Anthropology › Section R · Humans and animals › Topic R.3
Symbolism and meaning of animals
Eagles on flags, lions on football shirts, a raven in a creation story, a cow that may not be killed: animals carry meaning far beyond their bodies. This topic looks at how people use animals to mark group identity, teach lessons and reach the sacred.
In this topic
- Animals as signs
- Totemism
- Explaining totemism
- Crests and poles
- Worked example: is a mascot a totem?
- Animals in stories
- Animals and the sacred
- Sacred cattle and dirty pigs
- Worked example: weighing Harris's argument
- Common mistakes to avoid
- Key takeaways
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