The Collaborative Dictionary

Zoomorphism \Zo`o*mor"phism\, n.

The transformation of men into beasts. [R.] --Smart. [1913 Webster]

The quality of representing or using animal forms; as, zoomorphism in ornament. [1913 Webster]

The representation of God, or of gods, in the form, or with the attributes, of the lower animals. [1913 Webster] To avoid the error of anthropomorphism, we fall into the vastly greater, and more absurd, error of zoomorphism. --Mivart. [1913 Webster]

Word Net

zoomorphism n : the attribution of animal forms or qualities to a god

Zoomorphism may refer to:

• Art that imagines humans as animals
• Art that creates patterns using animal imagery, or animal style
• Animal-deities, such as exist in Egyptian mythology
• The ability to shapeshift into animal form
• The tendency of viewing human behaviour in terms of the behaviour of animals, analogous to anthropomorphism, which views animal behaviour in human terms

The word derives from the Greek ζωον (zōon), meaning animal, and μορφη (morphē), meaning shape or form.

Examples

• Fenrisulfr, a wolf in Norse mythology.
• Airavata, the king god of elephants in Indian mythology.
• Clawfoot bathtub, with feet in the shape of a lion's paws.
• The common representation of the Holy Spirit as a dove in Christianity.
• Luke as a lion in Christianity.
• A literary phrase such as "The roar of the ocean".
• The ability of several wizards in the Harry Potter series of books to transform into animals.

References