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zoo GODSOFTHE ANIMALS IN MYTH, LEGEND & FABLE Anthony S. Mercatante Illustrated by the Author Harper & Row, Publishers New York, Evanston, San Francisco, London zoo o f THE g o d s: Animals in Myth, Legend, and Fable. Copyright © 1974 by Anthony S. Mercatante. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews. For informa tion address Harper & Row, Publishers, Inc., 10 East 53rd Street, New York, N.Y. 10022. Published simultaneously in Canada by Fitzhenry & Whiteside Limited, Toronto. Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data Mercatante, Anthony S Zoo of the gods. Bibliography: p. 1. Animal lore. 2. Animals, Legends and stories of. 3. Animals, Mythical. I. Title. GR705.M47 398'.369 74-4618 ISBN 0-06-065561-5 FIRST EDITION Designed by Janice Willcocks Stern CONTENTS Acknowledgments ix Prologue xi Part One: Animals of the Water XV Goose, Duck, Pelican, and Stork 1 Crocodile and Hippopotamus 8 Swan 11 Toad, Frog, and Salamander 16 Tortoise, Turtle, and Crab 20 Dolphin, Porpoise, and Whale 24 Fish 30 Part Two: Animals of the Earth 33 Serpent 33 Ape and Monkey 41 Cat 43 Tiger, Leopard, and Panther 34 Stag 38 Horse 62 Bear 67 Lion 72 Coyote and Hyena 77 Wolf 80 Fox 84 Dog 90 Cow and Bull 93 Wild Boar, Pig, and Sow 100 vii viii Contents Ant and Grasshopper 108 Ass and Mule 111 Scorpion 114 Goat, Lamb, and Ram 118 Rabbit 122 Rat and Mouse 127 Spider 131 Elephant 135 Part Three: Animals of the Air 141 Birds 143 Eagle, Hawk, and Vulture 147 Owl, Magpie, and Parrot 154 Raven and Crow 158 Nightingale, Robin, Cuckoo, and Swallow 162 Peacock, Woodpecker, Partridge, and Goldfinch 166 Dove 169 Cock 173 Bee, Butterfly, and Beetle 177 Bat and Fly 181 Part Four: Animals of the Mind 185 U nicorns 187 Gorgons, Geryon, Echidna, Hydra, Mermaid, Melusina, Undine, Kraken, and Loch Ness Monster 192 The Beasts of Ezekiel, Daniel, attd the Four Evangelists 196 Minotaur, Centaurs, Satyrs, and Fauns 200 Phoenix, Feng-Hwang, Ho-o, Simurg, Roc, Anka, and Firebird 204 Griffin, Hippogriff, Pegasus, and Chimera 208 Sphinx, Harpies, Sirens, Scylla, Lamiae, and Empusae 211 Dragons 215 Epilogue 223 Annotated Bibliography 224 Index 230 INDEX Compiled by Gary Gabriel Gisondi The following index is in three sections: I. General index to the animal lore of Zoo of the Gods, including the principal mythological and historical personages mentioned throughout the work. II. Index to the authors, composers, painters, film-makers (and other artists) whose work or thought is mentioned in the text. III. Index to works of multiple or anonymous authorship cited in the text. Note: Boldface page numbers indicate principal treatment of subject. I. GENERAL INDEX Abraham, 121, 201 Aigipan, 219 Achilles, 13,109,171 Alexander the Great, 151 Actaeon, 58-59 Algerian goat slaying, 119 Adam, 156, 165, 167 Algonquin Indians, 125 Aderyne y Corph, 144 Allah, 43,96,206 Adonis, 102 Amaltheia, 120 Aeacus, 109 American folktales; rabbit, 122-123 Aegina, 109 Ammit, 73 Aello, 212 Ammon-Ra, 37, 121, 153 Aesop; ant, 108; ape, 44; ass, 112; bat, Ancaeus, 100-101 181; bee, 178-179; cat, 47-48; fox, Androcles and the Lion, 75-76 87; goose, 3; hawk and nightingale, An-her, 10 152; lion, 72, 75; mouse and lion, Anka, 206 130; tortoise and hare, 21-22 Anna, mother of Virgin Mary, 169-170 African myths; ant, 109; bat, 182; Ant, 108-110 crocodile, 8-9; hyena, 78, 79; rabbit, Ape and monkey, 41-44 122-123; spider-man, 132 Apet (Apophis), 37 Agamenon, 59 Aphrodite, 13,21,25,48,96, 102, Agni, 121 125, 171,200 Ahab, 28-29 Apis, 97 Ahriman, 37 Apollo, 13,24,37,62, 115,129, 230 Index 231 Apollo: (cont’d) Beaver, 83 158-159,175,208 Bee, 177-180 Apsu, 31 Beelzebub, 182-183 Arab customs and folklore; Anka, 206; Beetle, 180 bat, 181; crocodile, 9; lion, 75; Behemoth, 27 Mohammed’s cat, 51; Roc ( Rukh), Bellerophon, 210, 219 206 Birds, 51, 143-146 Areas, 70, 80 Boar, pig, and sow, 100-107 Arachne, 131-132 Brahma, 3, 20 Ares, 152 Br’er Rabbit, 124 Argos, 167 Br’er Wolf, 124 Ariadne, 201 Breton beliefs; bee, 179 Aristotle, 7, 157, 180 British beliefs; soul-birds, 171 Arion, 26 Buddhist customs and legends; cat, 51; Artemis, 48, 58-60, 69,100,101, Dag-Po (Great Fish), 31; demon 115,178 dog, 92; elephant, 138; hare, 125; Asklepius, 37,115,158,176, 202 monkey, 42-43; peacock, 166 Asparas, 12-13 Bull, 72, 97-99, 198, 200-201 Ass and mule, 111-113 Burmese mythology; cat, 51 Astarte, 171,212 Butterfly, 180 Asterius (Minotaur), 200 Caesar, Julius, 49,139; wife of, 39 Asuras, the, 20 Cain, 160 Atalanta, 100-101 Calliope, 102 Athabascan legend; raven, 160 Callisto, 69, 80 Athene, 90,131-132,193,210 Camazotz, 182 Attis, 102 Cartoon animals and personalities; Audhumla (Audhubla), 95 Babar, 139; Batman and Robin, 182; Augustus, Emperor, 212 Br’er Rabbit, 124; Br’er Wolf, 124; Ayamara Indians, 17 Bugs Bunny, 125; Chesire Cat, 53; Azazel, 120 Dumbo, 139; hippopotamus, 10; Aztec ritual and mythology; cock, 176; Mickey Mouse, 130; Pluto, 94; Porky dog, 92; eagle, 148-149; hare, 125; Pig, 106; Smokey the Bear, 71; owl, 156; serpent, 38 Snoopy, 94; spider, 134; Woody the Ba, 144 Woodpecker, 168 Baal, 28 Castor, 13 Baalzebub, 183 Cat, 45-53 Bar bar the elephant, 139 Celeno, 212 Babylonian customs and mythology; Centaur, 201-203 bee-honey, 178; fish, 31; griffin, 208; Cerberus, 90-92 raven, 159; sphinx, 212 Ceres, 96 Bacchus, 120 Charles I (England), 188 Basilisk, 219 Charon, 90 Basuto beliefs; crocodile, 9 Charybdis, 213 Bat, 51, 181-182 Chesire Cat, 53 Bathsheba, 145 Chibcha Indians, 132 Batman and Robin, 182 Chimera, 210, 219 Bear, 67-71, 85, 198 Chinese customs and legends; bat, 182; 232 Index Chinese customs and legends: (cont’d) Crocote, 79 cat, 53; dragon, 220-221; fox, 87-88; Cronus, 21, 202 monkey, 42-43; phoenix, 206; Crow, 160-161 unicorn, 190 Cuckoo, 164 Chin-Lin, 190 Cybele, 102, 178 Chiron, 202 Christian art, legends, beliefs, etc.; bull, Dadhikra, 64 97; cat, 49; centaur, 202-203; cock, Daedalus, 200, 201 Danae, 114 175-176; dog, 92; dolphin, 26; dove, 169-170; fish, 32; fly, 182-183; lion, Daniel, the beasts of, 198 76; nightingale, 162; owl, 154; peli Danish folktales and myths; bee, 179; can, 4; pig, 104; raven, 159-160; werewolf, 82 Darbhodaol, 180 robin, 162; whale, 28; wolf, 82-83. Dauphin, 26 See also Christian symbolism and Christmas legends David, King, 121, 145 Davis, Sir George, 76 Christian symbolism; bear, 71; bee, 179; Delphyne, 219 dog, 93; dove, 171; dragon, 218; eagle, 151; fish, 31; Four Evangelists, Demeter, 4 8 ,9 9,101,176,178 198-199; goldfinch, 168; griffin, 209; Demonic creatures; Bugs Bunny, 125; horse, 65; Lamb of God, 120-121; bull, 72; cat, 46-47; crab, 22; croco leopard, 56; lion, 73-75; peacock, dile, 8; demon-dog, 92; empusae, 167; pelican, 4, 6; rabbit, 126, sala 214; leopard, 56; mouse, 130; owl, mander, 19; serpent, 39,40; stag, 156; partridge, 168; scorpion, 116- 60-61; swallow, 164; tiger, 56; uni 117; spider, 134; woodpecker, 167- 168. See also Devil corn, 189- See also Resurrection symbolism Deucalion, 171 Christmas legends; cat, 47; cock, 175; Devil, 173; as: ass, 113; beetle, 180; werewolf, 82 dragon, 218; fly, 182-183; leopard, Chrysaor, 192 56; lion, 73; pig, 106; raven, 160; Circe, 213 serpent, 4, 39; whale, 26-27. See also Clymene, 62 Demonic creatures Diana, 59 Cock, 173-176; Chanticleer, 85-86; and lion, 75 Dionysus, 24-25, 56, 99,119-120, 201, Cockatrice, 219-220 203 Confucius, 190 Discorides, 79 Cornish legends; raven, 160 Dog, 90-94; dog-headed ape, 42; two- Cornucopia, 120 headed dog, 192 Coronis, 158 Dolphin and porpoise, 24-26 Cortez, 38 Donkey, 112 Dove, 18, 169-172 Cow and bull, 95-99; man-eating Dracula, 182 cattle, 192 Coyote, 77-78 Dragon, 13, 57, 190, 215-221; Chi Crab, 22-23 mera, 210; dragon-teeth, 78 Druids, 60 Creation myths; cow, 95-96; coyote, Duck, 3-4,166 78; dove, 171; horse, 66; ram, 121; Dumbo, 139 serpent, 35-36; spider, 134; tortoise, 22; wolf, 83 Ea, 32 Crocodile, 8-10 Eagle, 13,147-151,167,198-199, Index 233 Eagle (cont’d) Finnish legends; bee, 177-178 209,211 Finno-Ugric hero of Flood, 3 East Cree Indians, 83 Fish, 30-32; dogfish, 28 Echidna, 192-193,210 Flood myths; dove, 171; fish, 30-31; Edward IV (England), 3 goose, 3; lion, 73; Noah and raven, Egyptian art, customs, mythology; bee, 159; rabbit, 126; unicorn, 189; wolf, 178,179; beetle, 180; cat, 48,49; 83 cow, 96, 97; crocodile, 9; dog-headed Fly, 182-183 ape, 42; fish, 32; frog, 17; griffin, 208; Fox, 21-22, 72, 84-89 owl, 156; hawk, 144, 152; hippo Francis I (France), 19 potamus, 10; lion, 73; phoenix, 205; Francis II (France), 26 pig, 103; ram, 121; serpent, 37-38; Francis the Talking Mule, 112 scorpion, 115; sow, 101; sphinx, 212; Franklin, Benjamin, 150 vulture, 4 Frederick the Great, 134 Elephant, 135-139 French customs and folklore; cockcrow, Elijah, 29, 63,121,159 175; horse, 65-66; Melusina, 194; Elizabeth I (England), 3, 188, 206 Undine, 194; Renard, 85; toad, 17; Else, 13-14 werewolf, 80-81 Elsie the Borden cow, 99 Freudian symbols and interpretations; Empusae, 214 cat, 48; frog, 17; Medusa, 193; ser English folklore; bee, 179; crow, 160- pent, 39; werewolf, 81; whale’s 161; cock-crow, 175; goose, 3; mag mouth, 17 pie, 156-157; owl, 154; parrot, 157 Freya, 49, 64,104 Eos, 115 Frog.