Now it is known that belief in the existence of composite beings—that is to say gods, spirits, or heroes—simultaneously possessing human and animal characteristics is common to many religions, in numerous cultures, in all ages, and on every continent. One only needs to think of various divinities in Egypt, such as the woman with a lion’s head (Sekhmet) or men with the head of a jackal (Anubis), a ram (Amon-Ra), or a crocodile (Sobek). Other examples are the monkey-headed Hanuman of India or the devil and angels of Christian religion.
