Myths, Folklore, and Symbolism: Dolphin

Dolphin: "As a strikingly intelligent, friendly, and mobile animal, the dolphin is represented in the myths of many peoples who lived by the sea. In the Minoan culture and for the Greeks and the Romans, the dolphin was considered god-like. In Greece it was sacred particularly to the god of light, Apollo, but also to Dionysus (the patron of sea travel), Aphrodite (who was born out of the sea), and Poseidon (the god of the sea). The dolphin was considered a psychopomp who safely carried the souls of the deceased on its back into the realm of the dead. In this sense it was also associated symbolically in early Christian art with Christ the Redeemer." (Herder)