Thérianthropie

The thérianthropie (of the Greek old therion , savage, and anthrōpos, man) is a generic name applied to any transformation of a human being into another Animal, in a complete or partial way, as well as the reverse transformation, within the mythological framework and spiritual concerned. The term, used of long time in English, is of recent appearance in the French language, which used up to that point only the term Lycanthropie (in a wide direction) to indicate all the transformations of an human being into animal, the strict direction indicating only the transformation into wolf.

Original use

With regard to the cultural, mythological and anthropological study, the thérianthropie describes a character who divides human features with capacities or features borrowed from other animals. The example the best known one concerns the lycanthrope (who includes the European werewolf), a Hybride semi-man semi-wolf. The near total of the Egyptian gods, having animal heads or having the capacity to change into such animals, are thérianthropes.

Myth

One finds the myth of the man transforming himself into wild animal in other cultures.

In the the Pantheon of the old Egypt, of many gods was represented in the form of a Hybride, half animal man and half.
In Africa, one knows the very strong presence of the man-leopard , and even of the man-jackal and the man-hyena , in Asia of the man-tiger , and in Oceania of the man-shark .

Psychiatry/Monomanie

When certain people post clinical disorders which push them to accept a transformation into animal, one speaks about lycanthropie clinical. These pathologies are generally not considered serious, but associated with schizophrenias or dissociations of the personality, can be the source of behaviors at the risks. This category of mental attack is, according to certain anthropologists, at the origin of certain chamanic beliefs. Certain people, isolated during years, can develop a clinical thérianthropie and regard themselves as pertaining to other species.

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