Animal Symbolism: A Guide to Animal Meanings Across Cultures

Animals are among the oldest symbols of all, and among the most culturally specific. A fox is a sly trickster in European fables and a sacred messenger at Japanese shrines; a hare is a creature of the moon in East Asia and of witches and Easter in northern Europe. The meaning of an animal motif depends on where, and when, it comes from.

Reading animal symbols

Animal symbolism grows from how people lived alongside animals: hunting, herding, working and watching them. It also grows from language, myth and religion. That is why a single animal can carry opposite meanings in different traditions, and why "one animal, one meaning" lists are rarely reliable.

The animals in this Journal

• Dog: loyalty, protection and companionship, from Mesopotamian temples to medieval tombs.
• Elephant: wisdom and royal power in South Asia, from Ganesha to the Buddha's birth story.
• Fox: the trickster of European fable and the messenger of Inari in Japan.
• Hare: the moon hare of East Asia and the hare of British folklore and the Easter story.
• Horse: speed, nobility and freedom, from the Uffington White Horse to the Chinese zodiac.
• Spider: the weaver, from Arachne to Anansi.
• Squirrel: the squirrel and grapes of East Asian art, a wish for many descendants.

More animals across the Journal

Some animals have their own stories elsewhere: the lucky cat of Japan, the three-legged toad of Chinese wealth imagery and the winged pixiu.

Animals in jewellery

An animal charm is often chosen for character as much as meaning: a favourite creature, a zodiac year or a family story. AURYN's animal designs can be found in the charms collection.