The Bull, symbol of power, potency, virility

The symbolism of the bull. Power potency fecundity, a protein symbol of divinity royalty and the elemental forces of nature.

 changing in significance between different epochs and cultures. In cave art the bull is second only to the horse as the most frequently painted image of vital energy.

As the incarnation of many Supreme eastern gods the bull was one of the most important sacrificial animals.

In ritual and iconography it has represented both the moon and the sun earth and the Sky rain and heat feminine procreation and male ardor.  Both death and regeneration.

As a symbol of death and resurrection it is central to mithraism a Persian cult popular in the Roman Empire. Myth rack sacrifices celebrated the sun God mithras slaughter of a primordial bull from whose blood and ***** spraying new life.

Bulls appear from northern Europe to India as an emblem of divine power especially linked with lunar solar and sky or storm gods including the Mesopotamia and EL who is bull horned and bow . The Egyptians Ra, Ausar,  Ptah who was incarnated as the sacred apis bull and Seth .

The Greek Zeus Dionysus and  Seibel. The Norse Thor and Freya . And the Hindu Indra Aditi,  Agni,  Rudra and Shiva.

Tibetan Buddhism has the bull headed fierce deity protector Yama Dharmaraja

The physical attributes of the bull underline much of its symbolism. Its horns or link with the Crescent moon its strength suggests a support for the world in Vedic and Islamic traditions it's prolific semanis stored by the moon in Persian myth.

 and its colossal dangerous energy was widely venerated notably in Minoan Crete. Were a dangerous ritualistic sport involved somersaulting over a bull's horns developed

The orchestrated ritual of modern bull fighting continues an ancient Mediterranean tradition of using the bull to flirt with death.

Crete is a setting of numerous later Greek bull miss most famously of the monstrous half man half bull the minotaur.

Zeus transformed himself into a bull in order to abduct Europia carrying her to Crete. A bull is thus one of the attributes of Zeus and may also symbolize the continent of Europe.

 A former beast the bull from ancient times became adversaries as well as icons. Challenging its power was a task of legendary heroes such as Heracles who captured another cretin bull as his 7th labor an fought Acilius in the guise of a bull.

 And Theseus who slew the minotaur.

 

The Bull of Heaven was a pawn of the goddess Inanna, and the vessel of her rage against the demi god Gilgamesh. She unleashed the bull on Earth, and he began a path of devastation. He was killed by Gilgamesh and his friend Enkidu.