Sacred and Mythological Animals

Yowann Byghan is an author, poet, playwright and a practicing Druid for 50+ years. He is a Bard of the Cornish Gorsedh, and speaks fluent Cornish. His knowledge of Scottish Gàidhlig, Irish Gaeilge and Welsh, as well as Latin, has allowed him to research source texts in the original languages as well as in translation. He lives on a small island in the Inner Hebrides in Scotland.

• Table of ContentsAcknowledgmentsPrefaceSacred Animals and Animal Classification1. Sacred Animal Traditions2. ClassificationMammals (Mammalia)3. Dogs (Canidae)4. Wolves, Wild Dogs and Foxes (Canidae)5. Cats and Wildcats (Felidae)6. Big Cats, Hyenas and Mongooses (Felidae and Viverroidea)7. Cattle (Oxen), Antelopes and Hippopotamuses (Artiodactyla: Bovidae, Hippopotamidae)8. Sheep and Goats (Caprinae)9. Deer, Elk and Moose (Cervidae)10. Bears, Pandas and Raccoons (Ursidae, Procyonidae)11. Horses and Rhinoceroses (Perissodactyla: Equidae and Rhinocerotoidea)12. Camels and Giraffes (Artiodactyla: Camelidae)13. Pigs and Hedgehogs (Suidae, Erinaceidae)14. Elephants (Proboscidia)15. Monkeys and Apes (Primates)16. Hares and Rabbits (Lagomorpha)17. Mice, Rats and Beavers (Rodentia)18. Bats (Chiroptera) and Other Odd Animals19. Weasels, Otters and Badgers (Mustelidae)20. Seals and Walruses (Pinnipedia)21. Whales, Dolphins, Porpoises and Sirens (Cetartiodactyla, Delphiniodae, Sirenia)Birds (Aves)22. General Birds and Crows (Several Orders and Corvidae)23. Raptors (Several Orders and Families)24. Freshwater Birds (Several Orders and Families)25. Sea Birds (Several Orders and Families)26. Chickens and Peafowl (Galliformes)27. Perching Birds and Singing Birds (Passeriformes)28. Cranes and Cuckoos (Gruiformae, Otidimorphae)29. Hoopoes, Hummingbirds, Doves and Woodpeckers (Several Orders and Families)Fish and Sea Animals (Several Orders and Families)30. Sea Fish (Several Orders and Families)31. Freshwater Fish (Several Orders and Families)32. Crabs, Clams, Conches and Corals (Crustacea, Mollusca, Cnidaria)Amphibians (Amphibia)33. Frogs, Toads, Salamanders and Newts (Several Orders and Families)Insects and Other ­Creepy-Crawlies (Insecta, Arachnidae and Gastropoda)34. Flying Insects (Insecta, Several Orders and Families)35. Creeping, Crawling Animals (Insecta, Arachnidae, Gastropoda, Several Orders and Families)Reptiles (Reptilia)36. Snakes and Lizards (Squamata)37. Crocodiles and Turtles (Crocodylia, Testudines)Mythical Animals, Hybrids and Animal Gods38. Dragons39. Animal Hybrids and Monsters40. ­Human-Animal Hybrids41. Animals in the SkyGlossaryAppendix: World Religions and MythologiesChapter NotesBibliographyIndex

“Many animal books center around animal behavior and physical description; a small minority deal with hunting and animal husbandry. Byghan has written an animal book with a twist: his subject is the sacredness of animals. ...Byghan provides a worldwide taxonomy of animals and their sacredness. ...Each entry is concisely written and well documented...thought-provoking comments...recommended”—Choice