the Hippopotamus, the Lion, and the Cat
Aug 1, 2012 20:30:53 GMT -5
Post by pachydermfan on Aug 1, 2012 20:30:53 GMT -5
O-k, maybe someone here can help me. I hope so. I have looked at several symbolism books, and found nothing. I even asked around on the internet, but had no such luck. I am hoping someone here knows something about animal symbolism. Here is my question.
According to the book, the Bestiary of Christ, by Louis Charbonneau-Lassay, according to symbolism, there are antithetical animal pairings, that is a pairing of two beasts, which share the same symbolic significance as each other, but one beast is benevolent and the other malevolent. Some pairs include the frog and toad, bee and wasp, unicorn and rhinoceros, scarab and scorpion, eagle and owl, cock and basilisk, etc. My question, what are the symbolic antitheses of the cat, lion, and hippopotamus. Here are my guesses, which seem the most accurate to you?
Cat - the tiger or the snake. The cat shares some symbolism with the snake, but majorly, the cat represents darkness, the moon, night, and death, though it is a domesticated animal. The lioness, tiger, panther, and leopard are other wildcats with the same representation. However, the panther is the antithesis of the hyena.
Lion - at first I thought the bear, since it is also considered the leader of the beasts, and both represent courage, but in the bestiary of Christ, Louis notes the boar and bear as polar and solar opposites. My next pick was the dragon, have some similarities in symbolism, representing wisdom and male vigor, the lion and dragon dances in China also share the same representation. Now, I recently read the tiger is malevolent and set in opposition to the dragon, who is also generally a malevolent beast, though the tiger also has a positive symbolic side. The tiger, however, seems like an antithesis of the lion, both are wildcats, both are considered leader of the beasts, both are masculine in symbolism, and both represent royalty, strength, cruelty, courage, and military valor. The lamb is the antithesis of the lion in biblical terms, but they are not antitheses as in the sense of sharing the same symbolic significance.
My other thought was the hippopotamus. In the bible, both represent brute force. As in Egyptian hieroglyphs, like the lion, it represents strength, vigor, virility, fertility, water, destruction, dominion, and the mother participle (like the lioness, the female hippopotamus is fierce yet very devoted in motherhood, the males of both species are much more dangerous and destructive than their counterparts). Interestingly, the god Bes (the lion is sacred to him) is the protector of children. Both also have fierce behaviors, ferocious appetites, and formidable jaws. The two are traditional enemies (both are enemies of the crocodile), both are common in Egyptian mythology, being beasts of the Nile, and both are hunted animals. The goddesses Tawret and Ammit both have composite parts of the lioness, crocodile, and hippopotamus; both the lion and hippopotamus were sacred to the goddess Hathor. I must also add that Egyptians consider the crocodile as the lion of the sea, and the hippopotamus as the bear of Egypt, the lion and bear are a complementary pairing, so the hippopotamus and lion are thus in the same league as each other.
My third question regards the symbolic antithesis of the hippopotamus. Is it the opposite of the lion, or some other animal? My picks would be one of these. The lion, for the reasons I mentioned. The crocodile, a variant symbol of the hippopotamus, and a sacred enemy of it as well, both are amphibious, beasts of the Nile, both represent mud, vegetation, destruction, fertility, water, the Great Mother, strength, vigor, and have formidable jaws and fierce behaviors. Both also swim while having their eyes and nostrils lurk out of the waters. However, the crocodile seems mostly likely the antithesis of the alligator, though some sources say the crocodile is the opponent of the turtle, and in biblical symbolism, the crocodile is the enemy of the ichneumon (weasel), the weasel representing Christ and triumphing over the devil (crocodile).
Other possible candidates include the water ox (as the hippopotamus somewhat resembles the ox, as well as the pig and horse; the bull represents brute force and the cow represents the Great Mother), and the horse (Greeks consider the hippopotamus the river horse of the Nile, though the Greeks have no idea what it looks like or anything else about it. An elephant could also be possible, but I think it is the antithesis of the dragon, since the two are archenemies. Maybe it is also the makara, though the makara exists in Hindu mythology, though the makara is amphibious and has combined parts of the elephant and crocodile.
I also think the hippopotamus could also be the antithesis of the hippocampus (a beast in Greek mythology which has the head, torso, and forelegs of a horse, and the body and back legs of a dolphin). Like the hippopotamus, the hippocampus represents strength and vigor, fertility, water, and the mother participle. However, though the Greeks consider the hippopotamus the river horse of the Nile, the hippocampus actually exists in Greece; the hippocampi are also beasts which pull the chariot of the god Poseidon. Whereas, the hippopotamus exists in Egyptian mythology, and though both represent the land and the water, the hippopotamus is amphibious, the hippocampus probably cannot walk on the land.
Anyway, can someone please help me? I am looking all over for answers, but I am not having any luck. Maybe someone knows enough about animal symbolism to be able to help me (crossing fingers, I hope so).
According to the book, the Bestiary of Christ, by Louis Charbonneau-Lassay, according to symbolism, there are antithetical animal pairings, that is a pairing of two beasts, which share the same symbolic significance as each other, but one beast is benevolent and the other malevolent. Some pairs include the frog and toad, bee and wasp, unicorn and rhinoceros, scarab and scorpion, eagle and owl, cock and basilisk, etc. My question, what are the symbolic antitheses of the cat, lion, and hippopotamus. Here are my guesses, which seem the most accurate to you?
Cat - the tiger or the snake. The cat shares some symbolism with the snake, but majorly, the cat represents darkness, the moon, night, and death, though it is a domesticated animal. The lioness, tiger, panther, and leopard are other wildcats with the same representation. However, the panther is the antithesis of the hyena.
Lion - at first I thought the bear, since it is also considered the leader of the beasts, and both represent courage, but in the bestiary of Christ, Louis notes the boar and bear as polar and solar opposites. My next pick was the dragon, have some similarities in symbolism, representing wisdom and male vigor, the lion and dragon dances in China also share the same representation. Now, I recently read the tiger is malevolent and set in opposition to the dragon, who is also generally a malevolent beast, though the tiger also has a positive symbolic side. The tiger, however, seems like an antithesis of the lion, both are wildcats, both are considered leader of the beasts, both are masculine in symbolism, and both represent royalty, strength, cruelty, courage, and military valor. The lamb is the antithesis of the lion in biblical terms, but they are not antitheses as in the sense of sharing the same symbolic significance.
My other thought was the hippopotamus. In the bible, both represent brute force. As in Egyptian hieroglyphs, like the lion, it represents strength, vigor, virility, fertility, water, destruction, dominion, and the mother participle (like the lioness, the female hippopotamus is fierce yet very devoted in motherhood, the males of both species are much more dangerous and destructive than their counterparts). Interestingly, the god Bes (the lion is sacred to him) is the protector of children. Both also have fierce behaviors, ferocious appetites, and formidable jaws. The two are traditional enemies (both are enemies of the crocodile), both are common in Egyptian mythology, being beasts of the Nile, and both are hunted animals. The goddesses Tawret and Ammit both have composite parts of the lioness, crocodile, and hippopotamus; both the lion and hippopotamus were sacred to the goddess Hathor. I must also add that Egyptians consider the crocodile as the lion of the sea, and the hippopotamus as the bear of Egypt, the lion and bear are a complementary pairing, so the hippopotamus and lion are thus in the same league as each other.
My third question regards the symbolic antithesis of the hippopotamus. Is it the opposite of the lion, or some other animal? My picks would be one of these. The lion, for the reasons I mentioned. The crocodile, a variant symbol of the hippopotamus, and a sacred enemy of it as well, both are amphibious, beasts of the Nile, both represent mud, vegetation, destruction, fertility, water, the Great Mother, strength, vigor, and have formidable jaws and fierce behaviors. Both also swim while having their eyes and nostrils lurk out of the waters. However, the crocodile seems mostly likely the antithesis of the alligator, though some sources say the crocodile is the opponent of the turtle, and in biblical symbolism, the crocodile is the enemy of the ichneumon (weasel), the weasel representing Christ and triumphing over the devil (crocodile).
Other possible candidates include the water ox (as the hippopotamus somewhat resembles the ox, as well as the pig and horse; the bull represents brute force and the cow represents the Great Mother), and the horse (Greeks consider the hippopotamus the river horse of the Nile, though the Greeks have no idea what it looks like or anything else about it. An elephant could also be possible, but I think it is the antithesis of the dragon, since the two are archenemies. Maybe it is also the makara, though the makara exists in Hindu mythology, though the makara is amphibious and has combined parts of the elephant and crocodile.
I also think the hippopotamus could also be the antithesis of the hippocampus (a beast in Greek mythology which has the head, torso, and forelegs of a horse, and the body and back legs of a dolphin). Like the hippopotamus, the hippocampus represents strength and vigor, fertility, water, and the mother participle. However, though the Greeks consider the hippopotamus the river horse of the Nile, the hippocampus actually exists in Greece; the hippocampi are also beasts which pull the chariot of the god Poseidon. Whereas, the hippopotamus exists in Egyptian mythology, and though both represent the land and the water, the hippopotamus is amphibious, the hippocampus probably cannot walk on the land.
Anyway, can someone please help me? I am looking all over for answers, but I am not having any luck. Maybe someone knows enough about animal symbolism to be able to help me (crossing fingers, I hope so).