Cultural depictions of amphibians
Culture consists of the social behaviour and norms in human societies transmitted through social learning.
Context
This article describes the roles played by amphibians in human culture, so defined.Salamander
The salamander has been ascribed fantastic and sometimes occult qualities by pre-modern authors (as in the allegorical descriptions of animals in medieval bestiaries) not possessed by the real animal. The legendary salamander is often depicted as a typical salamander in shape, with a lizard-like form, but is usually ascribed an affinity with fire, sometimes specifically elemental fire.[2][3] In the Renaissance, the salamander was supposed to be able to withstand any heat and even to put out fire.[4]
Frog
To the ancients in Egypt, Greece and Rome, the frog was a symbol of fertility, and in Egypt actually the object of worship.[5]
A plague of frogs is seen as a punishment in the Old Testament of the Bible.
Two fables attributed to Aesop, The Frogs Who Desired a King and The Frog and the Ox feature frog characters.
In "The Frog Prince", a spoilt princess reluctantly befriends the Frog Prince, who is magically transformed into a handsome prince when (in the Brothers Grimm version) she throws the frog against a wall. However, in modern versions, she effects the transformation by kissing it instead.[8]
Toad
Toads are often not distinguishable from frogs in popular culture, but
In Chinese culture, the Money Toad (or Frog)
Newt
Newts are traditionally associated with witchcraft. In William Shakespeare's play Macbeth, the witches use "eye of newt" as the first ingredient added to their cauldron.[12]
Newts rarely appear in literature, but Roald Dahl included one crucial to the story as a practical joke on the malevolent Miss Trunchbull, in his novel Matilda.[13]
See also
References
- ^ OCLC 652430995.
- ^ Manly P. Hall, The Secret Teachings of All Ages: An Encyclopedic Outline of Masonic, Hermetic, Qabbalistic and Rosicrucian Symbolical Philosophy, (original publisher unclear-see [1] for on-line text), (1928).
- ^ Florence McCulloch, Medieval Latin and French Bestiaries Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1962, pp.161-162
- ISBN 0-906670-44-6.
- ISBN 1-85538-118-4.
- ^ Aristophanes (1993). Dover, Kenneth (ed.). Frogs. Clarendon Press. p. 2.
- ISBN 978-1-4721-0941-5.
- ^ Heiner, Heidi Anne. "The Annotated Frog King". Archived from the original on 27 July 2017. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ^ "The Big Read Top 200". BBC. April 2003. Retrieved 28 June 2016..
- ^ Christine Paik (2002-03-19). "NPR report". NPR. Retrieved 2013-02-26.
- ^ "Feng Shui Money Frog". Archived from the original on 1 May 2014. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
- ISBN 9780226116006.
- ^ "Miss Trunchbull's newt". Roald Dahl.com. Retrieved 28 June 2016.