Animals that Represent Time

[stephen]

I just need some basic symbolism for my NaNo novel; what animals can you think of that represent time?

Examples I've come across include turtles, aligators, or elephants.

I am likely to go with the turtle, and will look it up in my dictionary of literary symbols...but I'm just curious if anyone else can think of a good animal that represents time?

[snooze]

Does it have to be real? Because - phoenix.

Serpent/dragon - ouroboros?

[AXJ]

Tortoise is the classic, given their lifespan. This is represented in a wide variety of mythologies, from Native American to Hindu.

Might be fun to contrast it somehow with a mayfly, some subspecies of which have a lifespan of just a couple of hours.

[stephen]

It doesn't have to be real, no. The purpose for the animal in this case would be as an engraving on a pocketwatch so something like a phoenix or dragon wouldn't necessarily be out of place. Now I'm picturing some epic engraving on the pocketwatch that resembles some kind of metal album art ;)

I may just stick with the turtle/tortoise though. It seems like that may give the watch a bit more elegance.

I like the idea of a contrasting choice appearing somewhere else in the novel though.

[alcar]

The Immortal Jellyfish. It can regress aging cycle and is, in theory, as close to immortal as a creature can become.

[Tundra]

How about a cuckoo? I doubt it's official as a time symbol, but it's in cuckoo clocks. Roosters? For a new day.

[MichaelB]

Rooster sounds like a good symbol, especially for engraving on a pocketwatch. The symbolism of 'keeping time' (rather than the tortoise symbol of "longevity") is more apparent and has more in common with a pocket watch. A tortoise as a symbol of endurance and longevity could be used elsewhere, but for a timekeeping device, a rooster seems like the most obvious choice. After all, you can set your clocks by them.

[AXJ]

I like the rooster one too. Good call T. 8)

[gw_izzain]

Depending on what kind of "time" you want I'd say the Tortoise idea sems good for "Eternal"-type of Time
An Ouroboros would be a nice idea for "Repeating or Looping"-type of Time
A Cockroach for "Perseverance"-type of Time
Falcon for "Now"-type of Time

[stephen]

Depending on what kind of "time" you want I'd say the Tortoise idea sems good for "Eternal"-type of Time
An Ouroboros would be a nice idea for "Repeating or Looping"-type of Time
A Cockroach for "Perseverance"-type of Time
Falcon for "Now"-type of Time

I looked up the Ouroboros in a GIS and that actually seems like the perfect image.

It's something that's going to be engraved on a Pocketwatch that controls time travel, seems like that would be the type of thing to appear on it.

[Tundra]

That sounds pretty much perfect to me. Reminds them about paradoxes.

[MichaelB]

Now you mention that it involves time travel? Could have saved us all some effort by mentioning that little bit up front. I agree that the hoop snake is a good image for it, although if you wanted a radical metal album image, the Chinese phoenix/dragon circle could be a good one to look at.

[stephen]

Apologies for not mentioning it...I must have thought I did / thought that people would associate my mention of the nano novel with time travel.

Assuming makes an etc...