Sacred animals of the countries of the world - from Asia to America

As you know, many peoples of the oldest civilizations were polytheistic. In some cultures, people worshiped animals as gods, believing that the gods could accept their appearance or especially favored them. Today, historians can name a great number of animals that have ever been revered as sacred. We will consider only some of them.

Cow

So, what are the sacred animals of the countries of the world known for? In ancient Egypt, the cult of Apis, the sacred bull, was developed. This animal symbolized strength, courage, and fertility. But the Egyptians did not worship the abstract bull or all bulls. Apis was a calf, born with special external marks - it had to correspond to a whole 29 signs. For example, a sacred bull must have a triangular spot on the forehead and a spot in the form of an eagle on the ridge. When a suitable animal appeared, a big holiday was announced. The incarnate deity Apis had a happy life: he lived at the temple of Ptah, he was honored, fed the best food and dressed up. If he for some reason died his death, mourning was declared. However, after reaching the age of 25, the sacred bull was still stoked in the Nile: the deity should not be old and decrepit.

A sacred animal in India is a cow. She still enjoys great respect. According to the principles of Hinduism, these animals are the embodiment of purity, sacrifice and motherhood.

Cat: the sacred animal of Egypt

Another animal that the Egyptians esteemed as sacred is a cat. Her divine patroness was Bast, a goddess with a female body and a cat's head.

Archaeological evidence indicates that all domestic cats of ancient Egypt enjoyed great respect. For causing harm to this animal severe punishments were practiced, and for murder, even accidental, they punished with death. In Egyptian tombs (in particular, in the city of Bubastis) archaeologists have found many mummified cats: pets were prepared for the afterlife as carefully and carefully as people.

However, despite their sacred status, cats were widely used for practical purposes: to protect the granaries from rats and other rodents.

The symbol of righteousness and abundance

Which animal is sacred to this day? White bison is considered a sacred symbol of righteousness and abundance for some Native American tribes . According to the legend of the Lakota people, its image was taken by the goddess, who in times immemorial taught people secret knowledge and prayers.

White colored bison is a creature incredibly rare. For Indians, the birth of such a calf is a real miracle, comparable in importance and positive meaning to crying icons or the convergence of the Holy Fire for Christians. Even if the White buffalo is to a person only in a dream, it is considered an unusually favorable sign, a promise of happiness and prosperity.

Quetzal

What other sacred animals of the world are known? Currently, quetzal is the national symbol of Guatemala. In this country, he is known as a bird of freedom and is present on state symbols - flag and coat of arms. In honor of him, the Guatemalans even named their national currency. And the quetzal's "career" began more than a millennium ago: the ancient Maya and the Aztecs considered the bird sacred. She embodied the god of air and wind Quetzalcoatl.

Priests and aristocrats wore feathers from the iridescent plumage of these birds during solemn ceremonies. But nobody tried to kill the Quetzales for this: they were carefully fished, plucked the necessary feathers from the tail and released. They were not kept in the cage either. In ancient times people believed that the "bird of freedom" is not able to live in captivity, but prefers death to a shameful captivity. Fortunately, practice has proved that suitable conditions for quetzales can still be created, so that they can be seen in zoos all over the world.

Once the natural habitat of ketzal was very wide. But today, unfortunately, the sacred bird of the Aztecs is under threat of extinction and is listed in the International Red Book.

Deer

What other sacred animals are known? The Japanese prefecture of Nara is famous for its many ancient monuments and temples, as well as the location of one of the largest Buddha statues. However, most tourists come here to get acquainted with local sacred animals from the nearby forest. The sacred deer of Nara are no less famous than the statue.

Every day more than 1000 animals descend down the mountain from the forest to the Buddha temple. Here they relax and chat with tourists who gladly treat their cookies. According to an ancient legend, which is more than 1000 years old, it all started with the fact that God visited his temple, sitting on the back of a deer. Since then they are sacred animals for the inhabitants of these places. A few centuries ago, the deer were guarded so severely that their death was punishable by death. Of course, recently people began to treat cloven-hoofed animals with less trepidation, but they still remain a national treasure and an amazing tourist attraction of this place.

Scarab

Scarab is one of the oldest and most widely known symbols of the ancient Egyptians. This nondescript beetle got its status as a sacred animal for the habit of rolling round pellets of manure to its burrow. Due to this behavior, the insect was identified with the ancient god of the sun, Hepri, who controlled the movement of the sun across the sky. As the sun globe hid behind the horizon in the evenings, so the scarab disappeared under the earth, then to appear again.

Egyptians often carried with them a carved stone or other material of a scarab as a symbol of eternal life, renewal and restoration. The same symbol was often placed on the chest of the deceased, preparing it for the afterlife.