18. Animal symbolism in different cultures

Many cultures through the ages have regarded specific animals as representing gods, power, the supernatural, and in the cases of Native Americans, used in names.
It can be noticed in proverbs, folklore, attitude to gifts with some animal symbolics.
First let’s speak about omnicultural symbols.
So, the dove symbol takes its roots from the Bible legend about Noah.
It returned to his ship with an olive branch, indicating the land nearby, and represents God's forgiveness.
Also they say, mutual-affected people resemble doves.
Sheep are also from Bible and symbolize naïve, frustrated, in need of guidance. Lambs had been slaughtered for sacrifice from time immemorial. Thanks to that appeared American set-phrase ‘Naïve as sheep Dolly”.
The snake means infinity thanks to leisure plasticity of its shape, it’s Satan in Heaven, here’s a proverb “to keep a snake in one’s bosom” – otherwords, to be deceived.
But somewhere this meaning is vice versa – snake twining a cup is the worldwide medical emblem. Its venom can cure. It is important to the Druids, and is found on much old Celtic jewelry.
The goat has plenty of symbols. In Europe is the scapegoat, according to Latin myths. To reciprocate, to be free from sins, citizens exiled the goat from the city, battering him to death. In Asia the goat represents fertility.
The peacock in Greece is the God’s bird, Junona’s symbol, her meat is eternal. In India they live near temples. What’s about Russia, peacock is considered as vanity, self-assertiveness and so on, but in time of feudalism a peasant could be killed for inaccurate treatment with this royal bird.
Rather interesting are boars - it is a symbol of masculine power. Because of this, its meat was served at Otherworld feasts, according to Scandinavian myths.
But the biggest number of symbols has the cat! In different cultures it has even contradictive meanings. From love to hatred, from deity to satan, from bad to good luck. All I wanted today is the black cat would not cross my path~!