Animals in the mythology and folklore of the peoples of the world

The role of animals in mythology is exceptionally great. This can be explained by the fact that at the early stage of human development people did not distinguish themselves from a number of living beings and did not oppose themselves to nature.This article examines the role of animals in mythology and folklore of the peoples of the world. Comparing the myths of different peoples, it can be established that, for all their diversity, they contain the same themes and motives. In many myths where animals are present, there is an idea that once people were animals, and some animals descended from people.