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Bear - Worship of bears goes back centuries, as evidence suggests that the Greek goddess Artemis led a cult in which girls were expected to dance like bears in her honor. If they didn't, they would remain unmarried.

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Bear: Artemis - The goddess transformed a nymph into a bear before transforming it into the constellation Ursa Major, according to mythology.

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Bear: Ainu people - The Ainu, a group of indigenous people native to Japan, have been honoring bear spirits through ritual for thousands of years.

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Bear: Ainu people - They believe that the bear god sits above all others in the spirit homeland, Kamuy Mosir. People wear the fur and eat the meat of these mighty beings after sending them off in a special ceremony known as iyomante.

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Whale - The mythical qualities of these majestic animals trace back to biblical times. The story of Jonah being swallowed by a "big Fish," which has been associated with whales, is told in the Bible and the Koran.

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Whale: Vietnam - Coastal fishermen offer prayers to Ca Ong, a whale god, before sailing off into the ocean. These fishing communities believe that the whales act as "guardian angels" that protect them on their voyages.

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Cattle and buffalo - Given how many pastoral peoples have depended on cattle for sustenance throughout the age, it’s unsurprising these farm animals hold a special place in the cultural fabric of many cultures.

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Cattle: India - Hindus are well-known for their vegetarian habits. While many might eat chicken, lamb, fish and other meat, most absolutely do not eat beef.

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Cattle: India - In fact, the slaughter of cows is already illegal in many Indian states, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. This is because these animals are considered sacred by India’s Hindu majority.

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Cattle: India - Known as Kamadhenu, this cow-like goddess is worshiped in different temples and houses dedicated to her across India.

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Buffaloes: Toda people - The Toda, from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, abstain from eating buffaloes, an animal they depend on for dairy products. However, they sacrifice a calf once a year, whose meat is eaten by the men in the forest.

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Dog - Dogs are celebrated in many cultures for their companionship qualities. But in some cultures, our fluffy friends are venerated.

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Dog: Nepal and India - In Nepal and some Indian states, including Assam, Sikkim, and parts of West Bengal, dogs are celebrated during the Tihar festival, a five-day celebration also known as the festival of lights. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY-SA 3.0)

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Dogs: Nepal and India - In Hindu mythology, dogs are believed to be messengers of Yama, the god of death. Culturally, dogs are seen as protectors of the home.

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Horse - Different Indo-European and Turkic people have celebrated horses through history, which are featured prominently in mythology and folklore. The centaur is a well-known example.

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Horse: India - In Hinduism, Hayagriva is the horse-faced avatar of Vishnu, one of the religion’s main deities. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

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Elephant: Thailand - In Hinduism, the god Indra typically rides a white flying elephant named Airavata.

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Elephant: Thailand - In fact, the country has used several flags donning a white elephant.

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Hare: Algonquian peoples of North America - The Algonquian hero Nanabozho is often depicted as a rabbit. (Photo: Flickr/CC BY 2.0)

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Hare: Algonquian peoples of North America - The hero is even called the “Great Hare” in some occasions.

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Leopard: West Africa - In many African tribes, the leopard represents a powerful totem animal.

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The Leopard Society - An elusive, all-male society existed in West Africa, particularly in Nigeria and Sierra Leone, in the early to the mid-20th century. The members wore leopard skins and attacked travelers.

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The Leopard Society - They became notorious for slashing, gashing, and mauling like the animals would in the wild. They then engaged in cannibalism, according to the Encyclopedia of the Unusual and Unexplained.

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Tiger: China - This big cat is of great significance to Chinese culture, even representing one of the 12 Chinese zodiac animals.

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Tiger: India - The Warli tribe of western India still worship Vaghadeva, the tiger god, to this day. (Photo: Wikimedia/CC BY 2.0)

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Tiger: Vietnam - The tiger is a powerful deity for various different ethnic groups in Vietnam. The Tà Ôi people, for example, worship the god Giang Avo. He protects the forests and the spirit of their villages.

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Monkey: India - The monkey deity Hanuman features prominently in Hinduism as one of the reincarnations—or avatars—of Shiva.

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Monkey: Japan - The well-known three wise monkeys embody the proverbial principle "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

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Mice: India - In parts of the country, the rodents are celebrated for their survival skills. Mice are often associated with Ganesh.

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Mice: India - The state of Rajasthan is home to the Karni Mata Temple, also known as Temple of Rats, for the approximately 25,000 black rats that live and are worshiped there.

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Snake - Devotion to serpent deities is present in cultures spanning the globe, from the Americas to India and Africa.

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Snake: African cultures and diaspora - The Mami Wata water deity is worshiped in different regions of Africa, as well as in culture arising from the African diaspora. Normally female, she is usually portrayed with a snake, which represents divination and divinity.

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