Theriocephaly

Theriocephaly (from Greek θηρίον "therion" ‘beast’ and κεφαλή "kefalí" ‘head’) is the condition or quality of having the head of an animal - commonly used to refer the depiction in art of humans (or deities) with animal heads.

Examples

Many of the gods and goddesses worshiped by the Ancient Egyptians, for example, were commonly depicted as being theriocephalic. Notable examples include:
* Horus, depicted as having the head of a falcon.
* Anubis, depicted with a jackal's head.
* The desert-god Set, often depicted with the head of an unknown creature, referred to as the "Set animal" by Egyptologists.

In some Eastern Orthodox icon traditions, some saints, particularly St. Christopher, are depicted as having the head of a dog.

In Hinduism, the wisdom god Ganesha is depicted with an elephant head.

ee also

*Cynocephaly
*Zoomorphism
*Hybrid (mythology)

References

* Agamben, Giorgio (2004). The Open. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-4738-5.