Crocodile symbolism, meaning and the crocodile spirit animal

Swimming crocodile. Photo: Anton Starikov.

The crocodile symbolism and meanings include primordial wisdom, efficiency, stealth, and other powerful associations. Because crocodiles exist throughout the world, including the tropical regions of Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Australia, they are the subject of mythology and folklore in many cultures of those regions. In addition, the crocodile power animal is present in numerous spiritual belief systems of these cultures.

In this post, you will learn more about common crocodile symbols as well as their associated meanings in the mythology of different cultures. You will also learn about the crocodile spirit animal and totem.

If you are curious about alligators (which are in the same zoological order as crocodiles but are slightly different), please visit my post on alligator symbolism, meanings and the alligator spirit animal.

What do crocodiles symbolize?

Original wisdom

stealth

efficiency

wildness

sovereignty and power

independence

instincts

Psychic Consciousness

Detailed crocodile symbols and meanings

Crocodiles have inhabited the earth for over 80 million years and have changed little in that time. They also have a long lifespan, some living for over 100 years. For these reasons, like snakes and dragonflies, crocodiles are symbols of ancient wisdom. They have a feel for the earth before mankind began.

stealth

As ambush hunters, crocodiles sneak up on their prey quietly. They have excellent night vision, which gives them an added advantage. They can also detect pressure changes in the water, making it easier for them to locate their prey. Thus, crocodiles are symbols of stealth, discretion and the surprise attack.

efficiency

Unlike alligators, which are primarily found in freshwater, the crocodile has specialized glands that allow it to exist in both freshwater and saltwater environments. Also, they live on land. So these skilled hunters can find food both on land and in the water. And when they catch their prey, they hardly chew it and often swallow their prey whole.

As such, crocodiles are important symbols of efficiently pursuing what you want—and getting it.

wildness

Crocodiles are considered to be far more aggressive than their alligator cousins. While an alligator may attack when hungry or threatened, crocodiles have been known to attack even when unprovoked.

The crocodile is therefore not only a symbol of fearlessness, but also of aggressive ferocity.

sovereignty

It’s not that easy to see an alligator’s teeth. When her mouth is closed, only her upper teeth are exposed. This is not the case with crocodiles. Even when their mouths are closed, their large sharp teeth—both the top and bottom rows—jut out from their lips.

This is how the crocodile radiates its power without even trying. As apex predators, they are the bosses of their domains. Therefore, like lions and sharks, they are symbols of power, authority and sovereignty.

independence

Unlike wolves, who are extremely social and dependent on their pack, crocodiles are solitary creatures. They can bask in the sun on a bench with other crocodiles, but they lead independent lives. Because of this, crocodiles are symbols of robust individualism and independence.

Saltwater Crocodile, Queen’s Gardens, Jardines de la Reyna, Cuba. Photo: Janos Rautonen.

instincts

You may have heard psychologists refer to the “lizard brain” when describing the part of the human brain that focuses only on survival functions: breathing, eating, sleeping, sex, and fight or flight. The crocodile embodies the “lizard brain”. They don’t display the level of emotional intelligence that elephants, dolphins, or your feline companion have. Instead, crocodiles symbolize our gut or basic instincts. The crocodile goes into analysis paralysis for nothing. They go towards the carotid artery.

Psychic Consciousness

Crocodiles have eyes on their heads, allowing them to see events on land even when their bodies are submerged in water. In addition, they have the ability to go into a state called unihemispheric sleep, in which one part of their brain sleeps while the other is still awake. In addition, they can sleep with one eye closed and one eye open and awake.

These special qualities are why crocodiles are symbols of hyper or psychic consciousness. In addition, like turtles, crocodiles are both aquatic and terrestrial. In mystical symbolism, land represents your conscious consciousness while water represents your subconscious or superconscious consciousness. Hence, crocodiles are symbols of supernatural or psychic consciousness.

Crocodile symbols and meanings in cultural mythology and folklore

Crocodiles have lived on earth for over 80 million years and are therefore the subject of mythology and folklore of many cultures around the world. Here are some examples of the crocodile symbolism:

Native American crocodile meanings

Native Americans worship nature and animals. They consider the crocodile to be a powerful being that is also feared.

Ancient Native Americans living in what is now the Ohio River basin in the 1st and 2nd centuries told stories of a ferocious underwater panther that ate humans. The underwater panther, which the Ojibwe called Mishibijiw, was considered a supernatural being. He ruled the water like the thunderbird ruled the air.

Archaeologists and anthropologists suspect that the underwater panther was most likely modeled after a crocodile.

In fact, there is a mound in Granville, Ohio that was built by Native Americans sometime between 800 and 1200 AD. It is referred to as Crocodile Effigy Mound or similar names. Some historians believe that this mound was built in honor of the underwater panther.

Crocodile Totem

The crocodile totem represents ferocity, authority and the power of the water element. As detailed in the crocodile spirit animal section below, the crocodile totem is a symbol of trust, protection, and sovereignty over your domain.

Crocodile symbolism in Aztec and Mayan mythology

Tlaltecuhtli monolith discovered in 2006 during excavations of the Templo Mayor in Tenochtitlan, present-day Mexico City. Photographer: Unknown.

Tlaltecuhtli, the earth monster

Native Americans, Aztecs, and Mayans believed that the earth was formed by a giant crocodile, turtle, or other reptilian creature floating on an endless sea. To the Aztecs and Mayans, this creature was a monster with crocodile skin and teeth. They called it Tlaltecuhtli. Although the creature was neither male nor female, she is often described as a fearsome goddess of fertility.

The problem was that she was insatiably hungry and even had extra mouths on her elbows and knees. Of course, she also claimed sacrifices.

Fearing their power, the two gods Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl turned into giant serpents to fight against them. In battle, they split her in two and threw half of her body into the cosmos. With the other half they created the earth.

The other gods and goddesses were appalled at what Tezcatlipoca and Quetzalcoatl had done. So they insisted that all life on earth should spring from Tlaltecuhtli’s body, including the rivers, flowers, grasses and more.

Australian Aboriginal Crocodile Tales

The Aborigines of Australia tell the story of why the crocodile rolls.

Once upon a time there was a grumpy woman named Min-na-wee who kept complaining. One day one of the men in the village got tired of her complaining, so he tried to stop her. The two got into a heated argument and fell to the ground. Min-na-wee was so angry at being controlled that she turned into a crocodile. Then she began to roll and roll to subdue the man. That’s how Min-na-wee won the fight and that’s why crocodiles roll to this day when they catch their prey.

African Crocodile Proverbs

In Africa, elders tell a story about how the crocodile got its rough, scaly skin.

Once upon a time there was a crocodile that had beautiful smooth golden skin. His routine was to stay in the river all day and only come to the riverbank at night. One night he fell asleep on the riverbank and was still there in the morning. As the other animals came down to the river to drink, they saw the beautiful crocodile in the sunlight and admired its beautiful golden skin.

The crocodile enjoyed the admiration and came out of the river more often during the day. More and more animals came to compliment him on his beautiful golden skin. The crocodile couldn’t get enough of the compliments, so it stayed longer and longer on the river bank.

Eventually, the hot African sun took its toll on the crocodile’s skin, which grew tougher with each passing day. When the crocodile’s skin became hard and scaly, the interest of the other animals waned. And so the crocodile returned to the river more often. (That’s also a saying about wearing sunscreen. :o)

Ancient Egyptian crocodile symbols

Sobek, the Egyptian crocodile deity. Photo: Shamrock Media.

The ancient Egyptians worshiped animals, including cats and snakes. They also had great respect for the crocodiles that lived along the Nile. The Egyptians valued crocodiles so much that they even had a crocodile deity named Sobek.

Equipped with a crocodile head, Sobek was one of the oldest deities of the Egyptians. Not only was he the lord of the crocodiles, he was also the creator order in the universe. In addition, Sobek was a fertility god who also protected the military.

It should come as no surprise that archaeologists have found numerous mummies of crocodiles of all ages buried in ancient Egyptian tombs. There was also an ancient Egyptian crocodile cult and crocodiles were allowed to roam freely in their temples.

Crocodiles in Greek mythology

Based on the Egyptian deity Sobek, the Greeks had their own crocodile god they called Suchos. The ancient Greeks kept a large crocodile named Petsuchos, whose name means ‘He who belongs to Suchos’, in a temple dedicated to the god in Fayyūm province. The Greeks regarded Petsuchos as an incarnation of Suchos.

Crocodile symbolism in the Bible

In the Bible, crocodiles symbolized the rule of the Egyptian pharaohs, which God would destroy. In Ezekiel 32 God says: “You think you’re a boy…