Lord of the animals

The Lord of the animals is a generic term for a number of deities from a variety of cultures with close relationships to the animal kingdom or in part animal form (in cultures where that is not the norm). The implication being these all have a Stone Age precursor who was probabably a hunter's deity. The classic example of which is the 'horned god of the hunt', typified by Cernunnos, Herne the Hunter and Arnon, and a variety of Stag, Bull, Ram and Goat gods. Horned gods are not universal however, and in some cultures Bear gods, like Artos might take the role, or even the more anthropomorphic deities who lead the Wild Hunt. Such figures are also often referred to as 'Lord of the forest'* or 'Lord of the mountain'. They sometimes also have female equivalents.

Shiva was originally called the Pashupati meaning the "Lord of cattle", before becoming transcendentalised.Fact|date=September 2007

The Horned God of the Wiccans is believed to be derived from the same source as Shiva.Fact|date=September 2007

Some Saints such as St Giles also preserve the image.Fact|date=September 2007

It is possible that we are dealing with an Proto-Indo-European deity or archetype.Fact|date=September 2007

*In some accounts of werewolves, a figure known as the 'Lord Of The Forest', who usually provides the means for the change, is mentioned as well, such as the case of The Werewolf of Besançon, or that of Jean Grenier.Fact|date=September 2007

*In European cultures, there is also a prevelant legendary relating to "lords" or "kings" of specific species, especially of the cats, and of the means by which this kingship passes and the passage is announced. [See http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/type6070b.html#kingcat]