Table 2. Eleven systems of knowledge containing animal symbolism
by Wim van Binsbergen
|
From an African bestiary to universal
science? Table 2. Eleven systems of knowledge containing animal symbolism by Wim van Binsbergen |
(0) species, object, concept |
(1) animal demons world-wide[1] |
(2) symbols of Egyptian nomes[2] |
(3) major Egyptian gods[3] |
(4) figurines in the Chokwe divining basket,
Angola, Zambia and Zaire |
(5) nomen-clature of Nkoya clans, western
central Zambia |
(6) nomenclature of Tswana clans, Botswana
and South Africa |
(7) Chinese zodiac |
(8) Chinese lunar mansions |
(9) the 36 Babylonian stars |
(10) modern international constellations |
(11) major Greek gods |
abstract concept |
|
|
|
lie; imminent misfortune; folly; folded heart
(lack of sociability) |
|
nleya (= ‘provided with’) |
|
space; emptiness; danger; straddling |
Death; Mistress of life; Lord of death |
|
|
ant-eater, aardvark, pangolin |
|
|
|
ant-bear, pangolin |
|
ant-bear |
|
tapir |
|
|
|
antelope, deer |
|
U16 (oryx) |
Seth, Anukis, Satis (gazelle) |
antelope (‘s horn); duiker (‘s hoof) |
|
duiker; impala; kudu; reedbuck; eland antelope;
hartebeest |
|
unicorn, deer |
deer |
Unicorn; Giraffe |
Dionysos, Artemis, Aphrodite, Athene, Apollo |
bear |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Great Bear; Little Bear |
Artemis (she-bear) |
birds, aquatic |
|
L15 (ibis) |
Thoth, Chonsu |
wild duck (‘s foot); white heron (‘s claw);
kingfisher |
|
|
|
|
|
Crane, Swan |
Hera (kingfisher); Aphrodite, Zeus (swan) |
birds, eagle |
eagle[4] |
|
|
eagle (‘s claw) |
|
|
|
|
eagle |
Eagle |
Zeus |
birds, falcon |
|
U2, U5, U18? |
Horus, Montu, Anti, Antywey / Antaios, Re
Horachti, Haroeris, Harmerti, Sokar, Chonsu |
(symbolic but not in basket) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
birds, hawk[6] |
hawk[7] |
|
|
|
hawk |
|
|
|
|
|
Apollo |
birds, sylvan & general; also bat |
|
|
|
laughing-bird(‘s beak); mason bird ( symbolic
but not in basket); owl ( symbolic but not in basket);
touraco bird; unspecified little bird |
|
owl (morubisi, thubisi); red-billed
quelea bird; weaver bird; any bird of small or
moderate size (nonyane) |
|
swallow; crow; bat; bird star |
raven; swallow; |
Crow; Dove; Toucan; Phoenix |
Apollo, Athene, Kronos, Athene (crow or raven);
Hera, Zeus (cuckoo); Aphrodite, Zeus (dove); Athene
(owl); Herakles, Leto (quail); Aphrodite (swallow); Ares,
Zeus (woodpecker) |
birds, terrestrial (fowl) |
|
U3 (double ostrich feathers) |
Amon (goose); Maat, Shu (ostrich feather) |
cock (paw); guinea fowl (symbolic but not in
basket); partridge |
guinea fowl |
bustard |
cock |
pheasant; cock |
|
Peacock |
Apollo, Athene, Hermes (cock); Apollo, Ares,
Hera, Hermes (goose); Hera (peacock) |
birds, vulture |
vulture[8] |
|
Nekhbet, Mut |
|
vulture |
|
|
|
|
|
Apollo, Ares, Kronos |
body parts, animal (mammal) |
|
L2 (foreleg of oxen)[9] |
|
buck’s rib (or other mammal’s); kneecap,
tibia, ear, of unspecified mammal |
|
marrow |
|
horn; tail; beak; wings |
bull’s jaw |
|
Athene glaukopis with owl’s eyes; Hera boopis
with cow’s eyes, |
body parts, human |
|
lungs (L17) |
Jusas (hand); Min, Amon (penis); Aton (hand at
end of ray); sons of Horus (various organs); Mut, Tefnut
(sun’s eye) |
penis; vagina; heart; folded heart (lack of
sociability); woman with distended belly; handicapped
person |
|
vulva; heart; penis |
|
neck; heart; stomach |
kidneys |
Berenice’s Hair |
Aphrodite Comaetho, Cybele (hair); Artemis
Orthia= upright, Dionysos lame, Zeus Velchanos= ‘who
drags his foot’ (body); Athene glaukopis, Aphrodite
peeping, Hera Europia broadly seeing, Hera boopis with
cow’s eyes, Herakles Bright-eyed, Hades sightless
(eyes); Herakles Nose-docker; Herakles of the Wounded
Thigh; Herakles the Dactyl (finger); Hermes (phallus) |
bovine |
U11, U10 (black bull); L6, L3 (two-headed bull);
L12 (cow with calf) |
Buchis, Mnevis, Apis, Chentechtai, Serapis
(bull); Hathor (cow) |
|
|
ginger ox; cattle; heifer (tshelwana); buffalo |
oxen |
oxen |
bull |
Bull |
Poseidon, Artemis Tauropole= ‘bull-killer’
(bull); Hera boopis, with cow’s eyes; Herakles
Bouphagos= ‘cow-eater’, Athene (oxen, cow) |
|
canine |
dog; wolf[11] |
U17, L11 |
Anubis, Chenti Amentiu, Chent cheti, Wepwewet,
Serapis |
hunter’s dog |
|
wild dog |
dog |
fox; wolf; dog |
wild dog; fox; great dog |
Fox; Great Dog; Hunting Dogs; Little Dog; Wolf |
Aphrodite, Apollo, Artemis, Ares, Zeus (wolf);
Artemis (dog) |
chameleon |
|
|
|
chameleon |
|
|
|
|
|
Chameleon |
|
colour |
|
L10 (black); L1 (white) |
Uto =Wadjit (White crown); Nechbet, Satis (red
crown); Neith (blue crown); Osiris, Wadjit (green);
golden (Re and all gods) |
white bead |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Aphrodite (dark, black); Apollo, Artemis, Zeus
of the White Poplar (white); Athene Chryse (golden);
Athene Colocasia = of the red water-lily (red); Zeus
(green) |
crocodile, dragon |
crocodile[12] |
U6, L14, L5, L4 |