Thematic list
Animals That Symbolize Wisdom
From Athena's owl to Odin's ravens.
The strongest primary-source associations between specific animals and wisdom are the Greek owl of Athena (Aristophanes, Birds), Odin's ravens Huginn and Muninn (Poetic Edda, Grímnismál 20), the Egyptian ibis of Thoth (Pyramid Texts), and the elephant Ganesha in Hindu tradition (Ganesha Purana). The pop-concept builds on those sources.
Animals in this list
Owl spirit animal meaning, traced from the modern wisdom-and-intuition reading back through Ted Andrews's Animal Speak to Athena's Little Owl on the Athenian tetradrachm, the Roman strix, Lakshmi's vahana uluka, and Japanese fukurō folklore.
Raven spirit animal meaning, from the modern pop-concept back through Odin's Huginn and Muninn, the Morrígan in the Táin, the Haida and Tlingit Raven cycles, and Ted Andrews's 1993 synthesis. Named-nation specific.
Crow spirit animal meaning, traced from the modern transformation-and-trickster reading back through Ted Andrews's Animal Speak to the Japanese three-legged Yatagarasu of the Kojiki, Apollo's burned crow in Ovid, the Rāmāyaṇa sage-crow Kakabhusundi, and the British magpie rhyme tradition.
Elephant spirit animal meaning, traced from the modern memory-and-wisdom reading back through Ted Andrews's Animal Speak to Hindu Ganesha and Airavata, the Buddhist white elephant of Queen Maya's dream, the Thai royal white elephant tradition, and African Bantu matrilineal totemism.
Dolphin spirit animal meaning, traced from the modern joy-and-intelligence reading back through Ted Andrews's Animal Speak to the Homeric Hymn to Apollo at Delphi, Arion's rescue by a dolphin in Herodotus, the Minoan Knossos dolphin fresco, and the Amazonian boto encantado tradition.
Fox spirit animal meaning, traced from the modern cleverness-adaptability reading back through Ted Andrews's Animal Speak to Japanese kitsune and Inari shrine practice, Chinese húli jīng, the European Reynard tradition, and Aesop's fables.
Spider spirit animal meaning, traced from the modern creativity-and-weaving reading back through Ted Andrews's Animal Speak to the West African Anansi trickster cycle, Diné and Hopi Grandmother Spider, Ovid's Arachne, and the Japanese jorōgumo of Edo-era folklore.
Turtle spirit animal meaning, traced from the modern patience-and-longevity reading back through Ted Andrews's Animal Speak to the Haudenosaunee Turtle Island creation narrative, the Hindu Kurma avatar, the Chinese Black Tortoise Xuanwu, and the Hawaiian honu.