Goat

: This article is about goats, the animals. For the web comic, see Goats (comic).

Goats in Folklore and Mythology

Since its inception, Christianity has associated goats with Satan. A common superstition in the Middle Ages was that goats whispered lewd sentences in the ears of the saints. The origin of this belief was probably the behavior of the buck in rut, the very epitome of lust. The common mediaeval depiction of a devil was that of a goat like face with horns and small beard (a goatee). The Black Mass, a probably-mythological "Satanic mass," was said to involve a black goat, a form in which Satan supposedly manifested himself for worship.

Related Topics:
Christianity - Satan - Superstition - Middle Ages - Saint - Devil - Goatee - Black Mass

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The goat has had a lingering connection with Satanism and pagan religions, even into modern times. The pentagram, a symbol used by both Satanism and Wicca, is said to be shaped like a goat's head. It is sometimes called the goat of Mendes, after a goat that supposedly copulated with priestesses during certain rituals in an ancient cult in Mendes, Greece.

Related Topics:
Satanism - Pagan - Religion - Pentagram - Wicca - Goat of Mendes - Priestess - Cult

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The Norse god of thunder, Thor, had a chariot that was pulled by several goats. At night when he would set up camp, Thor would eat the meat of the goats & break their legs to eat the marrow. In the morning, they would always reappear to pull the chariot.

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The goat is also one of the twelve-year cycle of animals which appear in the Chinese zodiac related to the Chinese calendar. It is thought that each animal is associated with certain personality traits; those born in a year of the goat are predicted to be shy, introverted, creative, and perfectionist. See Sheep (Zodiac).

Related Topics:
Chinese zodiac - Chinese calendar - Sheep (Zodiac)

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The Capricorn sign in the Western zodiac is usually depicted as a goat with a fish's tail.

Related Topics:
Capricorn - Zodiac - Fish

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