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In ancient Egypt cats were revered as beings that were holy and great. In the indian religion of hindu cows are sacred and in the bible lambs hold significance as being the main sacraficial being to god. It would seem animals hold an important role in religion. I'm in the dark though on the role of animals in the vampire and other nontraditonal communities. Do they hold any role at all?

It's usually animals tied with Death that are associated with vampires, such as a raven or crow. Then you also have all the animals that are tied to the gothic community and so on and so forth.

I don't know how true it is but I have heard that some witches use them as their familiars..

well I had a black cat as my familier and I have a wolf as my spirit guide.

Egyptian cats are called a bast in case no one new.

Witchs can have animals as familars. I happen to have 2 cats that are. But to witchs most animals have special meanings, either as omens or guides.

I think the role of animals in the life of a vampire is a bit different, it's symbolism- the animal in YOU.

The traditional animals "Hollywood" and books associate with Vampires are Wolves and bats of course. Since they are both very nocturnal, it makes a little sense.
As Wiccan, different animals represent different portents or God/Goddess
Rabbits and squirrles and deer show up for me most often.

Bats, rats, wolves, and some birds, are tied in to the vampire. So animals in some lores play big parts in vampire stories and such. Some sayin that vampires can take the form of these animals, some being these animals tend to hang around vampires or vampires keep them as pets.

Bast was the cat headed female Egyptian diety..

A 'traditional' witch familiar was the cat, or even the black cat..however, any animal that relates with that particular witch would work just fine.

There are also the spirit or totem animals that people have as well.

Animals, to me, are very important to us and our growth in the many realms.

for me, the owl is my spirit guide, and i also wish to have a cat as a familiar... i feel that an animal can connect with me and thus the realtionship of the animal and its owner should be a special one, thus comes about why also animals where symbols used in various realigons :)

I know in many of the old mythologies, animals were repulsed or frightened by the presence of a vampire. I believe the intention has something to do with the fact that animals have always been thought to see more of the spiritual world than humans (there's an old myth that looking between the ears of a cat or horse would allow you to see ghosts). So where humans wouldn't recognize the living dead or the parasite/predator among them, animals are quick to recognize predators, spirits and danger...of which a vampire may encapsulate one or all three of those traits (depending on your belief).

in some lore and legend there was told of vampyres keeping animals bound to them. Mostly it was protection, guards.
Familars can be placed to anyone, and be just about anything living so long as you are connected and attuned to eachother.

Yeah, animals are used as symbols for qualities we wish for in ourselves, or condemn in others. I don't need to point out the obvious, such as the bat, the owl, and the oft mentioned cat, which are all hunters and comfortable in the deepest night, but there you go.

Thank you all for these new insights. I have learned quite a bit.

The guardian of mythological vampires has usually been a wolf or fierce dog that was held under some magical power by the vampire that owned it. I believe that is why the myths have been able to square the idea of animals fearing vampires (horses rearing and skittish, dogs barking, etc) but a vampire still having an animal guardian.

I think they do as spirit guides and as familiars.

i would have to agree with imagesinwords i believe that animals are only something to symbolize who you truely are deep inside. The things that caraterize the animal have similarities with the way you caracterize yourself as a being, or person

It's funny, because I have a black cat who is as close to my familiar as any cat could be. Unfortunately, I do not know how much longer he will be with me (he is 17 years old, and acting his age). But I also have a bear and a panther for my spirit guides. I have an affinity for crows...I think it all depends on you and your own personality.

yes,they are food for louie from interview with the vampire lmao :p jkz

I am with imagesinwords on this one. I too believe that the most common annimals such as bats and crows are symbolic, a handable representation of our darker gifts or the animalistic side that always lures in the shadows.

Familiars are not vampire specific. Witches/Wiccans often have a familiar to better aquaint them with the natural world. The animal is used as a sort of conduit for the witch to contact and communicate with the natural world. Mine in fact is a dolphin, which I have tattooed on my back to represent such.

As I still adapt to the dark, gues I should say a little. The wolf has been my totem for so long, I would even want to assume in my bloodline since I'm french-canadian indian descent. I feel it more when I make love, when I protect and even guide others.

I agree with divine. In my rituals, I'll sometimes tap either into my cat's energy, or the spirit of my totem. I'm trying to work now more with water for healing and dreams.

I think it differs from person to person not a community or a certian culture. After all everyone is unique and the familiar/(characteristic) of one person might not be mine.

Dark Greeting's, I have a vamperic ferret doe's that count? I'm not trying to be funny or make fun of the question.
Dark Blessing's,
KA

a vampryic ferret? wtf .

i believe that its an individual thing to be tied to an animal. though the raven or crow is commonly links to our kind.

for me animals are familiars and are tied to a certain being it is usualy an animal the shows many of the same trais as the person they are connected to

The egyptian cat goddess was named Bast. i dont know about the cats them selves being named bast.

As for familiars, my familiar is my rat. she is present during all acts of magick which i do in my hosue hold, she also is very bonded to me and holds all my secrets.

The animal probably depends on the person not what the person is.

umm well i am not sure i say the crow or maybe even the raven

it would depend on who you are asking

some people might say the wolf, some the panther because they tend to hunt at night

Animals are far more closer to the deities, because of their "innocence"...thay say... Others have been faithfull companions and guardians since forever and remained close to humans... I think they know much more than we think...
I had a dog...great now I have a cat...she is so much different....scarry cats..

Let's see I have had both cats and dogs throughout my life and the wolf is my main spirit guide.

Well, it's usually animals like crows, and ravens that are associated with vampires, there is also the whole 'vampires-can-turn-into-bats' thing to take into consideration.

mostly it is crows, ravens or bats...with bats being the most common due to its nocturnal nature and it feeding at night. a lot of the darker minded people tend to lean towards animals like ravens, black cats, bats, crows, vultures, spiders, and wolves because it's really an expression of who they truely are inside so i would say that animal symbolicness is just what a person's nature is.

ya i hav a half insect and raven that come to me in dreams when something bad gonna happen is that like a spirit guide?

I would have to say, out of land animals, I would take a dog. Now if you talk about creatures of the sea, all of them.

Land animals.... and sea animals.... well they all have different meanings and associations. But my fav. animal is the horse representing freedom.... something many strive for.

Well in the context of White wolf the vampire clan known as the gangrel had access to the bat, mist, and wolven forms. However all vampires had a 'beast' within them. In my opinion it depends on each individual and their tastes for their animal companions or what the beast within them looks like.

I keep both predators andprey by my side because I am both in the same instance as I live from day to day.

~Sabs

animals can mean all kinds of different things to different people, i have certain conections to different animals as i believe i have not always been human. i also have a few spirit gaudians, one of whom is a lady bug! so in my life there are many different connections to animals, andthusly everyone on th eplanet will see animals in a different light. creaters of the night, e.g Vampires will automatically be conected to animals of the night and thusly anyone could asociate any night creature with anynight animal. its all about personal preference.

it is the bat, and other animals like the bat that are conected to vampires

i think the animal relation or idoling depends on the area and climate of the region. different areas might have different animals representing death or evil.

I think that the animals most closely related to Vampires have to be Bats & wolves. That is of course if we believe what hollywood wants us to.

However, I do believe that a person living a vampiric lifestyle may have a spirit guide in the guise of an animal and that may be anything that is connected somehow to the individual.

And it may be something just as simple as an animal they like.

for my belief system animals play the role of familiars and of spirit guides that watch over us and guide us

I think that animal roles are somewhat personal. Like an animal that represent's you or something about you could be yours to recognize in your practices.....But then again I have Absolutely No Idea.

I think is the particular situation the animal is in that makes it a symbol...cats, black cats, crows, wolves... I think that at some point anything that can leave a carcass behind can be used as a totem or a symbol...
On a more serious approach, bats are associated with vampires, ravens and I met a single case of spider being used as a totem... In a distant religion from the past, from the land where later Dracula will raise, the wolf was a totem and later was associated with the lycans...
So I guess it is the more personal view of the symbol shaped as an animal than the particularities of that animal...

I think these are all good comments! The whole animal "companion" thing or "guide", Is spanned back to when 'Christ walked the earth!'

While you are thinking on this you should also include the animals that were sacred to the american indian.