First off quoting "Wikipedia"
"A
therian may also be a member of the contemporary subculture of therianthropy, which is based on a spiritual and/or psychological identification with animals."
"
Therianthropy refers to the metamorphosis of humans into animals.
Therianthropes are said to change forms via shapeshifting. Therianthropes have long existed in mythology, appearing in ancient cave drawings
such as
the Sorcerer at
Les Trois Frères."
"The term
therianthropy comes from the Greek
theríon, θηρίον, meaning "wild animal" or "beast" (impliedly mammalian), and
anthrōpos, άνθρωπος, meaning "human being". It was used to refer to animal transformation folklore of Asia and Europe as early as 1901. Sometimes, "zoanthropy" is used instead of "therianthropy"
Therianthropy was also used to describe spiritual belief in animal transformation in 1915
and one source
raises the possibility the term may have been used in the 16th century in criminal trials of suspected werewolves."
"
Shape-shifting in folklore and religion
Main article:
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting refers to the alteration of physical appearance, in this case, from human to animal.
Lycanthropy, the transformation into a
wolf, is the best known form of therianthropy, followed by
cynanthropy, or transformation into a dog, and
ailuranthropy, or transformation into a
cat.
[7] Werehyenas are present in the stories of several
African and
Eurasian cultures, while
wererats are rare in historical legends, but have become common in modern fiction.
Shape-shifting in folklore and religion
Main article:
Shapeshifting
Shapeshifting refers to the alteration of physical appearance, in this case, from human to animal.
Lycanthropy, the transformation into a
wolf, is the best known form of therianthropy, followed by
cynanthropy, or transformation into a dog, and
ailuranthropy, or transformation into a
cat.
[7] Werehyenas are present in the stories of several
African and
Eurasian cultures, while
wererats are rare in historical legends, but have become common in modern fiction.
Lycanthropy (werewolves)
In
folklore, mythology and
anthropology, the most commonly known form of therianthropy is
lycanthropy. The werewolf is generally held as a European character, although its lore spread through the world in later times. Ancient
Turkic legends from Asia talk of shapeshifting
shamans
known as "Kurtadams" which translates directly to "wolfman." The idea
of being descendants from wolves has been a part of Turkic shamanist
beliefs. Shape-shifters, similar to werewolves, are common in tales from
all over the world. Although the definition specifically describes a
metamorphic change from human to canine form (as with a
werewolf), the term is often used to refer to any human to nonhuman animal transformation.
Cynanthropy (weredogs)
Main article:
Cynanthropy
The Greeks also spoke of cynanthropy (Kynior, dog). Cynanthropy,
sometimes spelled kynanthropy, is applied to shapeshifters who alternate
between dog form and human form, or to beings that do not shapeshift
but possess combined dog and human anatomical features (Hamel, 76). It
is also used for real persons suffering from the delusion that they are
dogs (Ashley, 37). After lycanthropy, cynanthropy is the best known term
for a specific variety of therianthropy.
The term existed by at least 1901, when it was applied to myths from
China about humans turning into dogs, dogs becoming people, and sexual
relations between humans and canines .
[8]
Anthropologist David Gordon White called Central Asia the "vortex of
cynanthropy" because races of dog-men were habitually placed there by
ancient writers. Hindu mythology puts races of "Dog Cookers" to the far
north of India, the Chinese placed the "Dog Jung" and other human/canine
barbarians to the extreme west, and European legends frequently put the
dog men called Cynocephali in unmapped regions to the east. Some of
these races were described as humans with dog heads, others as canine
shapeshifters (White, 114-15).
The weredog or cynanthrope is also known in Timor. It is described as
a human/canine shapeshifter who is also capable of transforming other
people into animals against their wills. These transformations are
usually into prey animals such as goats, so that the cynanthrope can
devour them without discovery of the crime (Rose, 390).
Ailuranthropy (werecats)
European folklore usually depicts werecats who transform into domestic cats, sometimes of an enlarged size,
[9] or
panthers. African legends describe people who turn into
lions or
leopards, while Asian werecats are typically depicted as becoming
tigers.
The transformation of each individual animal feline form possesses its
own version of the "were" title, for instance werelions, wereleopards,
werejaguars, werecheetah, and werepanthers. The general classification
of werecat typically applies to all, excluding circumstances between
werecats, whom identify each species by the appropriate specific title.
Werecats have been represented as typically living in prides regardless
of sub-classification.
Skin-walkers and naguals
Main articles:
Skin-walker and
Nagual
Some
Native American
legends talk about skin-walkers, persons with the supernatural ability
to turn into any animal they desire, though, to be able to transform,
they first must be wearing a pelt of the animal. In the folk religion of
neighboring
Mesoamerica,
a Nagual or Nahual is a human being who has the power to magically turn
themselves into an animal form, most commonly donkeys, turkeys, and
dogs,
[10] but also other and more powerful animals such as the jaguar and puma.
Theriocephaly
Therianthropy can also refer to artistic descriptions of characters
that simultaneously share human and nonhuman animal traits, for example
the animal-headed humanoid forms of gods depicted in
ancient Egyptian religion (such as
Ra,
Sobek,
Anubis, and others) as well as creatures like
centaurs and
mermaids.
For furries, it's a hobby, Therians are the spiritual ones. I can say
that for myself, I'm a furry BECAUSE I'm a therian, and suiting makes me
feel closer to my animal. However, there's lots of furries who just do
it for fun. They do it for enjoyment, making people smile, etc. There
are definitely some therian furries, but not all furries are therians.
It would be therianthropy that would conflict with a religion, however
I'm a therian and a Christian as well so... it depends on your view on
your religion. Being a furry should have no influence on your spiritual
beliefs at all.
