- Theriocephaly
Theriocephaly (from Greek θηρίον "therion" ‘beast’ and κεφαλή "kefalí" ‘head’) is the condition or quality of having the head of an animal - commonly used to refer the depiction in art of humans (or deities) with animal heads.
Examples
Many of the gods and goddesses worshiped by the
Ancient Egyptians , for example, were commonly depicted as being theriocephalic. Notable examples include:
*Horus , depicted as having the head of afalcon .
*Anubis , depicted with ajackal 's head.
* The desert-god Set, often depicted with the head of an unknown creature, referred to as the "Set animal" by Egyptologists.In some
Eastern Orthodox icon traditions, some saints, particularlySt. Christopher , are depicted as having the head of a dog.In
Hinduism , the wisdom godGanesha is depicted with anelephant head.ee also
*
Cynocephaly
*Zoomorphism
*Hybrid (mythology) References
* Agamben, Giorgio (2004). The Open. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-4738-5.
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