Archetypal Animals

1
Archetypal Animals

• Since humans are in a position higher than
  animals, Jung believed that mankind often looks
  to animals as symbolic. Many cultures throughout
  the ages have believed that certain animals
  represent creative forces, or even the gods.

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SNAKE

• Rebirth rejuvenation
• Fertility
• Special knowledge
• Evil
• The underworld
• A primordial force
• Universal fear

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Snake examples

• Medusa
• The symbol on the medical sign
• The snake in the Garden of Eden
• The term a snake in the grass
• Others?

4
LAMB

• Sacrifice
• Innocence
• Martyrdom

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Lamb examples

• Childrens nursery rhymes, like Mary had a
  little lamb..
• Sacrifices in Greek culture
• Sacrifices in the Hebrew Scriptures
• Others?

6
GOAT

• Typically a masculine symbol
• Evil
• Negative associations

7
Goat examples

• Devil
• The term scapegoat
• Others?

8
HORSE

• Intelligence
• Manliness
• Power

9
Horse examples

• Ice Age cave art- horse is portrayed as very
  important
• Pegasus
• Centaurs
• Mr. Ed
• Others?

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BULL

• Fertility
• Death and resurrection
• Courage
• Manliness masculine strength
• Potency

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Bull examples

• Wall Street Bull
• Bull riding
• Minotaur
• Greeks on the isle of Crete revered the bull due
  to its ability to cultivate the earth and make
  it fertile for planting
• Others?

12
COW

• Sacrifice
• Worship

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Cow examples

• Indias sacred animal is the cow
• Others?

14
WORM

• Death
• Decay

15
Worm examples

• Ancient humans saw the decay of carcasses due to
  maggots
• Worm tongue, the character with a poisonous
  tongue from The Lord of the Rings
• Others?

16
BIRD

• Messenger of the gods (humans saw the birds fly
  up to the heavens and associated them with the
  gods)
• Freedom
• Peace
• Birds have both negative and positive definitions
  depending on the type of bird (for example- raven
  or crow would be more negative- dove or eagle
  would be more positive)

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Bird examples

• Hermes
• Messenger Pigeons
• Dove as the universal symbol of peace
• The birds sent out to find land in the story of
  Noah
• The eagles in The Lord of the Rings
• The owl in Harry Potter
• Others?