baboon

Thoth

baboon (front-paw)

kgabo (ape); tshwene (baboon); = kgano

(meercat)

monkey

monkey; monkey

mountain, wilderness

U12 (snake mountain);L6

Re, Seth, Nephthys

hill

Aphrodite Urania = ‘queen of the mountains’; Poseidon = ‘he who gives to drink from the wooded mountain’; Zeus Acraios = ‘of the summit’

ovines[21]

goat[22]

Chnum, Amon, Harsaphes / Herishef (ram)

goat

goat; sheep

sheep

sheep; he-goat

goat

Ram

Aphrodite Epitragia = - ‘turned into a he-goat’; Goatish Athene, Artemis, Dionysos, Pan, Zeus nursed by Amaltheia, Hera Goat-eating (goat); Hermes Ram-bearer, Pan, Zeus Sabazios (ram)

pig, wild boar

boar[23]

U11 (Seth animal)

Seth

wild pig’s tooth

pig

pig

pig

Zeus nursed by a sow

porcupine

porcupine

porcupine

porcupine

river, spring, lake, sea

Osiris, Hapi (Nile); Tefnut (moisture); Neith, Wadjit, Seth (sea)

source

Lord of the sources, Ea; Goddess of the sources

River; Water-bearer

Poseidon (sea); Aphrodite (foam-born); Artemis Lady of the Lake; Artemis = ‘? high source of water’; Orpheus = ‘? ophruoeis’ of the river bank’

scorpion, crab

scorpion[24]

Selket = Selkis

scorpion, crab

Crab; Scorpion

shrew, ichneumon, honey badger, mouse, rat

Atum, Haroeris, Harmerti (ichneumon/ shrew)

mouse (symbolic value but not in divining basket); honey badger(‘s nail)

rat

marten; rat

Apollo Smintheus (mice / rats); Hekate (weasel)

sky and celestial bodies, including stars

Hathor, Haroeris (sky); Chonsu, Osiris, Thoth (moon); Horus (the moon and sun as his eyes); Nut (moon’s mother); sons of Horus (stars); Nut (stars’ mother); Amon, Re, Hathor, Atum, Aton, Re-Harakhte, Harmachis (sun); Nut (sun’s mother)

moon

rain

Pleiades; Orion; Bird Star

Venus; stars; Mars; great star; brilliant star of stars; [Sin (moon)] and Nergal; Lord (?) Shamash [ sun ] ; weapon, star of...; Goddess of heaven and earth; the planet Mars

Apollo, Eos (dawn); Solar Apollo, Helios, Solar Zeus (sun); Artemis Alpheia, Selene (moon); Artemis Anacitis = ‘of the planet Venus’; Zeus (bright sky); Celestial Herakles; Athena, Zeus (thunderbolt)

snake

snake; cf. Nagas, Indian snake-demons[25]

U10 (snake); U12 (mountain snake)

Uto, Apophis, Meretseger, Naunet, Thermouthis/ Renenutet,

snake spirit; snake’s head

snake

snake

snake; worm

snake

Little Snake, Serpent, Water-snake

Herakles Ophioktonos, serpent-killing; [ Zeus] Sabazios (snake)

stone (non-precious), rock

Atum (benben stone)

pebbles

Apollo of the White Rock; Hermes = ‘cairn or pillar’; Leto = ‘stone’

technology, including smoke

bow (U1); balance post (U2); sceptre (U4, U19); sistrum (U7); relic shrine (U8); flint knife (U22); harpoon (L8, L7); shield (L5, L4); house (L20)

Satet (bow and arrows); Anat (shield, battle-axe); Anzeti (switch, flail); Chnum (potter’s wheel); Isis (throne); Meshenet (birth tile); Neith (shield, [ bow ] and arrows); Reshef (battle-axe, lance, shield); Aker, Sechet (field); Serapis (corn measure); Unut (knives)

boat; drum; mortar; head-rest; night-gun[26]; hoe; bellows; bracelet; path; wooden arrow point; iron arrow point; knife of power;[27] bier; baby carrying sling; basket; woman’s utensils; houses with breached walls to take deceased outside; lock; tally; grave; any object due to European presence in the region; piece of glass or mica; coin; piece of European china (crockery); European bell; bullet

beehive; bell; fish spear?; tinder-box?; bull-roarer?; sparkler?;[28] reed-mat?; peg?; fire-bore?; smoke

clay-pit;

trench;

milling vessel

winnowing basket; spoon; house; wall; net; bow; coach

plough; arrow; bow; cart; balance; arrow; weapon, star of...; Mistress of Haruspicy; Dwelling of Anu

Air pump; Altar; Arrow; Balance; Clock; Compasses; Cup; Furnace; Keel; Lyre; Mariner’s Compass; Microscope; Net; Octant; Poop; Rule; Sails; Sculptor’s Tools ; Sextant; Shield; Southern Triangle; Table; Telescope; Triangle

Hephaestus (general); Aphrodite Epitymbria = ‘of the tombs’; Federal Aphrodite; Aphrodite Schoenis = ‘of the rush-basket’; Apollo of the Embarcations; Athene Girder-on-of-Arms, Warlike Athene, Warlike Zeus (arms); Artemis Cordax = ‘of the rope dance’; Artemis Dictynna = ‘of the net’; Artemis Eileithyia (midwife); Artemis the hanged one; Artemis the Huntress; Artemis Tridaria = ‘threefold assigner of lots’; Artemis Trivia = ‘of the three ways’; Athene Alea = ‘she who grinds’; Athene Polias, Herakles Melkarth (protector of the city); Athene Skiras (parasol); Cybele, Zeus Labradian (axe); Apollo, Artemis (bow, arrow, quiver); Athena (breastplate); Herakles (club); Zeus (god of the assembly); Zeus, Hestia (hearth); Herakles Ogmios, of the Ogams (a script); Herakles the Healer; Hermes (herald’s staff); Apollo, Hermes, Orpheus (lyre); Apollo (omphalos); Pan (shepherd’s pipe; Hermes (shepherd’s staff); Ares (spear); Three Fates, Athene (spinning, weaving); Poseidon (trident); Apollo (tripod); Hermes (winged hat); Zeus of the Courtyard

tortoise

tortoise

Aphrodite, Apollo, Hermes, Pan

trees and plants[29]

U13, U14 Atf, sycamore?); U20, 21 (ntf, granade?); L20

Hathor (sycamore); Uto (papyrus plant); Nefertem (lotus); Osiris, Nepri (corn)

fruits and grains of red maize; Brachystegia tree; raffia palm; gourd (the fruit); a climbing plant; madder; Cannarium tree; Schrebera tree; Elaeis guineensis palm; Parinari tree; Swarzia madagascariensis plant; Abrus precatorius / canescens plant; Vangueriopsis lanciflora; little bundle of sticks[30]; fragment of mushroom with natural perforations; white mushroom

firewood; wood suitable for carving; kindling (out of mushroom)

pumpkin

willow

Aphrodite Erycina = ‘of the heather’; Aphrodite Schoenis, of the rush-basket; Apollo, Herakles Melon (apple); Artemis Caryatis = ‘of the walnut’; Artemis Hyacinthropos (hyacinth); Athene Colocasia, of the red water-lily; Athene Itone, Hera Hellotis, Artemis Lygodesma (willow); Demeter = ‘barley-mother’; Helios (heliotrope); Apollo, Artemis (laurel); Aphrodite (myrtle); Zeus (oak); Athene (olive tree); Apollo (palm tree); Persephone, Hera (pomegranate); Zeus of the White Poplar