Summary of Animal Souls Across Religions and Beliefs:
Judaism: Animals have a "nefesh" (life-force), but their afterlife isn't clearly defined, possibly part of creation's broader cycles.
Christianity: Views vary; some believe only humans have souls, while others suggest animals might have a form of soul but not an afterlife like humans. Some interpretations include animals in a general resurrection or new creation.
Islam: Animals are not explicitly said to have souls like humans, but there's mention of their treatment being judged, suggesting some form of recompense or acknowledgment in the afterlife.
Buddhism: Animals are in the cycle of samsara, subject to reincarnation based on karma. Their existence is seen as part of the broader path to enlightenment, where souls can move between human and animal forms.
Hinduism: Animals are part of the reincarnation cycle, with souls potentially reborn in various forms based on karma, highlighting the interconnectedness of all life.
Greek Mythology: Animals can represent or be transformed by divine forces, with philosophical thoughts on soul transmigration but no clear afterlife doctrine for animals.
Norse Mythology: Animals are significant in mythology, linked to gods and cosmic cycles, but their specific fate after death isn't detailed, likely involved in cycles like the world tree or Ragnarok.
Ancient Egyptian Beliefs: Animals associated with deities had some form of spiritual significance, with mummification suggesting an afterlife or spiritual continuity, though less detailed than for humans.
Ancient Mesopotamian Beliefs: Animals symbolize divine aspects, but their afterlife isn't explicitly discussed, seen more as part of the divine order.
Wicca: Animals are considered to have spirits, part of nature's cycles, with beliefs in reincarnation where souls might return as animals or humans.
Native Americans: Animals have spirits, seen as kin, with their souls part of the spiritual world, possibly returning to nature or the Great Spirit.
Australian Aboriginals: Animals embody Dreamtime ancestors or totems, with their spirits potentially returning to their totemic site or transforming, reflecting the Dreaming's cyclical nature.
These beliefs span a spectrum from animals having no afterlife to being integral to spiritual cycles, reincarnation, or even a form of divine judgment or recognition, reflecting diverse understandings of life, death, and the sacred.