pomorphic
tendencies, (iii.) the influence of chieftainship, hereditary and
otherwise, (iv.) annual sacrifice of the sacred animal and mystical
ideas connected therewith, (v.) syncretism, due either to unity of
function or to a philosophic unification, (vi.) the desire to do
honour to the species in the person of one of its members, and
possibly other less easily traceable causes.

(B) Treating cults according to their meaning, which is not
necessarily identical with the cause which first led to the
deification of the animal in question, we can classify them under ten
specific heads: (i.) pastoral cults; (ii.) hunting cults; (iii.) cults
of dangerous or noxious animals; (iv.) cults of animals regarded as
human souls or their embodiment; (v.) totemistic cults; (vi.) cults
of secret societies, and individual cults of tutelary animals;
(vii.) cults of tree and vegetation spirits; (viii.) cults of ominous
animals; (ix.) cults, probably derivative, of animals associated with
certain deities; (x.) cults of animals used in magic.

(i.) The pastoral type falls into two sub-types, in which the species
(_a_) is spared and (_b_) sometimes receives special honour at
intervals in the person of an individual. (See _Cattle, Buffalo_,
below.)

(ii.) In hunting cults the species is habitually killed, but (_a_)
occasionally honoured in the person of a single individual, or (_b_)
each slaughtered animal receives divine honours. (See _Bear_, below.)

(iii.) The cult of dangerous animals is due (_a_) to the fear that the
soul of the slain beast may take vengeance on the hunter, (_b_) to a
desire to placate the rest of the species. (See _Leopard_, below.)

(iv.) Animals are frequently regarded as the abode, temporary or
permanent, of the souls of the dead, sometimes as the actual souls
of the dead. Respect for them is due to two main reasons: (_a_) the
kinsmen of the dead desire to preserve the goodwill of their dead
relatives; (_b_) they wish at the same time to secure that their
kinsmen are not molested and caused to undergo unnecessary suffering.
(See _Serpent_, below.)

(v.) One of the most widely found modes of showing respect to animals
is known as totemism (see TOTEM AND TOTEMISM), but except in decadent
forms there is but little positive worship; in Central Australia,
however, the rites of the Wollunqua totem group are directed towards
placating this mythical animal, and cannot be termed anything but
religious ceremonies.