Spirit Animals?

[la bombe]

So I know animal spirits/totems play an important role in Native American spirituality, but is the concept found elsewhere as well? If so, what's their importance?

In the shamanic traditions I'm aware of, people have 4 or 5 spirit animals, and not all share the same purpose. Some are messengers, some are guides, etc but I think their role depends on the individual tradition.

From what I understand, dreams are one of the most important ways of finding them. They often manifest themselves in dreams, and I believe dreams where you yourself are characterized by an animal are especially important. There's also personal connection (animals you're particularly drawn to or feel a special connection with, be it positive or negative), meditation and hallucinogenic drugs that facilitate religious experiences. I've heard of so many people that have taken psychoactive drugs and during their high they "transformed" into an animal.

Does anyone here know of one or more of their spirit animals? I once tried a meditative method and came up with a crow and after thinking about this and discussing it with others for the past few days, I've started to have animal dreams. One that's come up multiple times is a snake, which is understandable to me because I've always liked snakes and felt particularly connected with them.

[Electronic God-Man]

Alright. Let's see what we have in the Northern tradition, eh?

Random stuff I found, no idea how legit it is:


Fylgja (ON, plural Fylgjur)
The Fylgja (Anglicised as Fetch) is from the ON verb "to follow” and is one of two spirits with the same name. The “Animal Fylgja” is a spirit animal that resembles our personality and is our connection with the spirit world. The Fylgja that is a female and part of the Disir is said to be only possessed by men, this Fylgja is the Fylgjukona “following woman”, to see this spirit manifest to yourself is an omen of your death. At the point of death the animal Fylgja dies or leaves Midgard whilst the Fylgjukona can pass to another individual within the same family. Women may not have Fylgjakona as they themselves are at sometime in the future destined to become the Fylgjakona of a male descendent."

The Fylgja is only one of our spiritual companions in life (Fylgja is also the ON verb "to accompany"), other spirits include the Nornir, your Hamingja, your family Disir and your ancestors.


Some Heathens refer to their seiðr journeywork as “sending forth the fetch.” The journeyer travels forth into the Spae-realms in the form of his or her fetch. Those gifted, or in some cases where it is very strong and the individual has not learned to control it, cursed with “the sight” can see fetches at any time. For most people, however, it appears only shortly before death. It is an especially ill omen to see one’s fetch ill or bloody. Traditionally, the fetch was seen as separate from but accompanying the individual throughout his or her life. It was often depicted as an individual of opposite sex from that of the person to whom it was attached (Thorsson, p. 93). This is echoed in modern psychology’s discussion of the “animus” and the “anima” and of men needing to get in touch with their “feminine side” and women with their “masculine side.”

The fetch is the conduit through which the Gods communicate with individuals, and is the embodiment of all an individual has ever been. It stores images and powers from previous individuals to which it was attached, and takes them forward to the future, when it will be attached to a new individual. (Thorsson, p. 93). Many if not most Heathens see this rebirth as usually occurring within the family line.

I'll find more...

[Electronic God-Man]

In Norse mythology, a fylgja (Old Norse, literally "someone that accompanies,"[1] plural fylgjur) is a supernatural being or creature which accompanies a person in connection to their fate or fortune. Fylgjur usually appear in the form of an animal and commonly appears during sleep, but the sagas relate that they could appear while a person is awake as well, and that seeing one's fylgja is an omen of one's impending death. :( However, when fylgjur appear in the form of women, they are then supposedly guardian spirits for people or clans (ätter).

Both Andy Orchard and Rudolf Simek note parallels between the concept of the hamingja—a personification of a family or individual's fortune—and the fylgja.

Now I don't want to see mine.

Wiki Source (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fylgjur)

[Curtis24]

dolphins have been recurring images in my life.

I think that's the way you're supposed to determine your spirit animal - it recurs in your life somehow, whether you see it on the TV on one hand, only to have someone mention it to you the next minute, etc.

[The Ripper]

I know that the bear was an important animal in pre-Christian Finnish beliefs. He was seen as related to Man and an emobiment of our forefathers. The elk was also an important religious animal and symbol.

[Electronic God-Man]

The elk was also an important religious animal and symbol.

Can you find me stuff about the Elk in Finnish religion that's in English?

[The Ripper]

Can you find me stuff about the Elk in Finnish religion that's in English?

I'll try, but I'm afraid that it is quite difficult to find anything substantial in English about Finnish mythology. :(

[Psychonaut]

In Runelore (p. 170), Thorsson writes:


The "fetch" (ON fylgja) is in many respects the bright side ofthe shade. In men the fetch is seen as female, and in women it is male. Actually, there are three fetches, or "following spirits": in human form, in animal form, and in geometrical form. Each image has its own function. The one in human form is attached for the duration of life and can be passed on from generation to generation, either along genetic lines or according to willed projection. The animal-shaped fetch is usually in a form that corresponds to the character of the person to whom it is attached-a wolf, an eagle, a horse, a fox, a mouse, and so on. It can be separated from the vitki as a magical act. The vitki also may project his conscious will into the fetch in order to carry out magical workings. A geometrical shape is often seen by those with "second sight" going out in front of persons of great power. The fylgja is the repository of all of the actions of the persons to whom the entity was previously attached. It can be the source of greatpower butalso of tremendous responsibilities and even hardships. This entity is the storehouse of orlog-it can protect and it can doom. The fetch is closely related to, and in some cases identical to, the valkyrja or dis entity.

[Eldritch]

In Finnish mythology there are four forest "gods" or spirits, benevolent male and female ones, as well as evil ones.

The elk was supposed to have been created by Hiisi, the evil male forest spirit (I once dressed up as Hiisi for a mythologically themed costume party and wore a small plush elk on my belt ;)).

If memory serves the bear was created by Mielikki, the forest matriarch -- the benevolent female forest goddess.

http://www.radiantgraphics.fi/images/img_kuvitus/500/SH_hiisi.jpg

http://www.wizards.com/dnd/images/fp_gallery/fp1/Mielikki_p49.jpg

More Finnish gods here btw (http://www.google.fi/imgres?imgurl=http://www.kaspaikka.fi/savonlinna/metsanoliot/DSC03938.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.kaspaikka.fi/savonlinna/metsanoliot/index.htm&usg=__mAWbL-85k62svYNDhRYHEYT_Sz8=&h=367&w=276&sz=40&hl=fi&start=37&zoom=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=e51C8YuUSez6FM:&tbnh=122&tbnw=92&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmielikki%26start%3D20%26um%3D1%26hl%3 Dfi%26sa%3DN%26ndsp%3D20%26tbs%3Disch:1). :D

[Liffrea]

A face, a female face, that appears fairly often in dreams (and has for as long as I can remember) and what I call “meditation” but is more a mixture of Aristotelian contemplation and invasive Self searching (not oriental meditative techniques). Her image is very clear and I have no idea who she is, it isn’t a sexual connotation, I suspect it is more linked to the mother, divine archetype, element in some way.

As for animals, I’m often attracted to creatures that seem ambivalent from a human perspective, snakes are one (probably because I’m often ambivalent and at home in contradiction), and others I down right dread Great White Sharks. None have taken on a spiritual meaning as far as I am aware.

[Brynhild]

I believe my fetch to be a raven. Sometimes they're solitary but happy in a close unit. Messengers between the world, when I see a pair of them I immediately think of Hugin and Munin - thought and memory.

I've had other animals appear in my life at various times, including a kangaroo at a local zoo who gripped my wrist while I was feeding it, as much to say "I want to connect with you while you're feeding me." It was a rather profound moment. Birds of various sorts often appear in our yard and at different times I am able to hand feed the king parrots. I've always also had strong connections with cats, as I like their independence.

[Loddfafner]

There was a time when I thought if I had a spirit animal it was a heron. I once followed one up a narrow sacred gorge. Now I realize it is the heron of forgetfulness that accompanies me on pubcrawls.

[Motörhead Remember Me]

Can you find me stuff about the Elk in Finnish religion that's in English?

There is no elk in Finland. Only moose.

[Motörhead Remember Me]

So I know animal spirits/totems play an important role in Native American spirituality, but is the concept found elsewhere as well? If so, what's their importance?

In the shamanic traditions I'm aware of, people have 4 or 5 spirit animals, and not all share the same purpose. Some are messengers, some are guides, etc but I think their role depends on the individual tradition.

From what I understand, dreams are one of the most important ways of finding them. They often manifest themselves in dreams, and I believe dreams where you yourself are characterized by an animal are especially important. There's also personal connection (animals you're particularly drawn to or feel a special connection with, be it positive or negative), meditation and hallucinogenic drugs that facilitate religious experiences. I've heard of so many people that have taken psychoactive drugs and during their high they "transformed" into an animal.

Does anyone here know of one or more of their spirit animals? I once tried a meditative method and came up with a crow and after thinking about this and discussing it with others for the past few days, I've started to have animal dreams. One that's come up multiple times is a snake, which is understandable to me because I've always liked snakes and felt particularly connected with them.

In the pre-christian Norse and Finno Ugrian systems of belief, shamanism was a central thing and animals were spiritually connected with people.

I'll try to dig up some further sources.

[Daos]

The Dacians believed they were descendents of wolves, hence their name (daos = wolf) and their banner:

http://oliviu.sunteu.ro/wp-content/uploads/NLP/stiddard_daci.jpg

But before that they used a bear's head on their banner, so there are reasons to believe the bear held an important role.

[ikki]

most certainly the hooded crow.
Ask a kid what a bird sounds like, and theyll tell you (usually) pipipi

Me tho.. kra-kra!

Evidently my parents had a ton of fun with that when i was lilttle. Along with crawling on all four (not knees!), and backwards only.

[la bombe]

The Dacians believed they were descendents of wolves, hence their name (daos = wolf) and their banner:


I dreamt of a wolf last night, and it seems to be a fairly common image in the dreams of my friends as well. They definitely seem to be an important archetypal symbol at least.

[Teutone]

Jesaja 11,6–9



6 uThe wolf shall dwell with the lamb,

and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat,

and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together;

and a little child shall lead them.

7 The cow and the bear shall graze;

their young shall lie down together;

and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

8 The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra,

and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den.

9 uThey shall not hurt or destroy

in all vmy holy mountain;

wfor the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord

as the waters cover the sea.

[sean]

My hypothesis is spirit animals represent the same archetypes that in other cultures are represented by various dieties and gods, which is why only cultures who live close to nature have a concept of 'spirit animals'. Unless you live a similar lifestyle, those archetypes are more likely to take the form of a character from your favourite TV show than any animal. As to what their purpose is, it's a pretty large topic but to summarise it would be similar to the 'purpose' of the gods, angels, and mythical heroes of other cultures.

In Native American traditions, a shaman would "spirit walk" to retrieve a person's lost spirit. Or help them discover a spirit animal to foster and develop a mind (a heart), it's supposed to be a spiritual conjunction between you and your spirit animal. As we might say, "they have the heart of a lion". Why we don't call it a heart animal is simply a misnomer. Today, spirit and soul are used interchangeably.


So I know animal spirits/totems play an important role in Native American spirituality, but is the concept found elsewhere as well? If so, what's their importance?

Ghost dogs have long played a role in Northern European mythology and folklore. Sightings of so-called werewolves could simply be ghost dogs. The Eastern myths say they were cursed by some spirit to become werewolves instead of bitten by one. Satanists believe fully embracing one's animal side and rejecting morality is good, but I doubt that's always the case with werewolves. The Orthodox still have dog-headed saints (Saint Christopher), so they obviously couldn't have been anything like satanists. There's also the fact the Nazis named much of their stuff after wolves.

England itself has a long history of burying a dog's bones in the northern grounds of a churchyard. The idea behind this, is that the first corpse buried within a church's graveyard would become a sort of guardian spirit. Instead of binding a human's soul in such a way, the church would bury a dog. This is obviously a hold over from pagan times, while a specific example of this has yet to be found from the pagan times, the idea and methodology certainly ring of a more primal faith than the Christian one.

Native American meanings for frog for instance have commonalities with Celtic symbolism. This medicine animal brings rain and can heal. In one example of folk traditions, shamans used frogs for curing coughs. The shaman would put a frog in an ailing person’s mouth, recite sacred words, then command the frog to "hop away" with the sickness (this is a type of disease transference). That is how we come by the phrase, "a frog in my throat."

Other Native American meanings for frog spirit include fertility, prosperity, rebirth and growth. Tribes that have frog clans include Zuni, Tlingit, Creek and Chippewa.

Far Eastern symbolism depict the frog as a feminine spirit (yin). In both China and Japan frog brings prosperity and good luck. Stories tell us that the Money Toad of China (Jin Chan) was the favoured pet for the God of Wealth. In Feng Shui the best placement for frog figurines at home is near the front door where they can welcome positive chi and wealth.

People in Japan often don frog amulets for fortune or safety in travel.

In Asian cultures it is believed that a frog's croaking brings the rain so they are associated with crop growth and good harvests.