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Can animals have totem animals?

03:19 / 13.01.03

I know it's a silly question but I'm starting to wonder about my new cat. My mom gave him a toy spider (or "Pidey" as she calls it) and he loved it so much. Then one day she pointed out to him a spider on the roof.

Now he goes around staring at the roof looking for spiders and meowing when he doesn't see them. He's become obsessed with spiders.

Still, I don't think you're supposed to eat your totem animal?

cusm

14:53 / 13.01.03

I thought animals mostly had totem people

mixmage

01:12 / 14.01.03

A kitten I once had [he made it to 1 year old] developed this weird "moth-charming" song, which he would sing to make them come down off lampshades. Surprisingly effective, too. Generally wouldn't eat spiders, though. Preferred to play instead (with the occasional munch of a dissapointing playmate!)

Hmmm... I know the Eagle atop Yggdrasil had a hawk that would perch on its brow. Not really the same, I know, but it's something I've never thought about in these terms. Very interesting... worth a google.

mixmage

07:44 / 15.01.03

Had a look and couldn't find anything to do with animals having animal totems. I started out from the premise that an animal would have the exemplar/archetype/ideal of their species in this role.

Then I started thinking of fiction and how humans like to buddy species up together - a dog and a cat, a spider and a pig, even an elephant and a mouse... ahh Hail Ganesh!

Once again, not really what you were asking, but there are sacred pairings of animals in myth and legend. Any good? Fancy discussing that, or shall we let this one sink?

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