I LOVE the turtles around here, they are just the most fascinating little creatures. Turtle mythology exists in almost every culture. In the West, early Christians feared them and believed they carried evil forces. In ancient Greece they were believed to be messengers of hell. But in Native American culture, they symbolized the connection between heaven and earth and depicted the lunar cycle.
The same belief exists in the Far East where the shell was a symbol of heaven and the square underside was a symbol of earth. The turtle was believed to possess animal magic which united heaven and earth. With a profile that resembled a mountain and the turning motion of its toes, it was believed to be a depiction of heaven and earth changing constantly through the seasons. Because turtles can live a very long time, older civilizations also believed the animals to be immune to death.
I think they are just adorable and if you stare at their face long enough, they appear very old and wise.
Long live the turtles!
The same belief exists in the Far East where the shell was a symbol of heaven and the square underside was a symbol of earth. The turtle was believed to possess animal magic which united heaven and earth. With a profile that resembled a mountain and the turning motion of its toes, it was believed to be a depiction of heaven and earth changing constantly through the seasons. Because turtles can live a very long time, older civilizations also believed the animals to be immune to death.
I think they are just adorable and if you stare at their face long enough, they appear very old and wise.
Long live the turtles!
This little guy is a real poser!
And they move faster than you think. Look at those little feet go.