(Introduction): Animalia Regnum: Animals and Animal Symbols in the World of Human Cultures

The paper presents introductory thoughts on the research topics of the Animalia Research Centre. The observation of the animals around us, the interpretation of their real and perceived qualities, and the changing reinterpretation of the human-animal relationship from age to age can be traced in cultural representations. Betwixt the extremities of expressing reverence for animals and lowering them to the level of evil, countless interpretations and attitudes have been formulated. Our research highlights these to understand more of our past, cultural traditions, and self-interpretations as expressed in our animal characters. The Research Centre focuses on the key concept of animal symbolism, which is the interconnected and ever-changing relationship between man and the animal world, and simultaneously on the changing definition of man's status from one era to the next.

Keywords: animal symbol, cultural representation, analogical thinking