The Most Famous Animals In Literature

Thanks to books, people can unleash their imagination, identify with stories and characters that become familiar and much loved. Sometimes, however, the protagonists of short stories and tales are not just heroes, leaders or princesses. If you want to know the most famous animals in literature, in this article we will talk about five of them, really unmissable.

5 most famous animals in literature

1. Moby Dick

Surely you know the famous white “whale” that gives its name to the masterpiece written by Herman Melville in 1851. The great cetacean is undoubtedly the true protagonist of this dramatic and fascinating story, made unique by the feats of the terrible Captain Ahab and the colorful crew of the Pequod. This novel describes in detail how the sperm whale hunt took place during the 19th century.

Moby Dick is stalked by the whalers, becoming a real obsession for Ahab, who has lost a leg because of him. This sperm whale is portrayed as a real sea monster, merciless and terrible against the crews of any boat.

2. Cheshire cat

Invented by the clever pen of Lewis Carroll for his  Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland of 1865, it is one of the most famous animals in world literature. This is also due to the enormous success of the film versions following the work, above all that of Disney.

The Cheshire cat – known for her big smile – has the ability to appear and disappear as often as she pleases, engages in philosophical conversations with little Alice and helps her calm down when she is on the Queen’s croquet court . Hearts, who had threatened to have her head cut off.

3. Bagheera

This black panther is one of the characters in the famous novel The Jungle Book  written by British writer Rudyard Kipling in 1894. Within the story, this charming feline becomes the protagonist when he saves Mogli’s life from the clutches of wolves led by the very bad Akela .

Together with the Baloo bear, Bagheera is one of the most famous animals in international literature. Both teach the young man how to survive in the jungle and to face all dangers. The panther’s personality in the book is similar to that of its species: cunning, wise, discreet and silent.

4. Aslan

Not everyone knows that  The Chronicles of Narnia are the film version of the novels of the same name written by Clive Staples Lewis in the 1950s. One of the protagonists of these children’s stories is a lion who can speak, son of the overseas emperor.

It is a mysterious and at the same time magical animal. Very wise and compassionate, he becomes a guide for children, while protecting and saving Narnia. Aslan means “lion” in Turkish and is a word used to refer to the sultans, due to their renowned loyalty and courage.

5. Winnie the Pooh

Among the most famous animals in literature, this sweet teddy bear, created by the American Alan Alexander Milne in 1926, could not be missing. We all know Winnie the Pooh  who lives in a tree, always wearing the usual red shirt and is very fond of honey.

All Winnie the Pooh stories take place in the Hundred Acre Wood . To accompany the cute protagonist there are many other characters, all animals. For example, the piglet Piglet, the carefree Tigger, the sad donkey Eeyore, the kangaroo Ro, the rabbit Capo, the owl Uffa and others.

It would be impossible to summarize all the most famous animals in literature in one article. Next to these that we have presented to you today, truly unmissable, there are others that are worth mentioning. For example, the Ronzinante horse of  Don Quixote of La Mancha  by Miguel de Cervantes, the white owl Hedwig from the Harry Potter  saga  by JK Rowling, the wolf of White Fang expertly described by the pen of Jack London or the fox of  The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.