Name: Spirit Animal
Appearance: Spirit animals can be any animal, and have a typical physical appearance to an ethereal appearance, depending on the situation and the culture being looked at.
History: There is the concept of spirit animals from various cultures. A common one talked about in the U.S. is Native American totem animals, but there are others.
For instance, Norse spirit animals were referred to as Fylgia. Many people have also heard of the concept of spirit animals in different Asian cultures and zodiac signs.
Info: The tradition with most spirit animals is that you don't choose your spirit animal, it chooses or is assigned to you - such as an animal decided based on your birthday. There are also animals that resonant with you that are more associated with your personality. In most cases a spirit animal is a sort of guide and can assist you. I took a slightly darker turn with it in my story.
Additional Notes: I did some research on bears as spirit animals, since that is the animal I have in my short story. The concept behind a bear is feral and power. The bear can also help us unlock hidden strengths and display wisdom. I can't help also thinking of the Disney movie Brave while thinking about bears - not the biggest fan of Disney, but I did enjoy that one!
Credit and Additional Reading: If you found the above interesting and want to read more, check out my references:
Keep an eye out for the fantasy short story I wrote with both Valkyrie and Spirit Animals, Rise Together!
Happy Adventuring,
G.G. Marshall
Read a short story with valkyrie and spirit animals:
Part 1 (Available: Thurs 3/20/25): https://www.ggmarshall.com/post/rise-together-part-1
Part 2 (Available: Thurs 4/17/25): https://www.ggmarshall.com/post/rise-together-part-2
Part 3 (Available: Thurs 5/15/25): https://www.ggmarshall.com/post/rise-together-part-3
Part 4 (Available: Thurs 6/19/25): https://www.ggmarshall.com/post/rise-together-part-4
Want to learn more about valkyrie that appear in the short story?
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