Introduction to animals in life,

            

        Think for a moment about the role animals play in your life. Do you have a beloved pet who rushes to greet you when you return home? When the moon is full do your thoughts drift to werewolves for just a moment? Maybe you listened to tales about Big Foot on your last camping trip. While we often have little contact with animals besides our family pets or those at the zoo they were an extremely important part of daily life for our ancestors. They depended on them for survival and feared them as predators. Not only did the first humans hunt animals for survival they had to make sure they did not end up as dinner themselves! Later, as humans settled into permanent societies they relied on domesticated animals to help work the land and for companionship. They both feared and revered them. The stories of myths and legends captured their fascination with animals and used them to help explain the world around them. Perhaps you will see your favorite animal in a new light after studying this unit.

       There are few tales that have been told that do not include animals. These creatures often play a central role, and in many myths and legends the beast is the antagonist that must ultimately be defeated by the hero. What would the story of St. George be without the defeat of a dragon, Theseus without the Minotaur, or Little Red Riding Hood minus the Big Bad Wolf? The beasts of myths and legends may be completely mythical in nature or 'real' with human characteristics. Sometimes they are just regular animals who help protect their masters. The animals in myths and legends often have dualistic natures. They may be helpful, harmful, or fluctuate between the two.

      Animals in mythology and legend are often portrayed as 'supersized' monsters. The great bird of Arabian legend, the Rucke, had a wingspan so large it could block out the sun. This bird destroyed Sinbad's ships by dropping boulders on it. The Japanese Ushi-oni, pictured above, is an aquatic creature with the body of a giant spider and a head with large horns like that of an ox. It dwells in the oceans and pools of waterfalls. In one version of the legend the monster steals the shadows of its victims in order to kill them. These gigantic creatures represent the enormity of many obstacles of life and the fear of things we do not understand. When a monster is destroyed in legends it helps those listening to the tale face their own monsters with confidence.

       Sometimes animals are portrayed simply as faithful companions like Paul Bunyan's gigantic ox, Babe, who traveled the countryside and worked side by side with him at the lumber camp. These animals often accompany their masters on their journeys and adventures like Geri and Freki, the Norse god Odin's wolves, seen above resting at their master's feet. Their companionship is usually a source of comfort for their owners and they often help to protect them as well. In Arthurian legend the knight Owain is aided by his white lion that helps him defeat an ogre and save the lady of the fountain. Often the great heroes became very attached to their 'pets'. The great Ulysses even shed a tear when his faithful hunting hound Argos died after waiting for 20 years to see his master again.