Lord of the Animals
Encyclopedia
The Lord of the Animals (also known as Master of (the) Animals) is a generic term for a number of deities from a variety of cultures with close relationships to the animal kingdom or in part animal form (in cultures where that is not the norm). They sometimes also have female equivalents, the so-called Mistress of the Animals. The implication being these all have a Stone Age
precursor who was probabably a hunter's deity. The classic example of which is the 'horned god
of the hunt
' (see also Deer in mythology), typified by Cernunnos
, Herne the Hunter
and Arnon, and a variety of Stag, Bull, Ram and Goat gods. Horned gods are not universal however, and in some cultures Bear gods, like Arktos
might take the role, or even the more anthropomorphic
deities who lead the Wild Hunt
. Such figures are also often referred to as 'Lord of the forest'* or 'Lord of the mountain'.
Shiva
has the epithet Pashupati
meaning the "Lord of cattle".
The Horned God
of the Wicca
ns is believed to be derived from the same source as Shiva.
Some Saints such as St Giles and Hubertus
also preserve the image.
It is possible that we are dealing with an Proto-Indo-European deity
or archetype
.
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
precursor who was probabably a hunter's deity. The classic example of which is the 'horned god
Horned God
The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in some European pagan religions. He is often given various names and epithets, and represents the male part of the religion's duotheistic theological system, the other part being the female Triple Goddess. In common Wiccan belief, he is...
of the hunt
Hunting
Hunting is the practice of pursuing any living thing, usually wildlife, for food, recreation, or trade. In present-day use, the term refers to lawful hunting, as distinguished from poaching, which is the killing, trapping or capture of the hunted species contrary to applicable law...
' (see also Deer in mythology), typified by Cernunnos
Cernunnos
Cernunnos is the conventional name given in Celtic studies to depictions of the horned god of Celtic polytheism. The name itself is only attested once, on the 1st-century Pillar of the Boatmen, but depictions of a horned or antlered figure, often seated in a "lotus position" and often associated...
, Herne the Hunter
Herne the Hunter
In English folklore, Herne the Hunter is a ghost associated with Windsor Forest and Great Park in the English county of Berkshire. His appearance is notable in the fact that he has antlers upon his head....
and Arnon, and a variety of Stag, Bull, Ram and Goat gods. Horned gods are not universal however, and in some cultures Bear gods, like Arktos
Arktos
In Greek mythology, Arktos was a centaur who fought against the Lapith spearmen....
might take the role, or even the more anthropomorphic
Anthropomorphism
Anthropomorphism is any attribution of human characteristics to animals, non-living things, phenomena, material states, objects or abstract concepts, such as organizations, governments, spirits or deities. The term was coined in the mid 1700s...
deities who lead the Wild Hunt
Wild Hunt
The Wild Hunt is an ancient folk myth prevalent across Northern, Western and Central Europe. The fundamental premise in all instances is the same: a phantasmal, spectral group of huntsmen with the accoutrements of hunting, horses, hounds, etc., in mad pursuit across the skies or along the ground,...
. Such figures are also often referred to as 'Lord of the forest'* or 'Lord of the mountain'.
Shiva
Shiva
Shiva is a major Hindu deity, and is the destroyer god or transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine. God Shiva is a yogi who has notice of everything that happens in the world and is the main aspect of life. Yet one with great power lives a life of a...
has the epithet Pashupati
Pashupati
Pashupati , "Lord of cattle", is an epithet of the Hindu god Shiva. In Vedic times it was used as an epithet of Rudra. The Rigveda has the related pashupa "protector of cattle" as a name of Pushan. The Pashupatinath Temple is the most important Hindu shrine for all Hindus in Nepal and also for many...
meaning the "Lord of cattle".
The Horned God
Horned God
The Horned God is one of the two primary deities found in some European pagan religions. He is often given various names and epithets, and represents the male part of the religion's duotheistic theological system, the other part being the female Triple Goddess. In common Wiccan belief, he is...
of the Wicca
Wicca
Wicca , is a modern Pagan religious movement. Developing in England in the first half of the 20th century, Wicca was popularised in the 1950s and early 1960s by a Wiccan High Priest named Gerald Gardner, who at the time called it the "witch cult" and "witchcraft," and its adherents "the Wica."...
ns is believed to be derived from the same source as Shiva.
Some Saints such as St Giles and Hubertus
Hubertus
Saint Hubertus or Hubert , called the "Apostle of the Ardennes" was the first Bishop of Liège...
also preserve the image.
It is possible that we are dealing with an Proto-Indo-European deity
Proto-Indo-European religion
Proto-Indo-European religion is the hypothesized religion of the Proto-Indo-European peoples based on the existence of similarities among the deities, religious practices and mythologies of the Indo-European peoples. Reconstruction of the hypotheses below is based on linguistic evidence using the...
or archetype
Archetype
An archetype is a universally understood symbol or term or pattern of behavior, a prototype upon which others are copied, patterned, or emulated...
.
- In some accounts of werewolves, a figure known as the 'Lord Of The Forest', who usually provides the means for the change, is mentioned as well, such as the case of The Werewolf of Besançon, or that of Jean Grenier.
- In EuropeEuropeEurope is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
an cultures, there is also a prevalent legendary relating to "lords" or "kings" of specific species, especially of the catCatThe cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...
s, and of the means by which this kingship passes and the passage is announced. [See http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type6070b.html#kingcat]
Further reading
- Hinks, Roger (1938). The Master of Animals, Journal of the Warburg Institute, Vol. 1, No. 4 (Apr., 1938), pp. 263–265
- Chittenden, Jacqueline (1947). The Master of Animals, Hesperia, Vol. 16, No. 2 (Apr. - Jun., 1947), pp. 89–114
- Slotten, Ralph L. (1965). The Master of Animals: A study in the symbolism of ultimacy in primitive religion, Journal of the American Academy of ReligionJournal of the American Academy of ReligionThe Journal of the American Academy of Religion is a peer-reviewed academic journal published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Academy of Religion...
, 1965, XXXIII(4): 293-302
External links
- Master of the Animals at Encyclopædia BritannicaEncyclopædia BritannicaThe Encyclopædia Britannica , published by Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., is a general knowledge English-language encyclopaedia that is available in print, as a DVD, and on the Internet. It is written and continuously updated by about 100 full-time editors and more than 4,000 expert...