Čovjek od svojih početaka nastoji objasniti način svog postanka, promjene na sebi (bolest, smrt) i svojim životinjama kao i svim prirodnim događanjima oko njega. Vjerojatno zbog straha, neznanja, nemoći, a katkad i znatiželje, čovjek je rješenje tražio daleko od sebe, što za posljedicu ima vjerovanja u različite bogove i bića, čudnovata stvorenja čija se štovanja prenose iz civilizacije u civilizaciju s malo izmijenjenim imenom, izgledom ili obredom koji im je priređivan. Štovanjem životinja pomoću reprezentativne životinje stvara se kult životinja. U ovom radu govorimo o religiji i mitologiji (mitovima i legendama, zoolatriji, totemizmu, animalizmu, orakularnim životinjama, čudovištima u životinjskom obliku, fantastičnim životinjama i hibridima) u različitim civilizacijama u različitim vremenima. Ovaj rad prikazuje vjerovanja starih naroda koja su na bilo koji način povezana sa životinjama, bilo da su životinje štovali kao bogove i božice bilo da su bogovi prikazani u društvu sa životinjama, da su čudovišta, ili fantastične životinje (vukodlak, zmaj), ili u obliku hibrida koji su mješavina ljudskih i životinjskih oblika, ili kombinacija više različitih vrsta životinjskih likova. I u starim i u današnjim civilizacijama sačuvana je svetost životinja, kao i proricanja na osnovi njihova ponašanja ili izgleda njihovih organa, uz mišljenje da se ljudi mogu preobraziti u životinje ili druga bića. U prvom dijelu ovog rada kao božanstva, mitska bića ili čudovišta opisane su životinje i njihovi različiti likovi – u obliku antilope, goveda (bizon, bik, krava), deve, dupina, gavrana, glodavca, insekta, jarca, jaguara, jastreba, jelena, ježa, kita i konja., From the very beginning, humans have tried to explain their origins and the changes that occur to them (diseases, death) and their animals, as well as the natural events taking place around them. Probably out of fear, ignorance, helplessness and sometimes curiosity, humans sought the answers far away from themselves, which resulted in the belief in a variety of gods and other beings, strange creatures, whose worship was passed on from one civilization to another, with the names, appearance, or rites related to them slightly altered. Worship of animals using representative animals led to the creation of animal cults. This paper deals with religions and mythology (myths and legends, zoolatry, totemism, animalism, oracular animals, monsters in animal form, fantastic animals and hybrids) in various civilizations at different times. The paper presents the beliefs of ancient peoples related in any way to animals, whether they worshipped animals as gods and goddesses, or gods were shown associating with animals, as monsters or fantastic creatures (werewolves, dragons), or in the form of hybrids - a mixture of human and animal forms, or a combination of several species of animal characters. In ancient and contemporary civilizations the sacredness of animals has been preserved, including prophesying on the basis of their behaviour or the appearance of their organs, along with the belief that humans can be transformed into animals or other creatures. In the first part of the paper animals are described as deities, mythical creatures or monsters, in their various forms - antelopes, cattle (bison, bull or cow), camels, dolphins, ravens, rodents, insects, goats, jaguars, hawks, deer, hedgehogs, whales and horses.